The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-12-24

Wool is selling for less money than
II has cost TO grow 1t. 1t Is driving,
surely and rapidly, wool.growers to
slaughter their sheep and abandon the
business. To-day, wool sells for less
money, with gold at 1888, than 1t did
before the war, with gold and currency
equal, What Is the reason? One rea.
son Is, that the present tariff on wools
amounts to nothing us Il protection.
Another reason is, that the present
tariff on wooden goods does not prevent
the flooding OF this country with foreign
manufactures, stopping our woolen
mills, and throwing out of employment
thousands of operatives. The same
cause affects not only these interests,
but others dependent upon them.
A Joint committee OF wool growers
and manufacturers, last winter, pre-.
pared n bill designed to protect their
mutual interests. This bill passed the
lower House OF Congress, and Is now
pending in the Senate. The recent
meeting of the National Wool Grow
ers' Association, at Cleveland, indOrsed
this bill, and appointed committee to
wait on Congress to secure It's passage.
1t has received the Endorsement OF some
of the best political economists in the
country, rs likely not only to protect
the wool interests of the country, but
to secure to the Government revenue
from importations which the peculiar
construction of existing tariffs enables
importers to evade paying.
While we do not regard II the most
efficient guard against fraud to the
Government that could have been made,
II is far better than the present law in
this respect; indeed, compared with
any previous tarltf OH woods fixed by
Congress, this is the least Objectionable
In Its provisions, except to unscrupu-
lOus importers and venal custom-house
appraisers.
'The condition OF the wooden interests,
including both producers and manu-
ilcturers, demands relief by the imme-
diate passage of this pending bill. And
vet it is well for the wool growers of
the West to understand that this bill is
In peril. Our information Is that the
Chairman of the Senate Finance COM
mlttee refuses to permit the bill to be
considered until after the report of
Revenue Commissioner Wells, who has
been instructed by Secretary McCnl-
lOch to revise the present tariff laws,
and report bill einbodying such re-
vision. From the character of the in
structions given Mr.. Wells by the Sec
rotary of the Treasury it is feared, by
tho friends OF the proposed tariff on
woods and woOlens, that the present in
efficient and protective feature with
respect to these staples will be retained.
This fear was expressed by Vice Presi.
dent Montgomery at the meeting Of
wool growers ut Cleveland. Mont
gomery was one Of the active members
Of the Joint Committee TO prepare the
pending bill. Recent information from
Washington confirms this fear. The
wool growers and woolen manufactur-
ers of the West, therefore, should take
immediate steps TO make themselves
heard by this Finance Committee, or,
better still, perhaps, by Commissioner
Wells and Secretary McCulloch. Their
wants should be clearly and emphatf
cally stated at once. 1t would be we'll
for the Executive Committees OF Wes-
tern Wool Growers Associations to
meet and send delegates to Washing
ton to look after their interests there.
If done mt all, 1t cannot be done too
sOon.-ChicIg0 Republican.