Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-01
Editorial Comment
Reciprocity and the Lumber Trust.
tHouston Post.D

tHouston Post.)
The esteemed New York World is
putting questions to Senator La Fol-
/ lette Senator La Toilette il. as all
men know. bitterly opposed to Lori
mer and he is also opposed to the
Canadian reciprocity treaty, which the
World seems to believe is capable of
killing the lumber trust, And the
World asks Senator La Toilette why
he is bitter against the senator
whom the lumber trust put over.
and yet SO gentle toward the lumber
trust itself. Shall the servant be
punished and the master rewarded
asks our contemporary. Shall
lumber trust senator be unseated and
the lumber trust itself enthroned?'
We are inclined to think our con-
temporary as badly mistaken about
the potentiality of the reciprocity
treaty as il is about the function of
taxation. 1t is probably true that the
lumber trust assuming there is one.
opposes the free importation of lum-
Der from Canada, but the fact remains
that most of the great lumber cor
porationS that are operating on the
American side of the line are also
operating ON the Canadian side of the
line, and il there is a trust. ii will not
be seriously affected even if reciproe-
ity prevails.
1t is our belief that reciprocity is not
going to break any trusts. but merely
broaden the combinations that exist
To include Interested concerns ON both
sides of the line. The Canadian lum
herman will not be slow to enter into
fa a he
finds he can profit by such course.
We believe even the newspapers are
going to be much disappointed at the
results of reciprocity in the matter Of
print paper. 1t is the hope of cheap
er paper that has led so many to the
strenuous support of reciprocity, and
it will probably be found i'm the end
that the paper manufacturers on both
sides will combine To control the price
Manifestly, if VT wipe out the line
that divides the United States and
Canada. the Canadian labor will want
higher wages just as the Canadian
manufacturer will want higher prices.
and the trusts will not have trouble in
inducing them to combine.
If there are trusts. the proper thing
is TO break them up If a law that
threatens heavy fines and imprison-
ment doesn't stop them, tariff manip-
ulation is not going to do it. They
will abolish Canadian competition just
as they have abolished competition in
the United States, and We will have
perverted the very functions of taxa
ton for nothing. The money that is
now being paid into the custom hous-
as on importations will simply be
turned into the treasures of the
trusts. and the United states will have
to look elsewhere for taxes to make
up for what ii has RENTED.
We are strongly Of the opinion that
the way to deal with the lumber
trust. if there be one is to prosecute
the individuals and apply some of
those jail penalties. For the govern
ment to say We will do without ,sev-
eral million dollars of revenue In or
der TO cripple the trusts means that
the government will turn thai much
money over 10 the trusts. ID Tie en-
forcement of sections l ard : of the
Sherman law Will do the work. Prob
ably that is the view thafaSenator La
Toilette holds. If SO. We agree with
him.