Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-08-29
FOR SENATORS.
Letter FROM THE HON. SAMUEL C.

LEI TER FROM THE HON. SAMUEL C.
CRAFTS.
Below we give extract of letter (all that
relates to wooD from Senator Crafts, in reply to
inquiries Ivy gentleman from this village. This
letter has been used not little in eec,ioneering
against the Wings aud we are therefore grafed
in the opportunity ofpublishing it, that the people
may judge with what justice it has been 50 used
"WAsHINeToN July 2, 1872
You Rllude 10 the embarrassmenls eXperien-
ced by the wool-growers of Vermont for the want
of q market and depression in the prices of wool.
When the Tariffs OF 1924 and 1923 were estab-
lished, it was supposed that The common wool
from Buenos Ayres, from Smyrna, the Black Sea,
&c. being III general very coarse aud cheap, would
never come into competition with wool raised i'm
the United States. But as such wool might he
probably used III the manufacture of carpets, ne
gro cloths, &c. all wool costing, in the countries
where produced, less than s cents er H. was
made free of duty But within few years past,
some of our enterprisng couutrymen have expor-
ted great numbers of fine wool bucks to South
America, and have turned them into their i'm
mense f1ocks that scattered over the almost
boundless plains south and west of Buenos A res :;
and by these means the wool of these focks has
been SO far improved that much of it is as fine as
our "a bloodS. And as The climate is SO mild
that the sheep can find plenty OF ood for the
whole year, without any care from their owners,
they not considered of much value. Persons
are commonly sent out from this country who
shear these focks, taking half of the wool and
sometimes il is said three-quarters, for shearing.
In this manner the wool is imported so as to be
sold in our ports for not more than cents the
pound This wool is generally dirty, caused by
the sweating of the sheep and dust, so that when
cleaned ii OiH loose nearly quite half lis ceight.
1t appears by the returns made TO the Treasury
department, that there is about seven Mullins of
pounds of such wool imported annually from Bue-
nos Ayres alone. 1t Is said TINT like measures are
in progress to improve the wool Imported from
SMYRNA. Ii is difficult matter 10 arrange a tar
iff in such manner as will protect both the man
ufaclurer and the wool grower, for unless The
manufacturer is fully protected, there will be no
demand for the raw material. The friends OF pro-
lection in Congress have much TO contend with,
and strong opposition TO overcome from the ad-
pocates of free trade al The South, AS WELL AS
EVEN THE NORTH, with an executive opposed
to any tariff ,chich cilt give much more than an IN
CIDENTAL protection. Yet believe there is n
majority in both Houses Of Congress who will
not consent to adjourn without passing bill that
will give to the manufacturer and the agriculture
ist n fair and reasonable protection. 1t is probn
BILE that such cannot be got through Congress
much before the first of August.
remain, very respectfully, your friend, and ser.
want, SAMUEL u. CRAFTS.
This letter bears date July g l642-ten days
before the new tariff duties on wool were consid-
cred in the House. We see, then, that our dele.
CATION unde rstood all about this South American
ol-at least rOrst about it tina, the Wings
were determined to protect against it., and lha,
the opposition came from the FREE TRADE locos
al The South, GAS WELL AS EVEN THE
NORTH" With what face, then, is the false
hood weekly repeated in the Patriot, and reailed
by locoiocO elecliOneerers, that the Wings did not
mean TO project us against that wool, and that the
locos did !! This has been done, too, when this
very letter was in their hands, that plainly gives
rhe lie TO their misrepresentation Again OBJ
serve that this South American wool is imported,
and sold, as Mr.. Crafts says, at cts. This is in
correct AS the market-price is known with abso-
lutte certainty to average II 1-2 now, when that
wool has all in free of duty under the pres
Ell Alw. II is 10 be noted that Mr. Crafts is speak
ing tot of coarse wool, but that which Is improved
by crossing with our bucks, which therefore bears
the duty Of cents pound and 80 per cent. by
the new tariff Let us now take the medium kind
of wool, at Mr. Crafts prices cents. To get the
duty we will deduct cents per h. for profit, leav.
ing the foreign cost of the wool and charges at
cents.
100 lbs wool al cents, 5000
3 cents per ID. duty, 800
80 per cent. duty on cost, 1,60
cents per lb proht 200
Total SI2SO
When ceonsed, says Mr.. Crafts "it will lose near
" or quite one half in weight leaving so lbs al
$l2,s6, or 25 cents 6 mills per b. by the new tar
if By the existing law this wool comes free Of
duty it's cost above is cts, profit 2 cts.-tota
8. Deduct one half lost by cleaning, and we have
so lbs. at 10 CENTS showing the protection by the
new Tariff to he NINE CENTS SIX MILLS
PER POUND. Going on the assumption, then
that this wool actually completes with ours, and
that it is sold as cheap is represented (aIihoug
that these are exaggeraons is proved by unan-
swerable facts i've say, granting these represen-
tations all to he correct yet this bill would give
our wool-growers nine cents six mills pound
more than they noO gel, in the amount of duties a
lone. This would amount TO
S336,1O8 76
on the ordinary annual produce of Vermont