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


der these circumstances, the much abused
9th Congress took up the subject of & wool
and Moolhns," being hemmed in between the
all crushiIg power ofthe veto on the one hand,
(wielded as it was by conSummate treache-
ry, pIesunptuousneSs, and folly) and the ia
natical opposition of the votaries of free
trade on he other, ION who m neither the ex-
ample ofour fathers, the lessons of expert
! ence, nor the dictates of common sense, can
produce the least effect y and being des-
rouS to observe the rule of moderation in ar
ranging the scale ofduties, they concluded it
would not do to levy higher rate on wool
lens than forty per cent. ad valorem, and
this rate is by the tariff of 1912 imposed &C
cordng. Having thus determined what
rate could be afforded for woollens, the next
thing was tOdetermine what burthens should
he imposed on foreign wool, or rather what
degree of protection should be extended to
domestic wool. Having then the honor to
represent, as do now, many citizens enga-
ged in that business, and some largely so,
my attention was strongly attracted to the
subject, as also was that of many other
members, particularly those from Vermont,
then as now the principal wool growing
State of the Union. The bill then pending
in the House of Representatives, as reported
by the Committee ofWays and Means, pro-
posed to let in wool costing eight cents and
under free, and to levy on all other wool a
duty of 30 per cent. ad vaIorem. 1t was
deemed, on consultation, that the protection
for American wool as it stood in the hill was
quite inadequate-a concerted movement
was made-the honorable delegation from
Vermont took the lead-many members
opposed to the protective policy, generously
co. operated, and ultimately the provisions
of The bill on this subject were modified, and
now stand in the tariff Of 1912 as follows: :
son coarse wool, manufactured the value
whereof at the last port or place whence eX-
ported to the United States, shall be seven cents
| or under per pound, there shall be levied du
ty of five per cent ad valorem, and on all 9TH
er manufactured wool there shall be levied
duty OF three cents per pound and thirty per
cent. ad valorem. IL Provided, when wool
of different qualities Of the same kind or sort is
imported in the same bale, bag or package, and
the aggregate value of the contents of the bale,
bag, or package, shall be appraised by the ap
praisers at rate exceeding seven cents per
pound. it shall be charged with duty in con-
formily to such appraisal III That when
wool OF different qualities and different kinds
| or sorts is imported in the same bale, bag, or
| package, the contents Of the bale, bag, or pack
age, shall be appraised at the value of the fin
est or most valuable sort or kind, and a duty
charged thereon accordingly. [3 PrOridtd
further, That if bales of different qualities are
embraced in the same invoice, at the same
price, the value of the whole shall be apprais-
ed according to the value of the bale OF the
best quality. al Provded, further, That if
any wool be imported having in it dirt or any
ma ral M ni hon N off
ly belonging to the fleece, and thus be reduced
in value to seven cents per pound or under,
~: "rnraisrTs shall appraise snch wool at such
price as IN their opIni''I' !. rld hove cost had
il not been so mixed with such dirt or imbU-
rites, and duty shall be charged thereon in
conformity to such appraisal Prooided, also,
| That wool imported on the skin shall hH esl-
mated into weight and value as other wool"
On this part of the act of 1912, deem it
| proper to submit the following remarks:
|. By the tariff of 1882, cheap wool, or
| that costing eight cents or more, was admit
ted entirely free of duty; but by the tariff OF
1912 there was imposed on wool, costing
seven cents and under, duty offve per cent.
ad valorem. This Slight duty was levied
partly for revenue, and partly to insure a
thorough inspection of the article, and not
at all under the idea of protecting the A
merican wool grower, for reasons which will
hereafter appear.
g. The object of Congress in admitting
by the act of 1882, wool costing eight cent,
or under free, and by the act of 1912, WOO
costing seven cents or under, at the low rate
of five per cent. ad valorem, was to encour
age the manufacture of coarse woollenS
such as carpeting, blankets, and negro cloths
| c,r, uk; lob no nv
reason ofits quality and cost. The only eff
feet of levying high duty on cheap wool
would be to break down the manufacture OF
these coarse fabrics, which so far from bene-
filing our farmers would seriously injure
them by destroying a valuable market fol-
their wheat, -four, corn, beef, pork, bacon
butter, cheese, and other agricultural pro.
ducts. | have now before me several speci-
mems of this cheap wool, imported from
South America, and sent to me by frenC
in New York. l find it exceedingly coarse
nearly as much so as the hair of a New.
foundland dog, and the importation of such
wool does no more hurt to the American
wool grower than the introduction of st
much swinging tow.
3. II was ascertained, when the tariff q
lS42 was under consideration, that tllers
was considerable danger Of the introduction
from South America, under the provision a
bove adverted to, of wool that might (tt
some extent be sold in competition with GU
domestic wool, and thus inlict serious in
jury on the American wool grower. On eX
animation Of the commercial statistics, We
find there was exported from this country, il
1897, to the Argentine Republic, 300 sheep
valued at $4,000; and in 1885, to the sam,
Republic, 4O8 sheep, valued at 1854 -
Several other small parcels were exported a
bout the same time to different countries il
South America, and no doubt, most, if no
all of them, were fine blooded merino bucks
the object being to improve the quality o
the cheap South American wool. These ex
portations were, presume, the work of som,
, wool Spectator, who was actualed by mo
: tives quite the reverse of patriotic. In due
| season it was observed, that some portion
r of this imported wool had improved in quail
5 ity, and when the tariffof 1912 was enacted
f samples Of such wool were produced in the
= House TO illustrate and prove the danger Il
7 the American wool grower from this source
\ I have now hefore me nj her ca m nlpS fnrni Sh