The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-03-09
GOVT. LOGGING
CONTINUED from Page One)

New Hampshire, New York and Penn
sylvania.
Approximately 1000, it is said, are
affected by the order in Northern Min
nesota. They will work a 44-hour week
instead of maximum Sc hours weekly
if the industry had been declared
seasonal
| With the settlement of the rather
lengthy negotiations and the decision
by the Wage and Hour division on
Thursday, the opinion was freely ex-
pressed that operators and lumber
jacks now knew where they are at
and would again be enabled to carry on
not this winter probably, but the COM
ing summer, fall and winter.
The decision of the government off,
Gals to start operations and the ask
| ing Of an appropriation by Congress
for funds for the work, has again upset
the placid equilibrium of Mr.. Bassette
and he has indicted a letter to the
public in which he says:
Government officials have repeatedly
assured the people that they are de-
sirous of encouraging business in every
way and stand ready at all times to
help industry to expand and create more
jobs for the unemployed. With these
assurances in mind, it came as a shock
to learn that at least one governmental
department is laying plans to compete
with private industry and is asking
federal financial support for that pur-
pose.
"Mr. Silcox, chief of the u. S.. Forest
Service, is completing plans to start ex-
tensive logging operations on the ma
tional forests in competition with pri-
vate logging operators and has asked
Congress for half a million dollars to
put his plans into operation He has
ordered his forest supervisors to pre-
pare plans for logging operations which
will begin after July /, 1899, if the re-
quested appropriation is allowed. Cur
iously enough he requests that on the
start these plans be limited to small
projects in order to avoid attracting too
much public attention.
1.-THE amazing impudence of these
bureaucrats seeking appropriations of
the taxpayers money to be used in driv-
ing the taxpayer out of business is be-
yond the comprehension of most people,
but the proposal merits the strongest
possible opposition from everyone in
tereSted in industrial prosperity and a
sane future for business. If this first
request is granted by Congress, un-
doubleday greatly enlarged demands will
follow in the future, and an organiza-
ton will be built up that cannot be
abolished.
Private operators have been paying
good prices for stumpage on the U.
S. forest whenever market conditions
for forest products were favorable: con-
sequently, there can be no sound argu-
ment that there Is need for the forest
service to start logging department. in
competition with private operators who
are well equipped and ready to produce
whatever the consumers of wood pro-
ducts require.
A representative of the Forest Ser
vice recently called on number of
firms in this section in an effort to
make contracts for mining timber, ties,
pulpwood, logs and lumber. He stated
that, under the proposed plan, govern
ment production would take the place
of wood now coming from Canada. It
is difficult to understand how this
can come about unless the matter of
operating costs is to be left out of con-
sideration by the Service, in which case
the proposed plan will speedily put every
small jobber out of business because
no independent operator can long hope
to compete with logging organization
backed by the federal treasury.
Everyone interested in the timber
industry should write to members of
congress to oppose the granting of the
appropriation requested for this plan.
The request is an item in the Agricul-
tural Department bill which is now
being considered by a subcommittee
whose chairman is Hon. Clarence
Cannon.