Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-08-11
MIR. SHADES LITTER.
From the Peoples Press.

From the Peoples Press.
Mn. EnrroR Il hand You herewith for publication
n letter addressed IN February last by the vermont
ID legation in Congress 10 the Secretary of the Treas
ury rclauvc to the construction Ia be given II the
word coarse appiict 10 wool in II tariff If 1872
together with letters rom myself to the first comp
trollcr of the Treasury, AMI to the Secretary of the
Treasury since the adjournment Of Congress on the
same subject.
Among the resolutions of the Loco Foco State Con-
ventlon at Montpelier, in January last, the for
lowing:
"Resolved That the word "caarse" ns used in the
Tariff is calculated To deceive the wool growers,
the price at which the wool is purchased in foreign
ports decides the quality and the duty To be paid"
On seeing this resolution requisite, the members
Of the Vermont Delegation to hold n meeting for the
purpose Of considering the subject and determining
whether any thing was necessary to be done 10 IN
Just construction of the clause of the tariff re-
la,lng 10 course wool. Upon consulting i, was
thought proper to ad ress the Secretary of the Treas
ury on the sn pet, and was requested to prepare
draft for that purpose, which was submitted to fu.
'ure mcellng The letter to the Secretary of that
Treasury hrrcwith handed Won was the result
Assuming the practical construction given TO the
clause al the Custom House might be such to give
color 10 the assertion III the resoullon presented
IN the letter the arguments which were deemed con-
elusive to show what 1u. to be the construction in
order to carry out the in enon of Congress in regard
to protection 10 tho wool growers interest
Ii rcm1ns to b. seen what course will be taken by
the Executive Depa tnCnt on this question. Com
grcss cannot b lh make, an execute the IaWs Just
ly cxp1undcI aui faithfully executed. the law, am
conf oni wbrll he oudl to give far protection to
the wool IroWng interest. Tho purpose Of the tariff
law of Sj? was to admit free ofduy only wool really
md truly and not coming in competition with
the production OF our own il1Cls The true intent
and purpose Of the existing law simply TO carry
out the Dolcy, N his nct Of the iliW Of 49,
think is fully shown in the letter ofthe Vermont Del
egation, to the Secretary Of the Treasury. Thn, the
clause rea my to coarsa wool will admit of the con-
sruc,on assumed in the Restitution of the Conven-
in nnht, rat- r | J,t.r
mined to dlsparage the tariff for political efe t. will
undertake. 10 lnnnaln. For those who had the most
To do in adjusting the difficult matter of wool
claim not only an honest intention TO insure protec-
ton to the wool growing interests, by success in Sc
caring such enactment fdiriy carried into e7e
cuti0n, will attain the end al which they aimed. II
that end is not attained let the responsibility resi-
iolo~e IL ou"h 20 rest.
After ALL even under what may have been an i'm
proper construction, and imperfect execution, Of the
law by the Executive Department, it would seem
from reference To the quantity ofwop costing sever
cents aud under imported into the United States du
ring the frs six months Of the present fiscal year tha
there has been very great falling of in the mpor'a
ton Of that description of wool under The tariff
falling off which ought silence the clam0rs o
those who have been Iaboring with much zeal fo
the last y months 10 Dersna lie the people that tht
tartlfugnish's no check 10 the runous imp
tons of fine wool which took place under the duty
free clause of the tariff OF 1882
have recently obtained from the Treasury Depart
meat statement. showing the quantity and value %
wool costing seven cents and under, anl the qu1n,t
AMI value costing over seven cents imported into III
United States during the SIX months ending on tn
3lst of March last, being the Fl II SIX months of IN
present fiscal year. The following comparison d
these importa ions W h those Of the preceding year
cpnm nd to the considerations nj those who are real
" DESTROYS to knpw whether the la Of their keI
tescntatycs N Congress have been otany avail in
curing protection to the wool growing interest
From the statement JUS received from The Regis
tor Of the Treasury it appears that, during the fir
h1lG of the present fiscal year, which commenced on
month after the pre- en-, tariff went iato opcrao
there was imported -
Wool costing cents or unde.
per pound SSl3G9 lbs
Woni costing over cents 1892
Doubling the amount Tor the importa,ions Of the Ell
tire ye,r, and they viii stand As follows
Wool costing cents or undcr Ib2I 49,
Wool costing over I cents 3)l92l
Now compare this with the mpor,ntlons Of the yc
oning Sep so 1872 which were AS follows
Wool costing cents or under 10 '3S95S lbs.
Wool casting over cents 1854
A falling oil, upon the establishment Of the M
Tariff III the importation of duty on tree wool, frn
ten millions and n half, TO one mlon and three qua
tiers of pounds, while there IS diam on OF the II
pora,on Of wool Subject to protecting duty Of mo
Than one half Wal nose who drnuunrc the tariff
altogether in 'iirlen, 10 protect the interests OF 4
wool growers tell me what this means!
But there is another very striking and more lmpo
rant p1int in the comprehensive importation
fac wool, duty free under the operation OF the Iai
1892, 1t is well known was almost wholly from u
FUDs AYERS. II WIS 'iidl Nl'I d''NA
ed special attention 10 the subj ct of coarse wool.
revising the tariff and ind crd the notification of
wool clause, in the manner described in the ippwl
letter Now compare the importation of duty fl
wool from Buenos Avrcs during the year previous
the adoption of the Tariff, with the importation
wool subject u a duty of 5 per cent from the 81;
country, subsequent to It's adoption. Importation
the year ending on the 3Oth of September lSi?
7,30iSl lb-
For the months ending March
1913. 50i7i6
Double this for tn entire current fiscal
year and we have 1909, 1872
4 reduction from seren millions rrce huld
thousand pounds TO n fraction over one million!
The Convention of last January to which h,
referred solenlnly declared in one of their respuo
"Mat in rerising The late tarifhe rooi growers
teresi aras FsTIRELY pIsGEGARnEp - and yet, wi
they Were thus reso wing for party effect, there
silently being wrought out under the very tariff Il
denounced by them, a result which now denOnstrG
the injustice Of Their assertion
And all this, let It be remembered, was under
execution Of the provision with regard to coarse W
which it is by M means certain was m full nccorda
with lis true intent aud meaning Great ms has To-
the redu non IN the importation OF duty free WOO
make no distinction IN this argument between III
per cent duty and freedom fiom duty, vet have
doubt that, with n thorough and careful execution
the coarse wool provision, according 10 lis true IN,
and meaning the reduction would h1ve been
greater And am no. without hope that the dr
Of the Vermont Delegation in Congress- will! have
effect of producing such further reduction. |
quite sure that such would have been the effect
ir. Forward remained at the head of the Treas
Department.; as | had repeated conversations y
hin on the subject, in which he expressed his en-
concurrence in the views expressed IN the lette
him. and would, have no doubt have carried II
out had he remained al the head of that Depnrtin
! have M means of knowing the views ofhis Sue
SIR, hut feel too strong n conf ence in the corr
ness of the ground taken in the letter TO his predec
or, 10 doubt that he VII practically sustain IT, L
does not, however, on him aud the Adminstra
with which he is connected, be the responsibility.
As this matter is one of great inteTe II Ia the pc
of Vermont and as 1t is perhaps not perfectly I'M
stood by all, have 10 request that this cOlnmun
non, together with those tia, follow, may be publ
ed in all the newspapers in the State.
WILLIAM SLADI
July 10 1913.
Remainder of the correspondence, n
week.