Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-09-19
EFFECT OF CANAL
0NC0ASTLUMBER
Eastern Lumber Trade Jour
nal Finds Difficulties for
Coast Manufacturers
MUST GET RETURN CARGO
Navigation Laws Stand in the
Way---Coast Shippers Would
Have Laws Changed

While the Panama canal Is not yet
open for traffic and will not be Cor
some months. shipping and manufac-
turing interests both east and west
are sbeculating on its effect on trade
and making preparations for what
they believe will follow the opening
of this new route. says the Mississip.
pi Valley Lumberman. From the be-
ginning. it has been generally &C.
ers of the Pacific northwest would
benefit by the lower possible water
rates to the east coast of the Unit
ed States and to Europe. but a closer
study of the question. particularly
in view of some essential factors
which have since entered into the
equation. creates some doubt as to
whether or not the benefit is to be
all that was expected. 1t is hardly
to be doubted that it will be posi-
BILE to transport lumber by way of
the canal at a lower cost than it can
be hauled across the continent by
rail. 1t is also true that the proper
tionate saving becomes greater with
the increase in the distance. and that,
therefore. the manufacturers of the
Pacific Northwest will pay a proper.
tionately less water rate to New
York than will the manufacturers of
the south who are able to avail them
selvevs of water transportation. Yet
there is the problem of securing re.
turn cargoes from the east for the
vessels that carry lumber to the At
lantic seaboard to be solved
Navigation Laws at Fault
A second factor is injected by that
portion of our navigation laws which
keeps foreign vevssels out of our
coastwise trade, and this. taken in
consideration with the new tariff law
which will admit foreign lumber into
this country free of duty, constitutes
real problem. the solution of which
does not offer much consolation to
the lumber manufacturers of Wash
ington. Oregon and California. Even
the provision of the canal law which
permits the free use of the canal
to vessels engaged in our coastwise
trade is not expected to overcome
the handicap.
1t has been clearly demonstrated
that foreign vessels can be built and
operated more cheaply than Ameri.
can.built vessels. Our navigation
laws require the employment of al
certain proportion of American sea-
men and it is admitted that the wages
paid on American boats are higher
than the wages paid on foreign YES
sels 1t is also we'll understood that
the cost of building vessels is great.
er in this country than abroad. These
two elements of building and operat-
for the owners of American vessels
to charge higher rates to protect
their investments. The free use Of
the canal will partly offset this diff
ference, but will not entirely equaIize
the charges. Under the tariff law
which has been in force for some
years. British Columbia lumber COM
ing to this country has been obliged
to pay a duty. This duty taken to-
gether with the advantage of free
use of the Panama canal would en-
able American ship owners and Am
erican lumbermen to compete with
the manufacturers north of the Dor
der; but the duty removed. the sit
uation favors the Canadian lumber
men.
With this fact in view. the lumber
of our own Pacific
coast have made a suggestion. 1t
is to the effect that our shipping
laws be so changed as to permit for
eign vessels to engage in the coast
wise trade of this country This
would be a radical change. and I'M
would meet with great op-
position. 1t is claimed that the re-
of the present restrictions
would drive the last American YES
sells from the seas. just as competi-
tive conditions have driven Ameri-
can vessels from the worlds trade.
1t would be contrary to the princi-
pies of protection which have retain
ed the coastwise trade for the ex.
elusive field of American boats. 1t
must also be remembered that in
spite OF the fact that our navigation
laws have long been considered
archaic. every effort to change them
has been. met by successful opposi-
ton. So.e the suggestion Of the west
coast lumbermen. essential though it
may seem in order that they may
be able to successfully compete with
the lumber manufacturers Of British
Columbia for the markets of the At
lantic coast states. will probably find
rough shedding If it is taken up by
congress.