Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-06-21

equal the demand, and the foreign article come
IN competition with it, the case would be differ
ent. This is very fair illustration Of the force
of this objection.
The tax upon salt, also, is grievous burden
upon the poor. The whole amount imported is
about six millions of bushels, the duty on which
is about two cents and half TO each person in
the country. What the poor man pays, who
needs It only for his table, have not computed
The Senator from New Hampshire has also
alluded to the article of wool, as exhibiting the
partial operation of the tariff Of 1912. This ar
gument Is addressed particularly to the people
OF New Hampshire and Vermont-his consitu-
ents and mine. He has alluded to certain res.
olutlons of the Legislature Of Vermont which
had the honor to present, demanding equal pro-
lection to all branches Of industry. He approves
this principle; but he labors to show that the in
terest of the wool grower has been sacrificed to
that of the manufactured.
Sir, | thank the Senator for his allusion to
the people Of that State, and to this their prin-
cipa production. They will always be gratfed
to learn his opinions, upon this or any other
topic of natioua interest, although they will not
fail TO subject those opinions TO the severest
scrutiny. Should he be disposed to emily hten
them, | commend to his first and special atten-
ton his political friends in that State, nine
tenths Of whom are decided protectionists
They complain not that the act of 1912 is based
upon the protective policy, but that it is not
protective enough. trust his first effort will
be to convince them that this last objection is
uniounded.
He states that the wool grower Of Vermont
is protected by duty of per cent, but for his
own produce in a manufactured state, he pays
from % to GO. The Senator has mistaken the
duty. On all wool which comes in competition
with the growth of this country the duty is 80
per cent. ad valorein, with the addition OF
specific duty Of three cents per pound. If we
assume that the average price of wool is 30
cents, which is as high as the market has been
for some years past, the duty is 40 per cent. !;
and this is precisely the duty on the woollen
cloth. The raw material has always been
deemed equal in value to one half the fabric !;
in other words the labor of the manufacturer is
equal to the value of the material. 1t is com.
mon practice to manufacture the wool of the
farmer for half the CLOTH As, then, the wool
grower and manufacturer contribute equally to
the fabric, and are equally interested, they
receive equal protection. If further illustration
be necessary, let us suppose the duty to be
added to the price which each receives. The
farmer receives from the manufacturer forty per
cent. for the duty, and the latter, upon his cloth.
when sold, receives the same. Forty per cent.
OH the cloth is equal to eighty on the wool,
The manufacturer therefore receives so per
cent, which he divides equally with the farmer,
retaining 40 for his labor.
Coarse wool costing less than seven cents
per POUND is subject to duty of 5 per cent.
only. This species of wool is not produced in
this country. The only complaint on this head
il, that by admintu,c ur Cudrsc dnu nne, and by
importing IL !" filthy state, and other devices,
Il portion OF wool Of the quality grown in the
country is introduced under this low DUTY Ii
this is done, it is an invasion of the law, and not
the fault Of the law itself If that be defective
IN guarding against the invasion, | trust the
Senator will unite with us, and remedy the de.
feet But this defect, if it be one, has been
vastly overrated That the act of 1912 has
gwen efficient protection TO the wool grower is
apparent, from the immense falling off of i'm
portatIan. In the year ending September 30,
ISL, we imported over ten millions of pounds.
costing less than eight cents, and amounting in
value to S6S5,0OO. For the year ending Sep.
tender, 1913, the importation is about Two or
two and a half millions of wool, costing not
over seven cents, and amounting at the maxi.
mum price to from $4,000 to $4,000
Now, 1t is certain that large amount of coarse
wool, of a kind not raised here, is consumed
here; and If wool Of the value of thirty cents
is introduced in this way, it is clear that very
small portion OF the mass costing not over seven
cents can BIO Of tbs finer quality, certainly not
over one.tonrth or one mia" And when we
consider, further, that three pounds OF this are
equal to only two OF native growth it follows
that not more than 100000 worth, even at
thirty cents the pound, is introduced in evasion
of the law. But whether the quantity be more
or less, if the law be defective, let it be amen
ded.
viii the Senator advise us, if the protection
be insufficient, to abandon it altogether Sir,
ii this be his policy, and this his advice to the
people OF Vermont, can assure him in advance
he will make no converts there. The resou-
tons from her Legislature, which | had the
honor to lay upon your table at the present ses-
sion, protest against the repeal of this law.
That Legislature was composed principally OF
fa-mers-men engaged in this Identical business
and they knew well that if this protection is
withdrawn, their business and their State are
RUNE d. The Senator advocates the cause Of
the farmer, but he would withdraw protection
from the manufacturer. If you destroy the
manufacture and the home market for YOU
wool. what will you do with it Send it tc
England You will there meet with compet
ton from Spain, Germany, South America, Aus
tralia, the Levant-n short, the whole world
and that with no choice Of markets, as England
must in that event become your only market
The policy is absurd.
Sir, it is in vain to attempt to convince thu
people of that State that the duty upon yooller
cloths is an oppression upon Them for the ben
eft of the manufacturer. | am wool grower
and profess to know something of the matter
and | know that for every dollar which you I'M
pose upon me in the shape Of duty upon thu
cloth wear, you add ten to my income How
should be the gamer il you relieve me iron
this paltry tax, aud at the same time ruin IN,
business and destroy the value OF my property
This is not my view only, but the opinion of u
all. Ii you abandon the protection, and ruiz
the wool growing interest, you sacrifice thu
Senator's constituents, and nine What cal
we do! We cannot make breadstuifs--in bee
and pork, and even in the produce OF the dairy
we are already rivalled, even in our own mar
ket, nay, even in the heart of New. Englan
} itself, (Boston,) by the productions of the NOR
fertile and genial regions OF the West Their
: is an over production of these articles, eve
now. Sir, there can be no mistake here.
| this policy be not sustained, New England mus
{ become a desert; that fair portion of you
al &