Evening star., 1921-06-29
Editorial Digest
The Trouble in the Woodpile.


When republican state legislatures.
the republican representatives in
Congress Of a state with large lum-
Der interests. and republican papers of
the standing Of the Chicago Tribune
unite in opposition TO the proposed
tariff Of IS per cent on finished lum-
| Der. the Hartford Times (democratic)
seems to be justified in it's remark
that "it remains for any one to give
a satisfactory or even an understand
able reason" why such duty should
be imposed. The housing shortage
and our depleted forests are brought
Forward as arguments against pro-
the democratic press is more widely
vocal. republican papers are scarcely
less vehement. even in some cases
| echoing the dire predictions of their
democratic cotemporaries Of the ef-
feet on the party of the adoption of
tn" Fordney recommendation.
There may be some one" in the
United States, the Hartford Times
continues. who wants a duty on lum-
ber but certainly 1t is not the people
Of those who supply their needs"
i, Coming Just at this time. when re-
ducing building costs and facilitating
the building Of homes Is a matter of
Importance in every community" the
Rochester Times-Cnion GndependenD
feels that measure tending to ad-
vance the price. Of building material
lis especially Objectionable" That
Congress should "even consider" a
protective duty on lumber Is. to the
pendent. "one of those infXplicable
| moves on its part that tend to stag
ger the folks bsc'i no ne
The Detroit News independently
relays" the following message from
1 the heart of the people" to the men
! who. in the seclusion of the sane
tuary Of Capitol Hill. are planning
the tariff policy Of the government:
J There is shortage Of houses. The
people are having trouble establish
ing and maintaining their homes be-
cause houses are costly and rents are
high. Houses are built of lumber The
| price of lumber is maintained at = a
very high Level. tariff on lumber
can effect nothing unless it increases
! the cost of lumber. And if the repub-
| lican party is responsible for increas-
| ing the cost Of lumber. continuing the
present high cost of building and thus
| playing into the hands of the rent
/ protiteers. it will meet with signal
| punishment at the hands of the peo-
pie at the next election
The effect on the housing situation
! is. Of course. pointed out as the more
immediate. but danger to our forests
| is also seen by editorial writer's in
! the proposed measure. Mr.. Fordney
the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Times-News
independently says. ought to realize
better than the average person the
| necessity for conserving the forests
! OF Amsrica. since his own wealth was
carved out Of the Michigan forests"
| Insisting that there is mo good rea-
| son for protective duties on lumber"
| the Springfield Republican Gndepend-
| enD states that such a tariff will
| only hasten the destruction of what
| timber is left and the Chicago Post
independently feels that if everything
! that is said Of our vanishing forests
| Is true" there will be no need for a
! tariff to protect American lumber in
the years to come. for there will be
! no American lumber to protect"
| The Fort Wayne Journai-Gazette
! tdemocraticJ says: Mr. Fordney is
a lumber man. always has been
lumber man and in Congress he is
| essentially and solely the representa-
| tive of the lumber men" The Boston
| Post independent democratic), as
| well. is convinced that the duty on
lumber. "a harmful and needless
! thing that cannot be defended on
any ground" has been devised Sim
| ply for the better profits of big tim
ber combines that have grown rich
from the necessities of the people"
| AS to the revenue from this import
| duty. the Milwaukee Journal Gnde-
pendent) declares that it may yield
as much as a million and half. at a
cost to the American people of sixty
| millions" while the difference goes
to swell the pockets of a small class
| of lumbermen."
| There are various ways. observes
the Baltimore Sun independent
democratic) "of digging ones grave I"
| and this bonus to the lumber trust"
has the appearance of tariff dyna-
| mite" with which the republican
party is trying TO blow itself to
smithereens." The New York World
(democratic) reports that "repub-
| lican members from fifteen states
are in open revolt" against the pro-
vision. and rebellion appears to be
| spreading from day to day." which,
| according to the New Orleans Times
Picayune independent democratic),
"is growing to formidable proper
tions."
! Apparently the Chicago Tribune
| independent republican, is assured
of ample support in its contention
that lumber must be kept on the
free list"