Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-08-28
THE TARIFF ON WOOL.

lfany thing can open the eyes of the
farmers one would suppose that it would
be effected by the case of importation OF 5
or e hundred bales Of wool from Bnenos
Ayres, Which was seized in the hands of
the manufacturers at Lowell and in Bos-
ton, for violation Of the clause in the tar
| if law relating to the 5 per cent duties on
coarse wool. This importation shows that
the same frauds are committed under the
present tariff that war committed under
the former law, which admitted free of du-
ty, all wool that cost S cents and under
per pound at the place of expectation, and
show that the five per cent duty, and the
proviSo of Mr. Fillmore, vas all hmbug
to chcat the wool growrS, by leaving a
loop hole for manufacturers to obtain for
cign wool, that free of duty, or what is
the same thing, a nominal duty.
The first tariff law which gave protec-
ton to the wool growers taxed all wool
alike, according to its value, with a spec
ltic duty Of 4 cents per pound. This
clause was ailerw ards modified and al
tered at the suggestion OF the manufac-
turers, under preteXt that wool costing
cents or under at Buenos Averes, did not
come in competition with domestic wool,
Through this loop hole the manufacturers
obtained .fne wool by having it mixed
with coarse wool, tag locks, or dirt.
This fraud upon the wool growers was
I 50 pptn cd
,siactlon, it was necessary to add a clause
in the present tariff which would prevent
this fraud. After much consultation, Mr.
Fillmore, (Nhig) chairman of the Com.
mittee, reported an alteration by adding
a duty Of 5 per cent on coarse wool, and
essening the minimum to 7 cents instead
OF 8, with a proviso that. if importers
should undertake to cheat the wool grow
ers as they did under the former law, by
putting IN dirt, and should happen to be
detected, they should pay an ad vaIorcm
duty as on other wool.
In discussing This clause, its useIessness
to e1ec, the object was clearly pointed out
by Mr. Benton, Mr. Wright, and others,
but to no effect. The wording was so
plausible, and being proposed by a lead
ing wing partisan, wool growers were
grossly taken ill., This the candid part
privately acknowledge, but for fear that it
may affect the elections, they are silent
and dare not even sign petition claiming
equal protection with the manufacturers,
by reducing the minimum, or increasing
the per contage, as moved by Mr. Wright
and Benton.
Every one must acknowledge that the
dutIes'proposed by Mr. Wright, of 90 per
cent or the minimum of cents proposed
by Mr. Benton, would have eflec,ualy pro-
lected the farmers. But the objection
raised by Mr. Gushing (whig) was, that
some factories in this district had grown
up under the tariff admitting South Amer
lean WOO costing = cents or less, duty
free, and under Mr. CIay's free trade
compromise act; and if these manufacture
ers had to pay dny duty, it would njur
them very much. His objection prevailed.
The consequences are that The manufac-
turers are making eXorbIant profits by
the prohiJitOry duties laid on cloth for
their special benefit, while the whole wool
growing interest is sacrificed for them
That any farmer who raises a pound of
wool to sell can feel satisfied with "the
tariffa it is" is most surprising. If the
farmers could share The profits, saved in
the country by the tariff, with the manu-
lacturcrs, all classes but the mauulactur-
ers Of wool would be better satisfied, and
the tariff would be more likely to remain