Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-06-09
agricultural.
Classification of Imported Woods"

~ hRNa - W. ANAhAhNs
In the last issue of the Watchmand d. journal
notice an extract from the " Country
Gentleman with regard to the recent dccis-
ion Of Secretary Boutwell, in the specifications
Of our tariff on imported woods Other
causes have operated to prevent this tariff
from doing the wool-grower any good but
we have hoped and expected that the time
was coming, and near at hand, that it would
give an impetus to prices, and that We shout
again End il living business to grow wool
upon ou- farms But this ruling Of our
Treasury heads, first McCulloch, aud re-
peatcd by Boutwell, puts damper on all our
fond hopes, and settles the question as to any
benefit we are ever TO receive from this tariff
The classification Of woods is so loosely guarded
in the wording and arrangement Of the
statute. that it leaves it opcu to the con.
structions the Secretaries have adopted There
are those in our section that profess to believe,
and say, that our wool committee Messrs.
Randall 4 Co., who by agreement arranged
the terms Of this tariff with the Mauufactu.
rer's committee at Washington in January
1866, were JougM by the other interest, and
betrayed the trust coufdod to them. never
believed in any such betrayal. ! know the
men that composed that committee. They
are gentlemen Of character, high-miudcl and
honorable, and honestly sought to benefit the
wool interest of our whole country. That
they were ovor-reached and deceived by the
superior shrewdness and tact Of those work ing
for the manufacturers is another question
They had to contend with some Of the
strongest aud sharpost business intellects Of
our whole country; if they were not able to
cope with them, it is no disparagemont to
their honesty and good intentions
The language used aud its construction in
this classification Of woods, would seem to
any iair-minded man, uninitiated in duplicity,
to be plain enough to give the protection to
all clothing woods that its friends (tho wool
committcc) designed. But this naming Of
certain bloods and its grades, which does not
include moro than eight or ten kinds of wool,
TO pay the higher rates, while seventy other
kinds are left to pay the low duty, was an
oversight, 10 say the least But our commit
tee attempted to supply remedy by a few
words attached to the description OF class
first, by saying that all woods not belonging
to the second or third class, shall pay the
duty of class frst mot having the statute
before me, | may not quote precisely the Ian
guage used, but | state substantially the
meaning.) This clause is now explained
away and nullifed by the Secretaries, just as
the manufacturers probably intended it should
be when it was put there. 1t amounts to
nothing, and all the clothing woods Of the
world, except the Morino blood and the Eng
fish combing bIoods, and the Down woods, are
liable only to the low nominal duty of three
and six cents pound--so contriyed by the
importers invoice, that seldom more than
the former rate is paid. And so long us the
fashions continue for coarse fabrics for mems
wear, and many kinds also for women, so
long will these cheap foreign woods take the
place in our woollen mills of our own fine
woods and it is for the interest of all the
manufacturers combined, to keep up and per-
pctuate this custom of wearing coarse cloths
They will purchase our fine woods of Merno
blood If they can do so at coarse wool pri-
COS and thcn tho domestic hnn mived or in
various ways combined with the foreign coarse
very handsome and durable fancy goods can
be made that pay large profits to the manu-
facturer. But our domestic wool-grower gets
none Of it; he is working at ruinous prices,
while the foreign grower of coarse wool, and
the home maker of the goods, are reaping
all the profits. There should have been. but
tioo distinct classes of wool defined in our
tariff, viz: Clothing woods and Carpet woods.
From the carpets woods, coarse blankets could
be made; and all other kinds, in whatever
part of the world grown, or however coarse,
if they fall short of the coarseness usually
worked into carpets should be classed as
clothing woods, including the combing for
worsted, and be subject to the duty now paid
on class first. Ne particular blood should
have controlled. This would have given us
the highest duty on half the woods of the
world, and saved our own wool-growing in-
dustry from destruction.
Springfield, May 81, 80.