The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-05-20
Letters on the Wool Trade.
BY j. b. MOTT, ESQ,
Secretary cfhe ~ Y. S. agricultural Society.
To WooL-GRowERs-No |.

~ W WI NAltO W I-Io-4NO l.
agricultural Rooms, !
Albany, May 25th
j. M. SHERWOOD, Esq, President Of the N
y S. agricultural Society:
My attention has been drawn to the leuer
of Hamilton Gay, Esq, of New York, address
ed to the Editors of the journal of Commerce
and published by them on the 21st.
To the Wool Growers of New York this
letter is one of deep interest, and should be
extensively circulated. Mr. Gay, at great
personal and pecuniary sacrifices, has render
ed manifest those obstacles which stand in
the way Of a profitable expectation of Ameri-
can wool. Our obligations to him are by no
means trivial, for giving notoriety to facts,
which show most concluSively that it is in the
power of the American wool grower so to ex-
tend the market for his staple, as to give it Il
healthy and reasonable actvity,-thus Sc
curing to present prices steadiness and per-
manency, which they are not otherwise likely
to receive.
1t has been more than minated by the
manufacturer, that he is DESTROYS of reducing
the prices for the incoming clip, some four or
five cents perlb. below the prices of last year
The announcement has produced anxiety and
alarm; but it would seem probable from Mr.
Gays letter, that if this is So the exporter
will cause the manufacturer ultimately to re-
greet his selfish tcmerty. The causes which
have chiefly marrel the success Of Mr. GAYS
experiment, are, in his estimation, the uin-
clean condition Of the 1lceces as they come
from the hand Of the shepherd, and The he
tcro.eneous character Of the lofts of the wool
collector. There is no doubt that he is per-
feclly correct in his estimate, and it is equal
ly uudoubted that he might have said, that
these same causes operate niuriously upon
the interests Of the American grower OF fine
wool, even in his own market; and unless re-
moved, this department OF agricultural indus
try, will receive II blow from which it will
with difficulty recover.
It's, however, too apparent, that neither
the Letter OF Mr. Gay, nor the remarks of any
one else, Will have an efficient agency in cor
rectinn the faults of the unwary or the frauds
Of the dishonest. The evils complained Of.
can only be cured by making aradical change
in the mode of conducting the wool business :;
they have sprung almost exclusively from this
source, and if it is amended, a cure is certain
to follow.
Nor is the change requisite, cnvironed by
insuperable dillicultics-it will ut once be Sc
ctroI by hearty, vigorous and concerted eff
fort, on the part of those whose interests are
most deeply affected; indeed, il is more than
certain that the change has already commence
cd. Had not inspection laws become deserv-
cdly obsolete, here would be legitimate field
for their operation. But as it is unwisc to re-
yyc the absurditios Of Il by-gone age, we
must carefully enquire if we do not hold in
our own hands a remedy more effective than
any that can be furnished by legislative en-
actments.
Fleece wool is of such a nature, and the
mode Of trans itting to the manufacturer such
that neither the faults of the WOOL nor the
frauds of the shearer can be detected until it
reaches the hands of the stapler Were it
furnished by each individual farmer in lots so
large, that the expense and trouble of stapIing
each lot separately would not be too onerous,
it is apparent that then each lot could be
traced to the particular spot from whence it
came, and seIt.interest would soon apply an
efficient corrective both to faults and frauds
But wool is now collected in small lots from
an immense multitude in way that it is not
possible to trace each lot The collectors for
the most part are unable to discriminate prop,
erly between their different purchases, or il
able, have not the wisdom or libcralty to
make that difference in price, which simple
justice and sound policy demand.
So long as the profits on sheep-husbandry
were so excessive as 10 satisfy the most grasp.