Litchfield enquirer., 1846-08-27

an ad valorem duty of fifty per ceht:-
By the tariff of 1912, a duty OF 40 p
cent only is laid on most wooIlens; ar
this, for The reason above alluded to, hi
proved wholly inadequate TO sustain OF
manufacturers. Many believe that ii
Government is cheated out of one-half
the duty, and of course the manufactu
ers lose so much protection. The fraud
in this respect are as notorious as thu
there is such a place as Pearl street i
New York. The facility for perpetratin
them can be appreciated when It IS IN
derstocd that the imports are mostly con
signtncnts, and of course the owner CA
make the invoice what he pleases; and W
all know that custom. house oath IS
little worth. have not the least belle
that over 25 per cent, is collected OF
woolleu goods subjected to 40 per cent
and in proportion on goods liable to pay
lower rate. Owing to this cause, the
manufacturers of woollens, in this coun'
try, are in depressed condition. adj
nit that 40 per cent. would be, u coilec'
ed, abundant protection for woollens .
and would Nv no means advocate re-
urn to the stringent rates OF 1873. But
he adj valorem principle should, in its
application TO woollens, be discarded.
and moderate specific duties imposed. l
am confident that 80 per cent. put in the
form of specifics, would be much better
for our woollen manufactures than the
rates of 1872 Under such system, this
important branch of national industry
would take new start. The pressure OF
foreign wool, in the shape of imported
woolleus, on the market would be in
some measure relieved, and the business
ofwool.growing would soon become pros
porous throughout; the country,
But what remedy has this Adminlstra-
pion adopted for the evils which nave
embarrassed the wool growing interest,
and which might, even under the act OF
'A2, have ultimately overthrown y! Have
they manifested disposition to lend the
farmer helping hand in this regard =
On the contrary, they have introduced
and carried through Congress revenue
measure, ingeniously contrived to break
down both our manufacturers OF WOOL
and the business of wool growing
While on the one hand, they raise the
duty on coarse wool from five to thirty
per cent, (Which can do our farmers no
good. for reasons already stately on the
other they cut down the duty on such
wool as can really compete with our
own (ranging from forty-two to ninety
pcr cent.) TO thirty per cent. But what
is worse. they also reduce the duty impo-
scd by the act of '42 on the principal
woollens f,rty to thirty per cent ana
even that the manufacturers, and throagh
them, the wool growers, are not to nave
the benefit of, beyond fifteen or twenty
per cent for, whether an ad vaiorem du-
1y be thirty or forty per cent? the 1rauds
committed at the custom house Will De
alike frequent and prcportionately extern
sive. While they impose duty OF thirty
per cent. on coarse wool, such as we DO
not grow, they levy lower rate on for
eign fabrics of wool of like quality. Be-
sides this, they raise the duty on indigo
dive stuffs, and other materials used IN
manufacturing woollens, in violation OF
the immemo, ial practice Of the Govern.
ment. In short, q bill has been adopted
which excludes totally the idea OF pro-
tecting wool and woollens-which dis
crlminates for revenue, and against these
important products ofagriculture and the
arts-which wilhdraws wholly from the
wool of the farmer the fostering care oil
the Government, and turns the manutac
turer of the same over to fatal compe
tition with the cheaper wool and low wa
ges Of -EAlFfepeefflot yet introduced into the
picture all the lineaments of the scheme
which in its consummation, must lnevita
bly, overthrow the wool growing interest.
In the warehouse bill, now before us, we
have another potent engine of Hostility to
domestic wool and woollens. One of
the greatest safeguards which the tariff
of 40 threw around all the great inter
ests of the country was the rigid eXac-
ton of the duties in cash. But this is
now to be dispensed with, and the impor-
ters of woollens can. by depositing their
goods in warehouse. obtain credit on
the duties for one year.
%Onc would suppose that this Admins
tration ought to be satisfied with cutting
down the duties on wool and its fabrics
10 the revenue standard, and even, as
it is believed, much below it, withou, ur-
ging upon us the warehouse bill, which
will greatly facilitate the introduction OF
foreign woollens into this country, and
thus supersede, with foreign wool, the
Consu nption Of American wool. Proba-
lily this warehouse system will be little
less disastrous in its effect on domestic
wool and wooIlens than the chimeriCal
free trade tariff which recently passed
the two Houses of Congress. Will it be
any advantage 10 our farmers to have
vast quantities of foreign woollens piled
up in the warehouse to be from thence
thrown into auction rooms, and SOLD at
greatly reduced prices, thus producing
ruinous fluctuations and instability in the
market for our domestic wool and WOOL
lens!
Why should so much pains be taken
10 introduce, in the form of woollens,
such vast quantities of foreign wool =
Why try to deprive our farmers of the
privilege of clothing with wool, by the
agency of American manufacturers, the
millions OF free citizens of this country
Why is such vast complication of ma
chinery got up, with so much ingenuity,
that its powers may be directed to crush
American wool. Is it because the ever.
present hills of New England, the bound
less prairies of the West, and the vast
mountain regions of the South, are mad
equate to produce the requisite supply !!
Is it because our farmers are no, sufIi.
-:oxAl., ontnnHr:c;nu ord