The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-12-02
WEEKLY CORVALLIS GAZETTE.
Corvallis, Dec. 2, 1881.
4 BIG FRAUD.


or portion of them came to the
conclusion that some more tariff
would greatly increase the prosperity
of their respective interests; and con-
gress at that time being in the same
way of thinking incresed, at the re-
quest of the representatives of these
two branches of domestic industry,
the duties on the importation of wool
and woolens to degree unpreceden-
ted in our former tariff experience;
the duties on woods, other than cheap
carpe. woods, rangingsftom 81 to Ito
per cent. and on woolcns from 40 to
$50 per cent. and upwards-the heav-
lest duties being imposed on tbs
cheapest woolens; adapted to meet
the wants of the poor, and the light
est on the more expensive fabrics
demanded by the rich. The tariff has
n..w been in operation for fourteen
y. ars, and the following have been
IT. results:
/. The American wool grow er has
received on the average during that
period smaller price for his product
thun under the low tariff of 1857,
when woods costing less than twenty
cen'. per pound were admitted free
of duty, and all woods costing above
that, paid but twenty.four per cent.
ad valorem. In fact, for extended
periods under tho existing tariff,
American woods have touched lower
prices than have ever been expert
enced since the woolen manufacture
Of the country generally ceased to be
a household industry; the woods re-
eeiving the least protection com
manding the higest prices.
2. The number of sheep owned,
and the quantity of wool pronced
east of the Rocky Mountains, has
largely and continually diminished !;
the number of sheep in Iowa "a typi-
cal agricultural state) for example,
having declined, according to the
state auditors report, from 1854 900
in 1866 to sol 900 in 1879.
8. The business of manufacturing
woolens in the United States under
the existing tariff has paid smaller
percentage Of profit on the capital
invested than any other leading
branch of domestic industry
4. The American people, during
the same period, have paid higher
prices for their woolen clothing than
the people of another nation their
eompeers in wealth and civilization.
s. In place of the existing tariff
rendering the country more independ-
ent of foreign nations in respect to its
supply of WOO! and woolens Gas it
has confidently claimed It would be)
she exact reverse has occurred !; the
importation of foreign woods during
the year 1880 having been in excess
OF 12s, 900, 900 pounds as compared
with 24,ooO.o 900 pounds in 1868, and
$4,000, 900 pounds in 1878; while
during the same year, 1880 the Uni
ted States bought of foreign countries
manufactured products of wool to the
value of $ss.6l3, 900. On the other
hand the United States sold during
this same year, to foreign countries,
wool or domestic production to the
extent of only 1851 pounds; and
manufactures of wool to the value of
only S216.576! So much in the in
PRODUCTION Of the following story:
In 1869, the then special commits
sioner of revenue of the United States
in his animal report on the revenue
and industry of the country, called
attention to report made to him by
reliable authority, of the sale in Eng
land Of old secondhand, or discarded
woolen machinery for importation
into the United States, where it was
used by parties who subsequently
demanded and received an increased
protection on their manufactured
prodacts. On its face the statement
seemed SO incredible that the public
generally believed there must be
mistake about the matter; while the
protectionist did not b .sitate to char
acterize it as "Free Trade lie," for
The PRONUNCIATION of which British
gold was undoubtedly paid.
The matter there rested, and would
possibly never again been heard of
had it not been for the recent impru-
dsnce of the United States consul at
Bradford, England-Mr. c. o. Shep-
ard-who in his report to the state
department under date Of January 4,
1881, concerning the business of his
district, (which is well known to be a
great center of the English woolen