Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1846-08-27

the U. s., JMg 81, 1916.
The House in Committee of the Whole on the
state of the Union having under considera-
ton the Warehouse Bll-Mr SMITH, after
submitting some Introductory remarks on the
objects and tendencies of the Bill, spoke as
follows
But, Mr. Chairman, to illustrate the true
character OF the measures of this Admins
tratlon, as developed by the anti-protective
tarlft which we have passed, and this novel
and sweeping scheme for warehouses,
wish TO consider what will be their effect on
some one OF the great interests of the coun-
try; and, for that purpose, have sellct-
ed the article of wool. The question,
whether we shall grow our own wool, and
manufacture our own woolens, is of no
small importance to the American people
La view of the fact that a population of
hundreds Of millions must, within a pc
Rod comparatively brief, swarm over this
part of North America and further, that
much OF the clothing of such population
will, by reason of the GOODNESS of our elm
ale, be composed of woolens, it is difficult
to form an adequate conception of the value
and extent Of this interest, present and pros
pective.
No part of thestarf of '42 has been so
MUCH miSrep:eSented as the duty on WOOL
Efforts, alike strenuous and insdiouS, have
been made TO induce the farmers to believe
that the provisions Of that act were unjust to
the wool growerS-that there was contained
in it an unjust discrimination against them
in favor Of the manufacturers of wooens-
On the contrary, | affirm, it was the purpose
Of the 9th Congress to do Justice to, and to
reconcile both interests; that the fault was
wholly i'll the execution of TIE law, and if it
had been carried out according to the man
ifest intentions of Congress, both would
have prospered, and The law would have vim
dictated itself to the country as saluta1y and
wise.
There is always difficulty in arranging
properly duty on wool, on account of the
supposed conflict between the wool growing
interest and that of woolens but this con-
fict is apparent only, not real. Wool grow
ing in this country depends wholly on the
success of our manufactures of wool No
considerable amount of American wool has
| been exported, nor will there be for long
time. If you lay the duty on wool so high
as to break down the manufactures of wool
you thereby strike fatal blow al wool grow
ing. Ii is just as injurious 10 the Ameri-
can farmer to import wool in the form of
oln,h as in heeceS. The eroa. r~~hl~.-. o H.
solved is so to arrange the duty on wool
and woolens as that the American farmer
can grow wool and that the American man
ufacturer can make the same into wooens
If you lay a high duty on foreign woollens
you can lay duty correspondingly high ON
foreign wool, and the reverse. The tariff of
1923, for which Elk. Presdent Van Buren,
and Governor Wright voted, did lay a high
duty on woollens. 1t comprises a series of
minimums-the act providing that all i'm
ported woollenS, with certain exceptions,
costing fifty cents per square yard to one
dollar, should be deemed to have cost one
dollar, all costing from one dollar to two
dollars and fifty cents should be deemed to
have cost two dollars and fifty cents; and
all from two dollars and fifty cents to four
dollars, should be deemed to have cost four
dollars. and that foreign woollens should, on
these estimates, pay eorty per cent ad valo.
rem* till the Both fJune, 1899, and there
after forty-fve per cent. ad valorum; and
that all woollens costing over four dollars
per square yard, should pay forty five pei
cent. ad valorem until the said oOth ofjune
and thereafter fifty per cent. ad valorem.-
This was certainly stringent protection on
woolens-the duty on imported goods rang
ing from forty five to near one hundred and
fifty per cent ad valorem. The 2lst Con-
gtess, having thus extended effcctual protec-
ton to the American manufacturer of wool
lens, could take good care of the American
wool grower. They enacted, that all un.
manufactured wool should, when imported
pay duty of four cents per pound and forty
ger cent ad valorem, and that this should
be annually increased five per cent. until il
amounted to fifty per cent. adj valorem -
Thus the 2lSt Congress determined that
both of these great interests should be
adequately sustained and encouraged
If the policy of the act of 1928 had re-
maj ned to this day, doubt not the number
of sheep in this country would have beer
more than double what they are al present
we should have manufactured most, if no
all, the woollens consumed by our people
should doubtless by this time have been ex
porters to a considerable amount of both WOO
and woollens, and the country would have
been enriched beyond calculation. But null
LITIGATION erected its miscreant front; sworc
in hand it threatened to bring on US all tht
horrors of civil war. Hence, it was deem
ed expedient by the 22d Congress to mod
crate the tariff of 1928. The act of the l4tl
of July, 1882. abolished the minimums ant
cut down the duty on woollens to fifty per cent
ad valorem, and the duty on imported woo
to four cents per pound and forty per cent
ad valolem, letting in wool costing eigh
cents per pound, and under, free. But multi
fication, Notwithstanding this peace offering
continued to dart its forked tongue-th
country was apparently on the brink of
precipice when the noble minded and eve
patriotic Henry Clay interposed and saved u
from convulsion by the act of the "a G
March, 1888, commonly called the comPro
mise act, which in all case: where the dut
exceeded 80 per cent. by biennial reducto
of one tenth ofthe excess brought down on tn
Goth of June A. ID. lS42, the duty on wool an
woolens to twenty per cent. al valorem. l d
not hesitate to say, that if.hat rate duty ha
been continued TO this time, the effect woul
have been to cut the throals of at least twC
thirds of the sheep in the country, and
IAN ad valorem duty is certain per cent
| A. IS fhoa 81 H. int he e,