The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-04-29
Extract of a Speech of Mr. Phelps of

in reply 10 Mr. WoodJury Of NJ Hampshire ami
Me Du6ie Of South Ca, oiina upon The TariD-
Mr. WoodJury & .McDgGe having spoken against
The Pr oicctive Policy Of the TarW Of ls42--
He (NIr Woodbury. states that the wool grower
of Vermont is protected by duty of per cent but
for his own produce in manufactured state, he pays
from 25 to CO. 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
valorem, with the addition Of specific duty of three
cents per pound five assume that the average
price of wool is 80 cents, which is as high the
ket has been FOR years pas, the duty is 40 per
and this is precisely the doty on wooden cloth.
The material has always been deemed equal in
value to half the fabric; in other words, the Ia
Dor OF the manufacturer is equal to the value Of the
material. 1t is n common practice to manufacture
the wool Of tho farmer for hal" the CLOTH As, then,
the wool grower and manufacturer contribute equally
to the fabric, and arc equny interested they receive
equal protection. lfGurther illustration be necessary
let suppose the duty TO DO added 10 the price
which each receives The farmer receives from the
manufacturer forty per cent for the duty and the lat
ter, upon his cloth, when sod, receives the same
Forty per the cloth, is equal to eighty the
wool. The manufacturer therefore receives so per
cent which he divides equally with the farmer, re-
tanning 40 for his labor
Coarse wool costing less thnn seven cents per
pound is subject to duty of per cent. only. This
species of wool Is NOT PRODUCED IN THIS
COUNTRY The only complaint this head is,
that by admxture OF coarse and fine, and by import
ing it in filthy state, and other devices, portion
of the WOO! grown in this country is introduced
der this low duty. If this is done ii is evasion Of
the law, aud not the fault of the law itself If that
be defective in guarding against evasion, trust the
Senator will unite with US, and remedy the defect
But this defect, if it be one, has been vastly
ted. That the act of 1912 has given efficient pro-
lection TO the wool grower is apparent, from the i'm
mense falling off OF importation. In the year ending
September 80, 1912, we imported over ten millions
of pounds, costing less than eight cents and amount
ing in value 10 $685. 900. For The year ending Sep
TENDER, the importation is about two and half
millions Of wool, costing not seven cents, ard
amount ng at the maximum price 10 from $4,000
to $4,000. Now, il Is certain that large amount
of coarse wool, off kind raised here is consumed
here; and f wool of the value Of 80 cents is intro
duced in this way, it is clear that very small por-
ton Of the mass costing not seven cents can he
Of the finer qualify, certainly not onefour,h or
one fifth And when we consider, further, that three
pounds of this eqnal only two of native growth,
it follows that not more Than 500 900 worth even at
thirty cents the pound is introduced in evasion of the
law. But whether the quantity he more or less, if
the law be defective, let it be amended.
VIII the Senator advise us, If the protection be in
sufficient TO abandon it altogether? Sir, if this be his
policy, and this his advice 10 the people of Vermont,
-, -
vers there. The people of that State understand
their true interests The resolutions from her Leg
lslaure, which had the honor TO lay upon your Ia.
bic at the present session. protest against the repeal
This law That Legislature composed principally of
frmers-men engaged in this identical business-and
they knew well that If this protection is Withdrawn
their business and their State ruined. The SEN
rtor advocates the cause Of the farmer but he would
withdraw protection from the manu- lacturcr If Won
destroy the manufacture und the home market for !
your wool, what will you do with it? Send it to |
England You will there meet with competition
from Spain, Germany, South America Australia, the |
Ievant-in short, the whole woodland that with no !
choice of markets, as England must in that event be-
como your only market. The policy is absurd
Sir, it is in vain to attempt to convince the people
orlha State that the duty upon woolen cloths is an
oppression upon them, for the benefit of the manu-.
incturor am wool grower, and profess to know
something OF the matter; and know that for every
dollar which you impose upon in the shape of du-
ty upon the cloth wear, you add ten to my income.
How should he gamer if you relieve me fiom this
pary tax, and at the time ruin my business
and destroy the value Of my property' This Is no,
my view only, but the opinion of us ALL Ifyou ADAM
don the protection and ruin the wool growing inter-
est, you sacrifice the Senator constituents and mine,
What can we do? We cannot make breadstufs-in
beef and rk, and even in the produce Of the dairy
we are already rivalled even in our own market nav.
even in the heart Of New England itself, (Boston.)
by the productions of the fertile and genial re-
gions of the West. There is an over production of
these articles, even Sir, there can be no mis-
take here If this policy be not sustained New En-
gland must become desert; that fair portion of your
country, to which you are SO much indebted for what
you are, must be abandoned. Her industrious and
thriving population, her talent, her ENTERPRISE,
and her moral worth, her social institutions surpas
sed by none, if equalled by any upon earth, will