Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-05-31

As the troubles in our foreign relations began to
thckcn for tempest our dependent condition III
regard to clothing was impressed on the mind OF
every discerning patriot, and the scenes and suffer-
inps of the Revolution were recalled to memory.
Much anxiety was felt to put the country in a bet
ter attitude in this respect.
In 1909, at the second invasion of Spain under
Joseph Bonaparte, the Supreme Junta was driven
from Madrid and retired to Badajos. Being with
out money they were compelled to sell four OF the
first focks in Spain, among which was the Paular
flock, previously owned by the Prince Of Peace
Those sheep were sold with the license of taking
them out of the country Hon. William Jarvis,
then our consul at Lisbon, now living in Vermont,
purchased three thousand six hundrcd fourteen
hundred of which were of the PauIar flock. Oth-
er gentlemen purchased for other countries, and
few more for this country. All these Sheep amount
ing to over four thousand, were shipped to the "
nited States in 1909, 1870 and fore part of 1911,
and were landed and disposed of in Richmond, Al
exandria, and the various cities far north as Bos-
ton These sheep were distributed into the coun-
try, and purchased by the farmers with ayidty and
| have seen a small buck sold for four hundred dol
lars. Our coarse woolled sheep were crossed with
this breed and by continuing TO use only full blood
bucks, the whole has become as fine as three.quar
tiers blood Marino. Some flocks have been kept of
pure blood Marino, and the wool has not deterora-
ted.
The war of 1872 however, took place before any
considerable progress had been made in this enter
prise, and we were compelled to endure its suffer
ings, greatly dependent on foreign supply and on
our own enemy for woollens. Some gentlemen
present may still recollect the consequences /
will merely say have known fourteen dollars gv-
en- for soldiers blanket; and my personal expert.
ence and observation at that period taught me q
lesson | shall not be likely to forget. From the
pressure of necessity small factories of broad
cloth sprung up in America during that war and
ms n Df he il, fln liz,
increased and improved. After the conclusion of
that war; and in view of its lessons was framed the
general tariff act of 1916. The general average
of duties in that act was fifteen per cent but 10
encourage the infant woollen factories duty was
imposed on all imported wooens Of twenty five
per cent This was distinct expression of the
desire and will of this Government to encourage
and sustain the policy Of rendering this country as
soon as practicable, independent of foreign supply
OF this article of vital necessity The progress of
the production Of wool had not then been sufficient
to supply the family use and furnish the raw mate
rial to the manufacturer, and therefore no duty was
laid on wool; but the manufacturer was left free
to obtain 1t at home or procure it abroad, and i'm
port 1t free OF any extra duty. Eight years passed
away under the operation of this law Our i'm.
proved breed OF sheep gradually spread over all the
northern, middle, and western part of the United
States. and the number of sheep was rapidly in
creased, and beganto supply the factories with con-
u.
understood that in order to render the country in
dependent, 1t was not only necessary to have our
wooens manufactured in the country, bnt it was
also necessary to have factories supplied with the
raw material within the country; and, therefore, to
effect this object, and to furnish encouragement to
the agricultural interest in the growth of wool was
passed the tariff act Of 1921. That was the first
law imposing an extra duty on wool. The duty on
woollens was increased, and duty of twenty per
cent, increasing to thirty, imposed on all fine
wool, that is, all wool costing over ten cents per
pound. Under this law the fine woolled sheen
greatly increased, bat still much fine wool was
imported and our factories furnished but very
partial supply of woollens for our market In 1928
few Saxony sheep were imported. In 1924
Messrs. u. ~ L. Searle, of Boston, imported sew.
enty-tive bucks and ewes, which were scattered in
to different parts of New England and New York.
The next year there was an importation of one hun.
dred and fifty. Some Of these sold at four hundred
dollars each. This excited speculation, and in 1896
two thousand five hundred Saxony sheep were i'm
ported These Saxony sheep area smaller and fl
ner woo.led sheep than the Marines from Span-
They have succee Jed best, and prevail most in the
milder parts of our country, from New York to Vir-
ginia, and in the Western States.
Four years passed away under the act of 1921,
and our farmers governed themselves by its policy,
though New England had not thus far ever voted,
by majority of its delegation in Congress- for it.
1t had It's effect: but it was ascertaned that much
of that effect was destroyed by the introduction of
foreign woollens, under false invoices at prices r
inols to the fair trader and manufacturers and des-
tructive to intended operation Of the act of 1924
formed Tor the encouragement of the farmer. This
produced the meeting at Harrisburg, which caused
the act of 1928, so lavishly abused now as "te bill
Of Nominations" Ii is true that political causes
from several attempting to ride the same hobby and
from other sinister motives, gave to that bill some
Objectionable features, which gave it character Of
ultraiSm; but under the influence of that law the
woollen mandatory lifted up its head, and the wool
growing interest broadly and rapidly extended.
In 1888 came the compromise act, establishing
scale of reduction of duties, which gave to this IN
terest a regular Decline By the operation of that
law, on the 3lst of December, 1871, the duty on
wool and woollens came down to twenty eight per
cent. To this point the factories struggled on but
here they stopped; and no market was found for
the clip Of wool taken from the sheep in the spring
of 1912. 1t became practically certain that it was
utterly useless to protect wool while manufactured
woollens were imported at reduced duties. 1t was
like the one broom-maker who asked the other how
he could sell his brooms cheap; for said he,
steal nty TIMBER and yet cannot make them SO
cheap" "Oh," says the other, 81 steal my brooms
already nude" Our manufacturers stopped pur-
chasing wool because they could 90 no further
utterly deny that it was done for any other cause
Men who have invested their all in factories never
close them while they can proceed and prosper
With their wool OF 1912 on hand our farmers look
ed with anxiety to the action of Congress. No
sales were made, except small quantity when in
formation came of the passage of the lille hri6
bill. This was Immediately stopped by news of its
veto.
When the tariff act of 1912 passed, it would
have produced an immediate effect, but there came,
booming over the troubled waters after it, the war
cry repeal, repeal which destroyed its operation
and It was not until the news from Tennessee, in
forming us of the prospect of the election of two
Wing Senators, gave some degree Of confidence
to its stability, that the manufacturers began eau
tlousy, to purchase WOOL Since then this interest
has slowly progressed, and American wool has rs-
en- from twenty to twenty-five cents per pound to
thlrty-tiye and forty cents. These prices are not
SO high as were received formerly under the oper-
alton Of the act of 1928, and in the inflated times
of 1896, but they are living and improving prices,
and have the hope of stability.
From this brief history of this subject, and as
the result of our own experience, draw these con-
illusions: First That the production and improve
i IT. 1 II.