New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-04
Lumber Supply Depleted.

from the statistics that our general lum-
Ter supply and our supply Of spruce
wood for paper making are being rapid
j. exhausted. and that the effect Of the
dminutiOn Of supply and the increase OF
demands is to put too high a price upon
the rough lumber and wood pulp. Under
the Payne tariff bill rough lumber is
dutiab bic at ST 25 Under the reciprocity
agreement that duty is removed. I sub
nit that as lumber is essential to all
classes. farmers ard merchants. as the
price has gone far beyond what il ever
was in the past. and as our supply is
being exhausted, we ought. when We can.
10 enlarge the sources from which our
people may secure it at reasonable
prices.
The report of the chief Of the Bureau
Of Corporations shows that the control Of
lumber in the United States is in COM
parativeIy few hands. and that they are
80 friendly to each other that the pos
sibilty of a monopoly is neither remote
nor improbable, unless we bring to the
markets of the United States the rela
lively inexhaustbIe supply to be found
In Canada.
As to Print Paper.
Second, as to print paper The Tariff
Board has made a most exhaustive ex-
animation Of the comparative cost of
production OF print paper in the United
States and i'm Canada. Indeed the report
IS 80 complete as to vindicate the judg
ment OF those who proposed the use OF
q board for the purpose of determining
the difference in the cost Of articles at
home and abroad with view TO assisting
the Congress in a rational readjustment
OF the tariffs. This report shows that
the mills best situated in the United
states with the best machinery can
a a SLIGHTLY
less cost than the mills best situated in
Canada: that the Canadian mills on an
average have newer machinery than the
United States mills; that there are quite
a number of United States mills that use
old machinery, and, therefore do not
conduct their business on economical
lines; that the average cost Of prOduc
ton in all the mills of the United States
Including the poorest mills. is about IS
moro ton than the cost of production
III Canada, With its newer mills; and that
this 50 is just about the difference be
tween the cost Of pulp wood in the
United States and the cost of pulp wood
I'm Canada.
II seems fairly reasonable to suppose
too, that the pulp wood which grows only
north OF the 10th degree of latitude will
be exhausted in the United States or
remain in the control Of a few persons.
because of the drain OF the United States
mills 1t is of the highest Importance,
therefore, not only to the consumers but
20 the manufacturers of print paper, in
order that they may secure their raw
material at q reasonable price. to secure
a letting down Of the bars in Canada
for the expectation OF pulp wood.
The provinces Of Canada have control
over the crown lands in which nine
tenths of the pulp wood is grown. and
they have imposed restrictions and eX-
Anfi Of
pulp wood in the crown lands. in order
TO prevent the export of the wood except
sn the form Of paper. The agreement
provides that whenever the Canadian
provinces remove all restrictions upon
the expectation Of pulp wood. then
Canada will permit United States paper
TO come in free into Canada, and the
United States will permit Canadian paper
70 come in free into the United States.
This exact agreement is not embodied
In the bill as recommended to the House
by the Ways and Means Committee and
as passed by the House. Instead, in
order 20 induce the Canadian provinces.
over whom the dominion can exercise no
control, to lift the restrictions upon the
e1portation Of their pulp wood. il is
provided that when paper is made in
Canada from wood grown on land not
under export restriction the paper may
come into the United States free. and II
ts hoped that the difference Of 50 75 be-
tween the duty on paper from restricted
wood and no duty on paper made from
unrestricted wood will induce the PROV
ipces to lift their restrictions.
Small Amount Of Paper Free.
1t is thus apparent that while small
amount of paper may come i'm free into
the United States under the existing
tariff, the paper made from nine-tenths
OF the pulp wood of Canada will pay a
duty of 81 a.. 1t seems to me that this
Is treating the paper manufacturers Of
the United States fairly. 1t is pro-
vision calculated TO secure TO them a
source of supply where they can get
their wood at 81 less n ton than In this
country, with the disadvantage Of a
small competition OF paper made in
Canada from Canadian wood. upon
which there is no restriction.
Il is a provision looking far into the
future, and which we all hope may Gre
ate a condition OF absolutely free trade
in paper and it's materials, a condition
that candid and saeacious paper manu-
fscturers will admit is the best thing
for the industry, as it certainly 10 for
the consumers.
The third class of opponents TO the bill
arc those Hho claim vociferously 10 rep
. resent the whole farming industry Of the
United States. This. of course, is
much more formidable opposition than
the special interests to which I have
referred, and il is but natural that these
special interests should be found CO.
6 operating with those who claim 10 rep
resent the farming interest in srousing
!. the farmers 10 the horrors and disasters
+, that are 70 follow reciprocity.
- The employment OF New York CITY
firm, skilled in sending circulars, is no.
tho subject Of proper criticism, provided
the statements made in the circulars are
reasonable and we'll founded. IRE sic
nificanee OF the fact that this same New
York hrm 10 looking for financial assist.