Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-12-07
agricultural.


A convention Of Wool Growers was held
at Bellows Falls. Nov. 12'h. Hon Justin s.
Morrill, was present and addressed the meet
ing,
The following resolution offered by Judge
Colburn Of Springfield was unanimously
adopted
Whereas, The wool growing interest Of
Vermont Is in greatly depressed and Lam
gushing condition, and must soon be aban-
doned unless relief can be extended by nation
al legislation 90 protect the interest from the
destructive competition. of foreign foe wool,
grown in climates of perpetual summer, and
where land and labor are Of mere nominal
value and whereas, a bill passed by the
lower house Of Congress at its last session,
and is now upon the records of the upper
house, putporrng % aid both the mauuiac-
turing ard wool growing interests Of the
country and though It's provisions may be
more remunerative and protective TO the for
ner than to the latter interest, yet as wool
growers, desirous Of saving this great inter-
est Of the North f. m annihilatou, we pray
the Senate Of the United States to PASS this
or some other protective bill and let it speed
lily become the law of the land. We ask
this because we are willing 10 try the expert
ment OF It's operations because the price Of
farm labor to grow This article is more than
double in proportion to the price Of the ar
tcle after it Is grown because the prices Of
this article ar no sort Of proportion to those
Of all other commodities which we are obliged
to purchase to sustain our families. while
wool is our main reliance for a support; be-
cause the prices OF WOOL on gold basis, have
never been SO high since the commencement
Of the war Of re bellion as they were In the
years immediately pre- cedng. and are not at
the present time more than three-fJurths as
high, while nearly ell other articles OF traflic
have been greatly enhauc in price by the
advance in gold; because before the war the
prices OF | pounds Of our wool brook
washed, would purchase at retail good a
yard Of cashmere or doeskin the price Of
5 | pounds will do at the present time be-
cause the taxation upon all our resources for
growing wool in consequence Of the war
(toun, state and NATIONAL Is full nine cents
per pound on cur washed wool, which is
vastly beyond what IL ever has been before
because we claim to have been as patriotic
as any other seciicn Of our country, and to
have cheeIiulIy borne our share Of the public
burdens III the loss of life and the sacrifice Of
treasure during the last six years Of our ma
tional fill ction, but we claim benefits and
privileges tQAdl 10 muse ttCluiuR 10 Oluef
interes IS; because for the last eighteen
months we have beeo obliged to purch use
clothing for ourselves and families at exorbi-
tant prices, made from foreign wool, while
our own clips have been lying upon our hands
uncalled for at any remunerating prices, in
consequence Of the cheapness of the Mestiza
and other fine clothing woods because in
telligent labor in the mill, in the shop or on
the farm, caunot and ought not 90 be made to
compete with the Ignorant and pauper labor
of foreign countries, and finally: because we
believe that we should be steadily progressing
TO that state OF independence as nation to
clothe ourselves, so IA, as wool and cotton
will do it, and become independent Of all for
eign producers of these articles
THEREFoRE, Resolved. by this convention
of Vermont Wool Growers, that copy of
this memorial and resolution be furnished by
the secretary and presented 10 the Hon. Luke
p. Poland and Hon. George f. Edmunds,
our Senators in Congress, aud that they are
hereby requested to present it to the Senate OF
the United States al an early day Of the com
ing session, aud that they sustain by their
voice, and vote, the bill pending in that house
or any other bill giving protection to tn,
wool grower
Bellows Falls W., Nov. -, 1866.