Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-08-07


on the dollar on his cloth. This is a
striking illustration ofwha' The tariff has
done for the wool interest.
But look at the mportalions, Has the
tariff checked the importation of foreign
wool Of the qualities which come directly
into competition with wool raised by our
farmers2 Have the annual importations
shrunk from eleventh three mIllions?-
By no means. On the contrary, under
the sort of bounty held out by the present
tariff, the importations Of course wool in
IA, according to the report Of the Sec
rotary of the Treasury, ran up TO 49,
900, 900 of pounds and upwards; being
about one-thrd as much as was raised in
this country ia '40--and the bulk Of this
came from South America and Smyrna.
This fact shows how extensively this
coarse foreign wool is used by our man
ufacturers, and why it is that the price of
wool ranges so low "ths summer" As TO
the finer kinds of woods, which are SO
highly protected, it has not been imported
for the last ten years so extensively as to
affect prices materially. During that pc
riod the annual importation has been a
bout 400, 900 lbs,-scarceIy one third the
quantity of coarse wool imported last
year.
The high duty upon the coarser wool,
len fabrics, and the low duty on coarse
woods, operates thereof as bounty upon
lhe importation of the latter--and the re-
suit necessarily Is fine times for the man
ufacturer, and ruinously low prices for
the wool grower. This is wha, "the Ia
riff as it is" has done for the word inter-
est. This may be desirable state of
things for the latter-but it results in
gross inequality and injustice, which is
felt and understood by the agricultural
interests, and which cannot and should
not be continued.
From the Bennington Gazette
WOOL GROW ING.
1t appears by the Census of 1910, that
in Vermont we had 1881 $40 sheep,
which yielded 1888, 235 pounds of wool
No state in The Union raised so great a
quantity in proportion to its population -
Wool is the staple commodity, and the
advance or reduction Of the price is inter-
esting to all the people of this state; but
more particularly the wool grower. In
former times the farmers received from
SO cents to one dollar pound for their
wool. 1t is now quoted in the New York
prices current at 80 TO 40 cents for the
best American saxon Aeeces, and 81 TO 38
for full bIooded merino; and for South
american mwoshed, from 5 10 I cents.
BY the tariff Of 1923, the duty on wool
was 4 cents per pound, specific, and an
addition of so per cent ad valorem. BY
the tariff Of 1882 the duty was 8 cents
per pound, specific, and an addition of
80 per cent ad yalorem; and wool cost
ing cents and under was free Of duty.-
By the Compromise act of 1888, there
was gradual reduction of duties until
June l942, when there was an ad valo-
rem duty of 90 per cent on all kinds of
imported wool.
In August l842, the present tariff was
adopted, see page 76l, Congressional
Globe which enacts,-
"First, for coarse wool unmanufactur-
ed, the value Whereof at the last port or
place from whence imported to the Unit
ed States, shall be seven cents or under
per pound, there shall be levied duty of
5 per centum al valorem and on all other
manufactured wool, there shall be levied
a duty OF three cents per pound, and thr-
ty per cent ad valorem; P"ouideH That
when wool Of different qualities of the
same kind or sort is imported in the same
bale, bag or package, and the aggregate
package and the aggregate value otthe
contents of,he bale, bag or package, shall
be apprized by the appraisers at a rte
exceeding seven cents pound, it shall
be charged with duty in conformity to
such apprisal: Provided, further, That
when wool Of different kinds and differ
cnt qualities or sorts is imported in the
same bale, bag or package, the contents
Of the bale, bag or package shall be ap-
priced at the value ofthe finest and most
valuable kind or sort, and duty charged
thereon accordingly: Provided, farther,
That ifbales of different qualities are en-
braced in the same invoice at the same
price, the value of the whole shall be APP
priced according to the value ofthe bale
of the best quality: Prouided, further,
That if any wool be imported having in it
DIRT, or any other material or impurities
other than those naturally belonging to
the fleece, and thus be reduced in value
to seven cents per pound or under, the
appraisers shall apprse such wool at
such price as, IN their opinion. it would
have cost had it not been so mixed with
such dirt or impurities; and duty shall
be charged thereon in conformity to such
appraisal"
When the present tariff was under dis
cussion in the Senate, Mr. Benton moved
to reduce the minimum from cents to 5
cents. see page 1913, Con. Globe, He
said =
"Al the wool that is imported, will be
so managed as to bring it under the seven
cents cost. This is proved by experience.
The same classification of imported wool
has been heretofore made-3 cents being