The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-12-14

COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL WOOL
GROWERS ASSOCIATION, MEETING AT
ST. LOUIS, OCTOBER 2, 1877.
OfFICR opNAT1oNAL ASSOCIATION OF Wool
MANUFACTURERS,
II Pemberton Square, Boston, Mass,
Sept. y, 1877.
To the Exutive Committee of the National Wool
Growers Association, St. Louis, Mo.
GENTLEMEN,-The Executive Com
mittee of the National Association of
Wool Manufacturers have been appris-
ed by your President, Mr.. Garland, of
the intending meeting of your Associa-
ton at st. Louis, on the third of Octo-
Der next, and of its objects. They have
also received the courteous invitation
extended to the members of this Asso-
citation to join your deliberations. AS
the annual meeting of our own Asso-
citation, under the provisions of our by
laws, takes place on the day above
named, we are precluded from the
pleasure which some of us otherwise
would certainly have INDUCED in, of
personally comforting with YOU at st.
Louis on our common interests. We
cannot, however, permit this occasion
to pass without expressing-although
through the imperfect medium of a
written communcation-our sympathy
in the objects of your Association, and
our assurance that nothing on our part
shall be wanting to continue the har-
mony established more than ten years
since between the two representative
bodies of the national wool industry of
the United States.
1t may not be without profit to con-
slider the objects which these two Asso-
Citations have in common, and the mo-
tiyes which have prompted, and the
results which have justified our ALI
ahce. The immediate object of your
Association is the extension and pros
perity of the domestic sheep and wool
husbahdry; that of ours, the extension
and prosperity of the domestic wool
manufacture. But your prosperity
depends upon an active home market
for your wool, and ours depends upon
an ample home supply of wool for our
mills. We become thus at once, in
spite ofour separate organizations, idcn-
titled in interest, and have for COM
mon cause an object which we do not
attempt to conceal,-the securing of q
national legislation which shall pro-
mote the united wool industry of the
country. The alliance of the two Asso-
Citations for this object has been sub
ject of much unfriendly comment. II
has been characterized as an obnoxious
combination, or coalition, and as an
example of that form of legislative CHI
cancry popularity known as log-rolling.
Nothing can be more unreasonable
than this reproach. The organization
into associations of those having COM
mon objects is one of the best features
OF modern society. 1t is an evidence of
social progress. Theology, medicine,
science, literature, art, and the several
industries, have each their associations !;
and no question is raised as to the right
or policy of such organizations. The
alliance of one associated body with an
other is but complete development of
the principle of association; and the
alliance of interests which were for
merly antagonistic, as in our case, is a
proof of greater enlightenment. When
II is shown that ninety per cent of
American wool is required for our
cloth mills, that the special qualities of
American fleece are essential for many
OF our fabrics, that certainty OF wool
supply is indispensable for the business
arrangements of the manufacturer
when, OH the other hand, it is shown
that foreign market for your woods is
made impossible by the expense of
transportation, and foreign COMPETE
tion,-we thus being of necessity your
only consumers; and that all intimate
knowledge of the wants of the domestic
manufacture is necessary to guide you
in the selection of your fiocks, and the
characters which you must give to your
wools,-the alliance between the do
mestic wool-grOwers and manufacture
ers is seen to be not only obvious and
natural, but indispensable. 1t is analli-
ance only in name; ii is a unity. We
are two wings of one army, holding
one and the same point of defense. the
independence, on our own soil, Of the
united American wool industry.
Our alliance is justified by the emil
nently national and unsectional objects
which we have in view. Our nine
thousand sets of wooden machinery are
distribute through every state and terri
tory of the Union. Their products are,
or might with advantage be used by
every man, woman and child of our
forty million people. Wool-growing,
unlike the production of any other tex
lie material, can be advantageously
pursued in every state of our territory.
No single industry can be mentioned so
cosmopolitan in its character as that of
the production and manipulation of
wool, or to which national encourage
ment can be afforded with less risk of
rousing sectional jealousies. Our unit
ed industry is national, because it sub
serves the two great primal necessities
of people,-those of clothing and
food. II has caused our people to be
more abundantly and substantially cloth
ed than any other in the world. With
out our own mills, we should not have
sheep. TO our nine thousand sets of
machinery employed in the manufac-
tlIre of wool, we owe our Invaluable
possession of $4,000, 900 sheep; whose
manure doubles the product of the
wheat lands on which they are raised !;
whose flesh is the most nourishing of
animal food; and which, by their influ-
ence in diminishing the cost of all ami
NAL food to our whole population, may
be safely said to reimburse manifold the
alleged increased cost of clothing to
our people, caused by the protective
duties on wool. The wool industry is
necessity for the highest national de-
velopment, because in your department
II promotes the highest arts of stock
breeding; il is the Indispensable adj
junet to the most advanced form of
agriculture, "a mixed husbandry; and
IN its pastoral form il is the pioneer to
new settlements. In our department,
more than any other industry, il nour-
ishes the highest mechanical, chemical,
and decorative arts, and is the invariable
precursor of diversified manufacture,
with its attendant results of wealth and
culture. Thus the encouragement of a
national wool industry rises above all
questions of economical theory. Ii
comes within those exceptions to the
theory of free-tradc, which even Chcva-
lier, Mill and Bright are compelled to
concede, for the necessities of nations
existence. II is because we stand
upon the high platform of national
a Ill H.. Ia.