Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-07-31

III ms gerry IarU HSey mat hes al
the bOttom Of The lou price of wool-that
is the trouble! And it is because these
manufacturers know, that when this Tariff
is re-modeed they will not be able to i'm
port the very wool that they now manu-
iacture, here, in Windsor county, VT, and
that comes into the country duty free,
while wollen cloths that are manufacture
ed from wool of the same grade is kept
out Of the country by the present Tariff
taxing it forty per cent! that they
are afraid the tariff may be reduced,
and not because they fear that the farmer
will get less for his wool. They know he
will gel morc-that they cannot then get
this foreign wool for nothing-that they
must then buy what they work, of the
farmer, and pay ~hdt he asks for IL
We have lying before us wool that was
imported INTO the country duty free-such
as was worked at Brandon, w., last sum-
mer by M E Langdon and which cost at
the mill, 90 l-2! InII84l org we know the
Mallory Company down here's Quechee
village worked the same kind of wool and
they have been working the same up in
Bridgwater for the last year,
In 1915, butter brought from 10 to Is
cts; cheese, 9 ccnts;pork $50 oats 81 l.2
cents; corn Sc cents. Yet wool, which
sold for 45 cents last year, is now reduced
to from 30 to 35. The wool grower natu-
rally inquiries for the cause of all this de-
cline. lie finds the large manufacturing
corporations making from 6 to 25 per cent
dividends. Let the wool grower look at
facts and he will see why his business de-
clincs while the manufacturer grow
rich
In 1910, about 35,000,000 pounds Of
wool was raised in the United States BY
reference to reports Of the Treasurer it
will be seen that an average Of about 400, :
900 lbs. is all the fine wool, or European
wool, that has been imported annually for
the last ten years. In 1871, good wool
sold in this country for 40 cents per pound
The duty then on fine wool was but 25
per cent. The tariff of 1942 increased
the duties on fine or European wool (of
which none of consequence was imported)
to 40 per cent, equal TO i2 cents per
pound Let it be remembered the demo-
Gratis urged higher duty on South Amer
lean or coarse wool. The wings opposed
and defeated the proposition ofNIr Wright
to increase the duty from per cert to 90
per cent There were imported of this
wool last year, over 100000 pounds,
about one third as much as was raised in
all the States in 1910. Yet Mr. Clay and
The whig presses say, there must be no
modification of the tariff Of 1912 NJ
wonder the the manufacturers can pay the
few hands they employ, one dollar per day,
while their coarse cloths are protected by
a duty of 40 per cent, and pay but 5 per
cent duty on wool.
In le3G-4O lmportalions Of South A
merican wool were not large; in Al wool
sold high. 1871 the importation was
nearly 100000, in that year wool sold
at from 90 to 30 cents per pound In 1913
but about 100000 was imported; the
next year, 1874, wool brought from 30 to
so cents, In 1874, nearly 100000
was imported, and this year wool is low
Do not these facts show that this wool
docs come in competition with our WOOL
Here, then, Mr. Farmer, you have the
whole matter before you as plain as the
nose on your face. How can you live under
Tariff by the provisions Of which the
manufacturers in your own towns, away up
in Vermont, can import from foreign
countries the very wool they manufacture
cheaper than you can begin TO raise
yours, at the same time that foreign wol-
ems manufactured of wool of a similar
grade are kept out of your reach by
tax of forty per cent? How can you live
in this way? The truth is. the staff is in
the hands of manufacturers! They are
making dividends of 10 and 10 per cent
once in six months on their capital, at the
same time they tell you they can't pay
anything for your wool! The price of
your wool is in their hands! They can
get nearly all the foreign wOol they want
TO manuiacture-consquently they will
take what little they need of yours at
THEIR PRICES or you may keep it, just
which you please! 1t is as they please, not
as you please, in this business. And here
you are, the complete slaves Of the man
ulac,urers, selling your wool to them
at just what they in their kindness may