Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-12-17

| From those fruitful sources which
always cheerfully provide a vast
amount of alleged information caIcu-
lated to prove that Democratic cur
tallment of special privilege is ruin
ing the country has recently come a
characteristic dissertation upon the
woeful state that business is sup
posed to find itself in at the moment.
and the causes therefor. This par
| ticular contribution to the propagan-
da for plutocratizing business has
taken the form of Especial corre-
spondence" from washington, D.
Co." which label is probably alto
gether fraudulent. It is especially
prepared for Pacific coast consump-
ton. 1t finds it's way readily into
conspicuous columns in country week.
lies and the smaller daily papers, is
usually headed, Republicans Con-
struct-Democrats Destroy" or some
thing like that, and is chiefly dis
tinguished for presenting a vast array
of portentous facts which do not hap
pen to be so.
The opening statement is that the
lumber trade naturally reflects the
industrial condition throughout the
country" But it so happens that the
industrial conditions throughout the
country are at high ebb, holiday
trade is enormous, railroads have ar
ranged for vast improvements, manu-
featuring in all other lines is crowd
ed but the lumber business is quiet
and dull. comparatively.
Then we have the statement
partly by ingenious Intermediate
the lumber business Is greatest among
manufacturing industries and gives
! employment"-mark that, gives en-
ployment," If you will-to 100000
persons. As it happens. in the nine
principal manufacturing industries Of
the country, which embrace about so
per cent of the manufacturing bust
ness, the numbering industry Is some
way from the top. and there are sew
eral states wherein numbering IL a|
negligible factor, where the number
Of employees in other manufacturing
lines alone exceeds that Of all those
employed in lumber industries In the
whole United States. No. this II not
Z condition that has arisen since the
outbreak Of the European war, It was
the condition before that ungodly
slaughter and destruction began. Az
an especial bid for the favor OF the
farmer. there II coupled with the
foregoing the statement that ''lum-
bermen are the largest buyers Of farm
products" II the seven hundred
thousand lumbermen Of the country
buy more farm products than the
other fifteen million adult males, OK
Guiding those conducting farms. the
aforesaid other fifteen millions re-
ferred to must be contenting them
selves with about one potato and q
sprig Of parsley apiece, per annum.
! Next we have this gem: THE
Canadian government owns the tim
Der lands and sells the timber to the
mills a. needed, thus relieving the
mill owner of the great expense" etc..
etc., the timber owners Of the United
/ States being alleged to have twenty
billion dollars invested in standing
timber" How sad. The heart melts
at the spectacle Of these poor owners
of twenty billion dollars worth OF
timber-an incomprehensible sum Of
] congested "wealth"-being interfered
with by any possible competition from
Canadian lumber. AS q matter Of
fact, the owners of American timber
are not the lumber manufacturers,
strictly speaking, nor did they ever
invest twenty billion dollars, or any
thing like 1t. The twenty billion dol.
lars Of timber value so held. private.
ly, was created by the public. But
for the presence and activities and
needs Of people the timber lands
would not be worth four cents hun
dred square miles. II this vast wealth
is becoming too great to be borne BY
the present holders, the people Of the
country, through the government
would without doubt be very willing
to take back the timber at what wal
actually paid for it originally plus
bond interest. Will the poor timber
holders indorse this idea and accep'
/ .elia4 4.nx,. Ahoi. droa dRul afafa9 Vas