Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-15
Washington State De-
mands to Be RigidIy
Investigated.
NiIson and Underwood Threatened
Inquiry II Business Closed Be.
cause of Tariff...33 Lumber Mills
and t9a ShingIe Mills Shut Down
...Thousands out Of Work.

Washington, d. c., Jan. 14-(SpeciaD.
The influence of the Simmons Under
wood tariff law upon the lumber indus
try has just been discussed convincing
ly in the National House. Thousands
of laborers, normally employed in the
sh.ngle mills and lumber mills of
Washington state, are now out of
work. Representative Humphrey of
Washington, has presented to the
House a list of SO great lumber mills
in that state which have closed since
this free trade Wilson tariff law, pass
ed by a Democratic Congress-or to
speak more accurately, that was pass
ed by Democratic President-went
upon the statute books.
"Those 80 mills continued Mr..
Humphrey, represent a daily output
of 100000 feet. They employ $500
men, who are out of work today and
looking for employment"
The Washington state Congressman
has likewise presented to the House the
list OF 1874 shingle. mills in his state,
which kave-elesed since the tariff law
went into operation. They are more
than 60 per cent. of all the mills in the
state and so per cent. of all the mills
in the United States"
When the tariff bill was before the
House Mr. Humphrey asked that a
duty be retained on shingles, which, he
said, it cost more to manufacture in
said Washington state than in British
Columbia across the line. "On that
OCCASION" said Mr.. Humphrey in his
speech the other day, Il pointed out
$&iat the men working in the shingle
mills of Washington were American
citizens; that they We're white men:
that they received American wages.
pointed out that over in British Colum-
bia, the mills employed Chinese, JAP
anese and Hindoos, mostly Chinese.
pointed out that 1t was impossible for
the men in Washington to compete
with the Cinnamon in British Colum-
bia. I made the prediction that if the
/ tariff was taken off shingles, those
shingle mills would close. l made the
statement that it was either a reduc-
tion of wages or a closing of the mills.
But that statement was received upon
the Democratic side of the House with
smiles of incredulity and of intellectu-
al superiority.
NOW we are again to learn by the
lesson of experience, the same way we
have always learned under a Demo-
cratic administration, that we can not
give our work and wages to foreign Ia
Dor without bringing poverty and want
upon our own. And we are to again
have it demonstrated that the learned
free trade theories of the scholar and
the dreamer, when put into effect
mean industrial death. Again it has
been demonstrated that the Democratic
Party is wholly incompetent to conduct
the affairs of this Nation. Again we are
to learn at fearful cost that Demo-
cratic administration means an empty
Treasury. industrial depression, and
poverty and idleness and rags
The Washington Congressman did
not content himself with setting forth
these conditions and putting the names
of the mills into the Congressional Rec
ord as an evidence of good faith. He
quoted statements by Woodrow Will
son while candidate for President
that no legitimate industry would be
harmed by tariff revision He quoted
further from Representative Under
wood of Alabama, the author of the
tariff law and chairman of the ways
and means committee. who said during
the tariff Debates
1--WE have established a Bureau of For
eign and Domestic Commerce that goes
: far beyond anything that these gentlemen
desire to obtain in their tariff board and
it is we'll for the country to know It, 1t
not only has the power to investigate the
question of cost here or abroad, the
amount of imports and exports, and
American consumption, but when a great
manufacturing institution is ready to
threaten it's Iaborers with reduction
of wages because they say there has
been adverse action and legislation in
Congress or to reflect on the action of
the Government of the United States,
that Bureau has power to walk into their
offices and ascertain whether there is
real reason for their cutting of the wages
of their labor or whether it is merely a
selfish attempt to put money into their
own pockets"
Proceeding with this line of argu
mert Mr. Humphrey put it all down in
Continued on Page Fourteen.)