Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-03-24
THE RUTLAND HERALD,
TUESDAY, MARCH 90, 1870.
Commissioner Wells and tho Wool
Tariff.


There seems to be determined effort
on tho part Of Commissioner Wells and
his adherents in Congress to injure the
industrial interests of the agriculturalists
Of New England, by attacking the tariff
on wool and woolens, and endeavoring to
PROSTATE this branch to the level Of the
carpet woods, placing all upon an equality.
A few manufacturers have joined in this
crusade, and we regret to say that two
Vermont manufacturers have become a
party to this transaction, which is intend
ed to strike fatal blow at one of the ma
terial interests of Vermont. Knowing
some of the charges made in Commission.
er Wells report to be erroneous from per-
sonal knowledge, we feel bound to enter
protest, in behalf of the farmers and
wool growers of Vermont, against the
false insinuations in his report. We ap-
peal to our delegation in Congress to pro-
tect the business of great majority of
their constituents from this attack upon the
great material interests that so sensibly
hii Jld55os "a Jul lhhhOAbhhb5. VIZ
feel sure they will awaken themselves to
this matter, and not permit the tariff on
wool and woolens to be disturbed, but as
yet we have seen no movement on the
part of the Vermont delegation against
this innovation sought to be incorporated
into the new tariff bill. They should see
that the present tariff is not modified in
any respect so far as it relates to wool and
woolons.
Mr.. Wells in his report gravely charges
bargain between the executive commit
tee of the Wool Manufacturers Associa-
ton and the executive committee of the
National Wool Growers Association at the
time the committees agreed upon the pro-
vision that should be incorporated in the
tariff Of 1867 on wool and woolens Mr..
Wells says that the gentleman claiming to
bs the wool growers of the United States
but are more especially interested in the
breeding of sheep than the growing OF
wool, were parties to the bargain. This
statement is not true, there were five OF
the executive committee of Wool Growers
and but one of them interested in the
breeding of sheep, and that was Mr..
Hammond. We know whereof we affirm
upon this subject, as it was our fortune as
one of the parties of that proposition to
be present at the joint meetings of the
committees, as the representative of the
wool growers of Vermont, not the agent
of the sheep breeders but of the mass OF
the wool growers of our State. Neither
was Mr.. Montgomery of Ohio, or Pottle Of
New York, sheep breeders They were
the representatives of the wool growers OF
their respective States. Mr.. Hammond
was not in any sense the immediate repre-
sentative of the breeders of sheep but the
intelligent and judcious representative of
his constituents, the wool growers of Yer
mont, and the charge of Mr. Wells is en-
tirely erroneous in this respect. The pro-
ision of the tariff of 1867 was not the
Result of bargain. The two committees
were in session in the city of New Yotk,
and after much disagreement as to details
the feature of the tariff which embraces
the duty on wool and woolens was the
result of mature consideration and not OF
bargain az is falsely charged by Com.
missioner Wells. II there was any bargain
whatever it was without our knowledge
and we think we were present at every
session of the wool growers and at the
Joint sessions of the two committees
Mr. Wells speaks in disparaging terms
of the work of the committee, but the
gentlemen who composed this joint com.
mittee were pure minded men, who
sought only the public good. Mr.. E. b
Bigelow of Boston, was tho chairman OF
one committee, and Hon. II. s. Randall OF
New York, chairman of the Wool Grow
ers In all the free conferences that took
place, there WAS not a syllable uttered or
a proposition perfected that did not have
in view the public welfare and the full
protection of the interests Of those repre-
sented
The specific section of the tariff of 1851
that was agreed upon, was that .cGrpe
woods under IL cents per pound, whether
washed or unwashed, should come in un
der duty of three cents per pound, anC
that the tariff on fine washed woods which
are not grown in this country, should
come in for duty Of 20 cents per pound
specific aud % cents ad Udl0rem. Thi
is perhaps not the exact language but tn
proposition in substance that was agreed
upon and incorporated in the bill.
The third proposition of Mr.. Wells
that the wool industry of the country i
greatly depressed in consequence of tn
present tariff on wool aud woolens is a
unjust as it il untrue in fact. We den,
that the universal depression of the woo
industry, is owing to the workings OF tina
clause of the present tariff, as man.
branches and establishments enjoy reason
able prosperity. The depression shoul
be general, a. the influence of the tart
is general to prove the tariff to be tn
efficient cause. The depression in certai
branches is admitted, ana this we believ
to result from other causes.
There are many reasons for the depTe'
sion of the wool market under the presen
tariff-and not the tariff itself 1t is tn
evasion of the tariff--a large amount c
wooden fabrics, both in piece and carmen
are struggled. into this country and brougt
in under false invoices. Whereas the ra'
material pays the full duty This is on
evasion.
Another and greater reason that III
prices of wool have been depressed unde
the present tvriff is that the evasion I
the intent and object OF the wool tart
has been practiced. This has been don
by importing wool on the skin at = du'
of thirty per cent. I'D o0torem --whic
same woolpaid duty OF ten cents p
mound or eleven per cent nd p1lO3ffl