Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-11-05
New Democratic Tariff Bill May Re
duce Prices for Material in Some
Sections Of Country.
LUMBER EXPORTED MUCH
MORE THAN IMPORTED
About Three Times as Much Left Our
Shores This Year as Last,
According to Figures.
BY BOND B. aEDDRs
(oorrespondent of the united Presl

Correspondent Of the United Press)
Washington, Nov. 5.--The new Dem
ocratic tariff law win afford some
saving to the -builder--but it will
be slight. This prediction is made
after claims and counterclaims of Dem
ocrats and Republicans have been
stripped down to bare figures. A great
or saving it appears, will be afforded
the man who will build house, bunga-
low or cottage of moderate size and
little pretentions.
In the aggregate, many dollars will
be saved in the duties taken off lum-
Der, shingles, laths and other building
material. But concretely, the saving to
the individual homebuilder will be but
small but highly acceptable. In some
sections Of the country, retail prices
may go down on few articles such as
planks and shingles. Large contractors
may be able to save material costs on
large quantities Of steel and lumber.
But the small homebuilder. who does
this buying himself, naturally will save
but little. Here's the situation:
The new law places lumber, rough
and sawed, on the free list. The old,
"indirect" tariff on imported lumber
was about seven per cent Unless Can.
adian and other foreign imports come
in great quantities, it is not generally
believed that the seven per cent re-
duction will force down retail prices
in this country, Shingles and lathes
may be ONE cheaper to the consumer in
the northwest and on the Pacific coast
the largest manufacturing district
but freight rates and middlemen 3 costs
it is conseryatively estimated, will eat
up much Of the tariff tax removed
Last year $l5,5OO,OOO worth of sawed
boards and planks were imported, their
cost being increased by duties Of $l,-
17s,000. But our own lumber mills
produced $0s4,0OO,OOO worth and last
year exported $5l, ,6O0,0 ,0OO--about three
times the amount imported. Imports
Of both logs and finished lumber are
expected to increase largely under the
new tariff law, but hardly enough
materially to affect the final retail
prices to the consumer
Canadian and other foreign lathes, i'm.
ported without duty, may force retail
prices, however, as $l,62O,0OO worth
were imported last year paying q duty
Of 20 cents n thousand Lathe imports
are expected greatly to increase to com
pote with tho American product, and
possibly TO force u retail reduction Of
as much as 10 cents thousand. But
this means at best only a few dollars
on the lathing Of an ordinary house.
The same situation obtains regarding
shingles Last year shingles worth
81 100000 were imported, paying duties
Of $25i,OOO to compete with home
production Of over $3O,OOO,OOo worth.
Should imports free Of duty greatly in.
crease retail reduction to the purch
asor viii pc quite saving.
A duty Of about three fourths Of one
cent pound has been taken off wire
nails, but the American nail is so much
superior and past imports so small, that
tho American producer practically dom
mates tho market. This argues against
a retail price reduction,
Sand and stone are on tho free list
but foreign competition in these build. .
ing materials has boen kept down by
high freight charges. A duty Of $
cents pound Is also taken off cement
in the new law, but imports Of the
commercial material are, and probably
win remain negligible,
Duty on window glass has been re-
duccd about l6 per cent, but American
products also dominate the glass market
controlling retail PRICES free from for.
cign invasion. Lime, tiling, brick and
paints are other article, upon which
duties have been reduced but In which
foreign competition is small