The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-08-30
THE WAY TO GET OBJECTIONABLE DUTIES REMOVED

minneapolis Daily Tribune)
The action of the senate finance committee in striking out the
duties on lumber, shingles and logs will be received with jubiation
throughout the northwest.
To The Tribune the news is specially gratifying, for it proves what
we have always contended: namely, that the way to get Objectionable
duties removed is to demand their removal The idea that the north
west should not cry out when its foot was stepped on lest it offend
someone in the east has actually been advocated as a policy by a lead
ing daily in this part of the country. Indeed that daily has sought to
silence The Tribune and has continually deplored its tariff protests
Well, protests at times do have a effect. The present is a case
in point. Within the past fortnight The Tribune voiced what W be-
ileved to be the northwests feelings about these duties in an editorial
entitled THE Single Grab" which read as follows:
"The Hawley tariff bill imposes a rs per cent duty o shingles,
hitherto on the free list.
"The effect of this action will be to add $50 to the cost of erecting
the average farmhouse, and $50 to the cost of erecting the average
barn.
"The best estimates available make it clear that the shingles
duty will take a toll of about s5OOOOOO annually from the farmers of
"The single grab is IN of the most mdefensble of the many
grabs in the Hawley bill.
at was made possible only by a sordid deal in the ways and means
committee.
at is a breach of faith with the farmer, OF whose behalf the
special session was called.
ct is a stupid performance IN the part of the Washington and
Oregon single manufacturers themselves, for the owners of the large
tracts of standing timber will raise the prices of the logs which the
manufacturers have to buy.
"t is further a stupid performance on their part in that it will aid
the substitute roofing material industry at the expense of their own
single industry.
1T is a direct blow at our conservation policy, since it al only
hasten the depletion Of our last remaining area of timber.
ct is an unnecessary and shortsighted blow at Canada or best
customer.
1T will harm the farmers and small town residents proporfonately
more than the urban people.
1T will force the consumer to pay more for a low grade and less
durable shingle.
1T is uneconomic, unjust, and a foolish public policy.
"The senate should make short shift of this particular duty. It
is just too ridiculous"
These lines were printed just 10 days before the senate commit
tees announcement that the duties under discussion had been abolish
ed. Now conceivably it is better to pussyfoot and sigh and look sad
rather than to say with downright and unmistakabLe emphasis that a
grab is a grab and utterly indefensibe. But we do not think so. Our
beHet IS that n Of the chief reasons the northwest has had handicap
after handicap put upon it is that it has been too lackadaisical in it's
own defense, too tmorous in standing up for it's own rights, too
colonial in its psychology, too easily resigned to its own despoiIation,
and too ready to make excuses for its despolers. Here we have not
only a vfndication of this view, but concrete evidence that the way
to get action is to demand it. and in words that by no stretch of the
IMAGINATION cn be misunderstood. :