Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-02-09

necessity, the changes the present rates OF duty
comparatively very light. An increase upon
''iron in bars, not manufactured in whole. or in
part, BY rolling, OF from ninety cents upon lib
pounds, to one cent per pound; upOI Iron in
bars, manufactured, in WHOLE in part, by roll
ing" of 81 per ton of 2sio pounds; anu upon
"pig iron, OF IL i-2 cents per liz pounds, be-
yond the present rates Of duty are the most ma
terial changes upon this article Some amend
ments in the existing law, when evaSions OF the
present duty have been discovered to exist BY de-
fects In the wording of the law, and additions
of duty upon particular descriptions of iron, and
upon particular manufactures tfoin II, complete the
provisions on this subject.
The next subject III order, is that of wcc and
woollcns. To these subjects the greater part of
the testimony of the witnesses has been directed,
and the Committee have used every effort in their
power To obtain precise information a to the facts
as they do actually exist in relation TO the interests
both OF the wool grower and the manufacturer OF
wool. The real importance of these subjects TO
those section of the country where wool is grown,
and in which the manufactures located, the
feeling which has for some time agitlted the pub
lie mind throughout the whole country, i'll rela-
ten, on the one side, 10 the necessity of further
protection TO them, and, on the other side, TO the
injurious effects which such measure would have
upon the purchasers OF woollen fabrics, have all
conspired 10 induce this oXertion the part of the
Committee They have therefore made the ex-
aninations Of the witnesses, upon these subjects
as minute as possible, and, perhaps, III some in
stances, they may appear tediously Indeed,
many OF the questions put TO the witnesses will az
ford abundant evidence that the committee had not
sufficient practical knowledge upon the subjects
before them, to enable them to make a series of
interrogatiOns, the answers TO which would place
the testimony taken in the clearest light. And
when the members of the House shall have exam
ined the evidence relating to the manufacturer OF
voollen goods, the committee cannot doubt they
viii be entirely CONVINCED that none but person
Intimately acquainted with the various operations
could have drawn out series OF questions upon
this subject, susceptible of clear api intelligbe
answers. The time of the committee did not
thorise attempt to do this, aud, therefore,
the examinations, and particularly OF some of tho
witnesses first examined, viii appear, they
really taken-the one answer, iii many, ii not III
most instances, suggesting the subsequent ques-
ton. II will also be found, upon examination
OF the testimony that the manufacture OF woollens
IS hardly susceptible of being reduced within the
limits OF exact mathematical calculation, as to
enable the committee to arrive, with this kind of
certainty, at the amount of duty which will fur
niSh full protection, and, at the time, will not
60 beyond that point. Certain positions, however
they believe 10 be proved by the evidence they
have taken, which furnish great assistance in ap-
preaching to correct conclusions.
In relation to unmanuiactured wool Of domestic
growth the committee consider it 10 be fully proved
that the present prices, III our markets, unusu
ally low, and the sales very dull and that these
effects produced by the combined influence of
the large importations OF foreign wool, and the
SsS=s;-a importations of foreign woolen goods
Contrary 10 the opinions OF some OF the Witnesses
the committee strongly convinced that the
provision of the present law, permitting the intro
duction of foreign wool, costing not exceeding 10
cents per pound in the foreign market, at the al
most nominal duty of Is per cc:.; al va!orem, docs
admit wool, paying this duty, and invoiced at and
below this price, which, in quality and use, mate
rally conflicts with the native wool Of this
country.
This opinion is strongly corroborated by the
presentation, by one of the witnesses, 10 the cola
nittee of five different specimens of foreign wool,
imported into, and during the last Fall selling In,
the Boston market, at from cents to ii cents per
pound. The foreign invoices of all these woods
were at a price not exceeding 10 cents per pound,
and consequently paid but duty OF 10 per cent.
al valorcn. At least two of these specimens of
wool, the committee believe when properly cleans
ed would clearly appear to be equal in quality to
the common native wool OF the United States; and
the very rapid increase in the mportatons of these
low qualities of wool, since the passage of the
f5ill Of 1924, furnishes the strongest to
conclude that they are supplying the demand, and
answering the uses which the coarse woods of our
country would, in most cases, wefsupply; and that
the foreign article is sought because, by means of
the very low duty it now pays, it can be obtained
at a less price than the domestic. There are also
strong reasons for believing that by importing Sc
veral qualities of foreign woods in the grease and
dirt, they are nvOiced ut price not exceeding 10
cents per pound, when, if the woods were
cleansed, as the foreign woods ally arc for the
Il
higher price; and that, in this way, the spirit
of the law Of 1924 is, to very considerable
extent, evaded. The law of 1924 imposed upon
wool costing in the foreign market price exceed
ing 10 cents per pound, progressive duty, com
mencing at 20 per cent. al valorem, and ending at
80 per cent. ad valorem. This duty reached its
maximum on the list day of June, 1926. The
question, then, as TO the manner in which these
low priced woods could be eifectually reached
without imposing an exorbitant duty upon the
higher and finer qualities, first to be deter
mined And the bill, herewith reported, will
show that the conclusion of the committee has been
20 impose a specific duty Of cents per pound up
on all foreign wool, without regard to its quality
aud to retain, at the time the ad valorcm du-
", with proposition TO increase il from 80 per
cent, the present duty, to 40 per cent and TO
make it progressive, al an increase OF per cent.
per annun, TO so per cent, and applicable TO all
kinds of wool these alterations if adopted by Con-
gress, will operate, propOrtionably, more heavily
upon the coarse than upon the fine woods. But the
committee suffer little apprehension from this fact
because they consider it satisfactorily proved that
the capacity of this country TO produce wool is on
" 20 be lnitedby the demand for the articles that
the manufacturers they have examined are using
much the largest share Of the finer woods; that the
coarse woods of this country little sought be-
Cause foreign woods ola coarser quality, and an
swering the uses, procured at lower
prices; and that, i'm the assortment Of the WOODS of
this country, for the purposes Of manufacture,
large share will fall within the los ranges, and
viii fairly supply the place Of the coarse imported
woods And the committee will not disguise the
fact, that il has been their intention, ia the bill
they should report 10 extend every protection
which the nature Of the case would admit, 20 the
grower of American wool. If they have not done
this, they have erred in judgment and have not
accomplished their own intentions il the duties
they have proposed upon unmanuidctured wool are