Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-03-09

ness principles of supply and demand,
and see if we cannot find a better rea.
son for the decline in the price of wool
than that given BY the Revenue Re
formers. s -
domestic wool wus ,5ll ,3s3 pounds
Amount imported for some l7f fGi-f at
years ,5S6 So pounds
Making an aggregate OF. a5 ees Ooe pounds
As the amount needed in 1860 for
manufacturing in the country. To this
was added an importation of wooden
goods, thirty eight millions.
The four years Of war which created
an excessive demand for wooien goods,
greatly stimulated the production OF
domestic wool and increased the
amount produced, from sixty millions
in 1860, to ninety-five millions in 1864,
one hundred and five millions in 1865,
one hundred fifteen millions in 1866,
and one hundred and twenty-five mil
lion pounds in 1867. The importations
of foreign wool were also. very heavy
during the war, amounting in the ag-
gregate to two hundred and fifty-tWo
million of pounds, and twenty seven
millions of shoddy. The importation
Of wooden goods for the same period
amounted to $S7, ,762, ,918, or about
twenty-five millions per annum. AT
the close of the war wool declined grad
ually, while the supplies of home pro
duction, of both wool and wOolens,
were rapidly Increasing. This led to
the enactment of the tariff which took
effect in March, 1857. But the impor-
tiers taking advantage of what had be-
come evident to every one, six or eight
months before the law passed, that an
act would certainly pass increasing the
duties on wool and wOOlens, imported
heavily of both wool and woolens, SO
as to avoid the increase of rates. Dur
ing the last eight months prior to the
new tariffs taking effect, in March,
1867, there We're 69, 1000 pounds OF
wool, and $67 ,OO0, 900, worth of wooden
goods imported into the country, which
was greatly in excess of any present
demand. In addition to this a large
surplus of army, goods, which had ac-
cumulated about the close of the war,
was thrown upon the market. These
causes taken altogether completely
glutted the market, and the price of
wool and woolen goods of course con-
tinued to decline. The tariff of March,
1867, was inaugurated under these un-
favorable circumstances. Never be-
fore was there anything like the guam
tity of wool and wOolen goods in the
country at any one time, and the
foreign woods imported were mostly of
the clothing wool varieties which came
in direct competition with Ohio woods,
and had been admitted at mere nom-
inal rate of duty. 1t was not at all
surprizing that under these circum-
stances wool declined in price to the
average of what it had been for the last
forty years prior to the war. 1t was
strictly in accordance with the unerring
laws of supply and demand. Yet
these acute Free Traders claim it was
all on account of the tariff on foreign
wool that the domestic article declined
in price. ...,e,.-
The present duty on clothing wools,
such as are produced in Ohio, is ten
cents per pound and eleven per cent ad
UGlorena, which is equal in the present
state of the market to about 13l cents
per pound. This would be sufficient If
the market We're clear of its large sur
plus of wool and woolen goods which
seems now to be close at hand. The
present tariff, although not able to deal
with the large surplus stock on hand,
has in great measure prevented the
wool-growing business in this country
from being utterly ruined, by checking
up the continuance of excessive inn
portations. What the American wool
grower needs, and all he asks Just now,
is for Congress to let the wool tariff
alone, and to have the laws imposing
this tariff more strictly enforced.
It is claimed, unofficially, but by
good authority, that there has been inn
ported during the current year forty
five million pounds of wool, and nearly
all at the minimum: rate of three cents
per pound duty. This lower rate ad-
mits only the courser grades, suitable
for coarse carpeting and for which there
is a demand for not more than ten or
fifteen million pounds of foreign wool;
yet these cute gentlemen get it nearly
all in at the lower rate. Such, yillany
could only be perpetrated bya combi-
nation of importers and Custom House
officers, and should receive the closest
scrutiny of the Government and the
iuOot CUuulSu ptlIllSlulcIlt. lneS6 I'M
porters quote their own rascality as a
reason why the duties on wool should
be taken off. They say that the tariff
causes foreign wool to be smuggled into
The country without paying the, duty.
This is literally true, but how is it done
other than by false invoices and false
swearing of importers and Revenue
Officers in broad daylight through the
Custom Houses? A nice argument
truly, to be set up in civilized country,
hat because men will violate the laws
md disregard their oaths, that the laws
should be repealed, and the statutes
made to conform to their despicableI
lcts. To send a few dozens OF these
with their official accom-
Dlices to the penitentiary for term ofI
years, would be much better remedy
han repeating the laws to keep such
thieves from violating them. 1'c
The United States are now producing
,ver seven eights of the clothing woods
'equired for home manufacture, and ifI
he business were brought UP, in pay
ng point of view, to an equality with |
he other agricultural pursuits of the
would in few years produce
enough to supply the entire demand.-I
The tariff on wool has barely reached
,oint where it can be beneficial to the
vOOl-grower; for the importer and
have used the large sur
'lus Of foreign woods thrown upon the