Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-08-14
THE PRICE OF WOOL.

woollen manufactures when the present
tariff went into operatlon-the demand
for cloth good, and the hopes of consul
mers as we'll as the producers sangulne
all will agree. Under this impulse manu-
factories sprung up, operations were ex-
tended, and the price of wool Of course
enhanced. Manufacturers were inspired
with renewed hopes under the impress
sions that the future policy ofthe govern
mont would be such as to enable them TO
compete successfully with the manuiac-
turers Of Europe. Folks election has
cast a ,damper on these hopes-thrown
gloom around the branch of American
industry, and those engaged in it are very
cautious what preparations they make to
extend operations. Not a single new es-
Enlistment to our knowledge has been
put IN operation these last six months
but little wool is bought and that at price
greatly reduced from last year This in
our opinion, is a rational view Of the sub
ect fully justified by the existing state Of
things Clarsmont Eagle.
The above are the reasons given by the
editor of the Claremont Crow, for the fail
of the price of wool the present season.
We hope the editor knows better, and are
inclined to think he does; but common
honesty should teach him that thus to
evade direct question is one of the
meanest resorts, not only Of political edi-
tor, bat of a common bar-room politician.
He says "Polk's election has put dam
per upon NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. gloom
around this branch OF American indus
try" He knows that in the above para
graph he has uttered lie too absurd to be
believed. He as we'll as any one else
knows that manufacturing is carried to
much greater extent the present season
than ever before, and that both cotton
and woolIen mills are almost constantly
going to operation, and also that it is the
best business which is carried on in the
country at the present time. We think
that no other federal editor in the State
would offer such false and foolish reasons
for the fall in the price Of wool. We
know that holding controversy with the
editor Of the Grow upon any subject, is
like fishing for mim,,as, yet if there are
any Of our readers who suppose that this
tariff raises the price of wool, we wish 10
Sc, them right. The reason why it does
not is because the leaders Of the federal
party never intended it should The pres
ent tariff imposes duty of three cents
E specific and thirty per cent. ad valorum
on the high grades Of wool, and on cheap
wool only about three mills per pound
Under its operation about 80, 100000 Of
, lbs of coarse wool have come into thu
country within the last three years, hav-
; ing duty of only three mills per pound,
while the average imPoratlons of fine
{ wool has not exceeded a half million Of
, pounds per year. The coarse wool, the
, importations Of which in some years, have
| amounted 10 one fifth as much as the
whole products of the United States, is
= brought into the wool growing regions of
r the country and manufactured. 1t is man
, ufactured in all the New England States.
= 1t is this wool which causes surplus in
the market, ana which tends heavily to
| depress wool Of American growth.
And let it be remembered that it was
the federal party in Congress who voted
to let this wool come into the country, al
most duty free, TO benefit the rich manu-
fac,urer. That party have always Gelud-
ed the woo-growers, by pretended protec-
ton. rs an evidence of this it can be
clearly shown by documentary facts that
wool has been the highest when the Tariff
y was the lowest. By the prices current
oflhe Boston papers, wool brought from
So to 60 cts per ID. in 1918, and in 1919
from IS to So and in 1921 from 60 to
80; yet the duty on wool was only 10 per
| cent BY the Tariff of 1924 duty of
p 80 cts. per ID. on all above 10 cts. was
:. imposed from that year to 1923 the aver
o age price of wool ragged from % to g. cts.
e By the Tariff of 1923, 40 per cts. and 4
cts specific on all wool over cts per ID.
under cts, duty free; yet wool in 1928
e averaged from 80 to 80 cts. per 10. and
in 1929 from % to 10. BY the Tariff OF
e 1912, 80 per ct. and 8 cts specific ON all
n costing Overt cite per Id. and under a.
bout 8 mills per ID, yet in 1S42 wool aver
o aged from Is to SO cts, and in l843 1t
v averaged about 81 cts. and in 1874 from
: 25 to 40, and in 1845 it is full 10 cts less
e than in 1874. By this it will be seen that
wool brought in 1873, and q nearly
| or quite double what it is at the present
f time yet there was then only 10 per cent
q duty on it-now there is duty equal to
q 40 per cent. Common sense should teach
a the editor of the Crow that demand and
$ supply regulates the price of wool as
g well as every thing else, and although it
has been the highest when the tariff was
. the lowest 1T was no doubt so in conse-
quence of an artificial stimulation which
i the tariff gave it in connection with the
Importation of coarse wool. We well
recoIect that during the last Presidential
contest, the Grow was constantly telling
the farmer that "the higher the duty the
t lOwcr the price" when talking with them
; about manufactured goods, sugar, salt
! and iron; but when he talks TO them "a
, bout wool, he says the duty increases the
price. Such ignorance, Hypocrisy and
lalsehood should not be tolerated
Newport Argus.