Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-05-21
Wool and WOOIlens.

As our readers have been Informed the ~ York
journal Of Commerce (ant-ptotection) lately pre-
dcted that the present springs crop Of wool would
be increased in value one.fourth, by expectation to
England prediction endorsed by the North Star
We have been curious enough TO notice the guam
tity Of wool exported from New York from Jan l.
TO March 81, 1916, Tone foil quarter and find
that amounts to the enormous quantity Of Ia bales
all told Our readers can readily see what like
lihood there is Of yerIfcation Of this famous pre-
dicion. Right glad would we be to sec hand
some advance in the price Of wool but we cannot
nltier the hopes Of the Vermont wool-growers on
the strength Of the Journal Of Commerce II all
its anii-tarr articles absurd this they are
oiirliliDg account. On this subject the Caledon-
an makes good remark viz. that il il IS true, as
the Locofoco papers assert, that hal-blood merino
wool can be had in South America for : cents
pound, British manufacturers will not send 10 the
United States for the same kind Of wool and pay
81 or 40 cents If the Locofoco ground is true
our wool-growers will require full much proteo-
ton in the British market as they do at home since
there well here, they would be exposed TO the
competition Of the cheap South American WOOL
But there is little prospect Of British manufacturers
becoming purchasers of American wool, unless our
own manufactures should be destroyed IfLocofo.
cosm can succeed in that, thus cutting OF the great
home market for wool the British will be right
glad 10 add American wool 10 their stock Of supply,
well knowing that when this stock is most abund-
ant compared with the demand the prices will be
the lowest for all wool
We here present the wool-growers with a few
statistical statements which have a bearing upon
this subject
Wool exported from Great Britain to the United
States 1871, 529, 4l0 lbs.
Wool imported into Great Britain
from the u States, 5s,79l
Balance consumed in the T. States 1869
This shows that England was far from being
purchaser Of American wool in ~ having in fact
supplied this country with nearly half a million
pounds. We have examined the commercial state
ment for 1874, and find no wool exported 10 Great
Britain. whereas we imported from British posses
sons Al, Az pounds in that year. Another fact
imported over twenty millions Of pounds last
year of foreign woo-a proof that the supply Of z.
States wool is not yet equal 10 the demand Of our
own manufacturers, and here we remark that the
supply OF goods from the factories does not equal
the home demand for use-we export no woolcns
Give the manufacturers and woo-growers the home
markef only, and the latter cannot yet produce wool
enough to supply it, Their focks must be greatly
enlarged TO do IT,
There is still another statistical statement which
goes to show that the American wool-grower must
not depend upon a British market. While the
British market is open to all the world for wool at
low III iCAl imported Only % InilllOus
pounds-oi which 81 millions were from her next
door neighbors in Germany, l6 millions from her
own possessions, and all the rest Q millions
was from the eastern continent. Deduct the wool
exported from England, aud the quantity Of foreign
retained for consumption was but 50 millions OF
pounds Unless her demand for wool is vastly in
creased, II is therefore evident that she has nearly
full supply at hand, without the cost of Transports
ton across the Atlantic How shall that demand
/ bn all n 4
tions manufacture for themselves and others too
can pe force them to extend the British trade in
cloths We think not Shall we then open our
o,rn markets TO the British This is the genuine
| iree-trade project suppose it shall be ried-what
| will the wool-grower gain by cutting off his own
home market, which now annually consumes more
/ wool than oil the wool which was imported into G
| Britain in IS4l Assuming the amount Of domes-
/ tic wool consumed in 1915 to be the same that
| produced in 1889, American manufacturers used 60
! millions of pounds in lS45-being millions more
| than the British required for their wants in 1871.
| The wool-grower cannot safely count upon de-
mand in England equal to that now existing here
and if he could, it would be great piece of folly to
exchange certain market at his door for preca-
| rious one three thousand miles Off
/ A fact or two now on another branch OF the sub
| ject. II has often been alleged by Locoiocos that
the tariff of 1912 is partial to the manufacturers.
and TO prove il the rates Of duties have again and
| again been paraded, always with more OF less I'M
fairness 10 the duty on wool We take it that "the
! proof of the pudding is in the eating"-he effect
Of the Tariff is to be judged by its fruits. Under
this tariff, the value Of imports in 1915 was as
! follows:
| Manufactures of wool, Sl0057 ,s75
Manufactured wool 81 6S9,S74
| As between the manufacturer and the woo-grower,
it is thus apparent that the Tariff admits six dollars
! worth of foreign production to compete with the