The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-29

Speakman and Wyeth into the lnsurrectionary
bandits of Cuba, and thence into the avenging
hand of the Spanish authorities at Santiago.
HOW THE TARIFF PROTECTS" THE
WOOLLEN INTEREST.
From the NJ 7. Times.
We have recently presented the facts in
regard to the deplorable condition of some of
our large industrial branches, such as the
boot and shoe manufacture, the woollen in
terest, and others. We had expected from
the Tribune, as the organ of high taxation,
some defense of the unequal taxation on
these great industries.
The country is groaning under the inequali-
ty or weight of these burdens, but thus far no
word of excuse or explanation from the high
tariff organs has been presented to show why
Congress should nearly destroy these impor-
tant trades by absurd taxation. Now, how
ever, q voice comes forth from the very par
ties who are SO vigorously protected"
manufacturers themselves-to disclaim, in the
name of all that is reasonable, any more of
such wolf-like protection" and this COM
plant the Tribune is obliged to listen to-
One, whom that journal describes as widely
known as "a veteran, eminent and success
full manufacturer" Mr.. Harris, of Rhode
Island, writes to our contemporary that his
business-woollen manufacturers suffering
terribly from "over protection, and he then
proceeds to explain his difficulties precisely as
we had set them forth, in regard to the whole
woollen interest, the day previous in the
Times.
The simple facts being that we grow very
little fine woods in the United States; that fine
nap goods cannot be maderhere without an
admixture of fine foreign wools and in con-
sequence Mr.. Harris or any other manufac-
turer must either confine himself to coarse
woollens, or if he manufacture fine goods,
must import fine woods at duty of some 100
per cent. But fine woolen goods, manufac-
tured abroad, already pay only fifty per cent.
| duty; SO that, in the epigrammatic words of Mr..
| Harris, he is, under this tariff, ''ffty per
| cent. worse off than under free trade. More
over, as he correctly states the case, the fine
| woods which are excluded from this country
| by the tariff enter into manufactures abroad,
and make them still cheaper and still more
able to compete with our own.
The duty acts, too, as bounty on SNUG
| Cling, and as any New England manufactu-
rer knows, quantities of the foreign woods
are now carried in bond over this country to
Canada, where they are manufactured, and
| undoubtedly come back here as smuggled
| goods. The result is as this manufacturer
states, that the whole business is depressed,
and the imports of foreign woollens have
increased two millions the past year, while
our exports are down to paltry one hundred
and sixty-nine thousand dollars, against one
hundred and thirty-nin millions from Eng
land during the same period.
The consolation which the Tribune admin
listers to its suffering friend is not of an en-
livening order, and though designed to be
practical, is, we are compelled to say, moi
entirely based ON facts. Thus, Mr.. Harris
is coolly told that he cannot get protection
exactly as he likes it for his own factory. BE
has it at the rate of fifty per cent. on wooller
goods; he must not complain if the farmers
demand it at one hundred per cent. on flint
woods. "The duty, says the Tribune, i''bene
fits the American wool grower, and inoite
him to rear more sheep and produce more
wool than if it were taken off. And you may
talk till you are blind, without convinc
ing the farmers that the fact is other
wise" "We have more sheep and grow
moro wool now than We ever did before
and this we rejoice in." Now, Mr.. Harris, i
he has the opportunity, will undoubtedi
say that as a patriotic citizen he might re
joice, if the depression of his own busines
promoted the welfare of such large class o
agriculturists as the wool growers; but he i
compelled to call the Iaf6Un6S attention t.
certain stern facts in the statistics of woo
growing. The average price of wool the pas
year was almost the lowest ever reached
being about forty-three cents, currency, pc
pound for medium woods. From 1927 t
: 1867, IL was Az cents, Solu, or ABOUT one
, third higher In 1868, the average price o
Ohio woods was 1921 cents, gold. This Ger
l tainly does not look like protecting tn
wool-growing interest. If a tariff of 100 pc
l cent. accomplishes this, and almost ruins tn
wool-grower, what will the additional taxi
! ton, which the Tribune will doubtless urge
a remedy, do towards the same end?
Mr. Harris will probably also call the Ir
: bune's attention to an interesting documer
4 issued by the Department of Agriculture, tn
4 reports for March and April, 1869. Some seye
pages are devoted in this publication to tn
: condition of sheep industry in III counties c
81 different States, We have space for BIT
| few extracts, but they are of the cheering CHI
a racter indicated by the following
Y county, New York, decrease of sheep eight
Q per cent?" Onondaga county, 'one-fourt
Q sold;" Butler county, Pennsylvania, ''on'
9 third sold;" Ohio county, Wester
8 Virginia, ''forty per cent; PennisoC
Q county, Missouri, forty per cen
d sold;" Dubuque county, Minnesota, ''fifi
per cent. slaughtered" and similar account
IL from other States, so that the COMMISSIONS
It of Agriculture estimates the decrease
\ sheep, during 1868, at four millions, an
other authorities put IL higher So much fC
d our shaving more sheep and growing mol
n wool than ever before, which the 1ribu,
n ''rejoices in" We suspect the Western shee
= farmers do not share in this hilarity. III