Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-12-11
20 yrs ending in 1860. ...627, ,22I,75O 15.6

40 yrs ending in lS6O...6ZI. .224.l5O I5,ooO,olo
"In 1920, when thisimportation COM
menced, manufacturing was at its low
est ebb, the value of its annual pro-
duct having been reduced to S4.4l3,-
068, by excessive importations after the
close of the war of 1872, from SIS, ,6OS,-
7SS in 1910, just as foreign traders, aid
ed by American importers, at the close
of the late war, and the fall of gold,
have seriously impaired both the wool
growing and manufacturing interests
by flooding the country with q vast
surplus of foreign wOollens. While
suffering serious of fluctuations, caus-
ed by more or less successful efforts 10
break down the barriers to oYer-impor-
tation, the progress of manufacturing
has been gradual and comparatively
regular. In 1880 the products of wool
len manufacturers had increased to
SI4, 4,52S, ,I66: in lS40 it was $50. .696. .999i
in 1850, S43, ,207, ,545; in 1850, SOS, $685.
963; in 1864 return of manufacturers
representing about three-fourhs of the
total number of sets of machinery,
made an aggregate of Sl20, 100000
with the increase of the manufse-
ture of wool, step by step, advanced
the produchon of wool. The census
of 1850 made the clip of that yeal
52,5l6,959 pounds that of 1860 re
turned 60,5ll,343. The yield of 1854
was estimated at $1,000, 900 that OF
1866, ll5;000.000. The increase o.
manufacturing and the relative con-
sumption of wool at different periods
may be gathered from the following
statement, with the qualification that
the wool importation of 1865 was less
than the consumption of foreign wool
for that year. while that of 1866 was
far more than that years consumption
There was also, in round numbers, four
millions of pounds of shoddy in the
former, and seven millions in the latter
year, not counted in the statement:
United States products. lbs. 1910. 35,s12,ll4
1850. 525ls 96s; lS60. 6o5ll S4S; 1856. lO5OoOoCO
Imports lbs. 1sIO, l5OO6. 40; 1850. 1s .669, ,7si
1860 a. $50 657 1855 40372U75; 1870, 81. .yl1 3l
Total. -1s40. 5sgS.524; 1850. Il,ls6, ,I6S 1860.
s5.O9s 900: 1866. 145.S72075; 1856. lS2.sl1.0Sl
"It is not that woollen importations
are so much heavier than formerly, in
proportion to population. As shown
above, the average for forty years, when
we manufactured comparatively little,
was Sl5,6S0,6IS. With population
doubled and. foreign prices at least for
ty per cent. greater than twenty-five
years ago, S45, 900, 900 would not be 8
larger proportionate importation. Then
we manufactured scarcely half the an
nual consumption; now We msnafao-
ture three-fourths, and Of most goods
can easily manufacture for the entire
demand, so that Gay importation tends
TO drug the market. This is the liter
al fact, and the future will show how
sensitivea full market is to the slight.
est surplus-iust as a few drops will
overflow a brimming glass. All the
woollens imported in four years of wal
amounted to but $S7, ,7S2, 2,9lS, or S2l,-
945, ,726 annually f; actually a less guam
tity of goods than was bought for
SIS, ,6S0,61S annually for forty years,
commencing in 1921; but in the mean
time the products of our mills had
grown from four millions Of dollars in
1920, to one hundred and fifty or sixty
millions in lS64W