The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-28
Tariff Protection for Wool.
kansas City Times.

In the recent farmers conventions
that have been held in various cities,
though every facility has been offered
for full discussion of the tariff ques-
ton. speakers on all sides having been
invited to discuss tbs subject, yet the
farmers themselves have been reti-
cent. Whenever they spoke out at all
by resolutions it was in opposition to
the present tariff laws.
1t is very plain that they intend to
take full time for deliberation, that
they intend to study the subject thor
oughly and then to follow up the work
so well begun a month ago to the end
Our farming industry has been appar-
emily largely benefited by the tariff,
There is high tariff on wool, very
nearly doubling the price, and fully
doubling the price OF woolen goods.
Mr.. William Dean, a woolen manufac-
turer, says that when he was in Eng
land, in 1881, better grade of wool
than that which brought thirty-five
cents a pound here was selling at
eighteen cents there. He asks how il
is possible for woolen manufacturers
of this country to compete in foreign
markets with the English when there
is such disparity in the prices of raw
material. The reader will say that il
was a great boon to the wool grower;
but, strange as it may seem, the Amer.
lean sheep farmer was sending ship
loads of sheep to the English markets
the wool on their backs, competing
with the whole world without pro.
lection. Competing even with Aus
tralia, and successfully, too.
Was there anything more absurd
The protection which they do not need
and they proved it, too, by competing
in foreign markets, is doubling the
price of wooden goods to 100000
people, themselves among the rest
1t sorely cripples the manufacturers
They do not want it. The manufac-
turers asked to be released. the farm
ers in their conventions don't want it
and vet we find statesmen and news
pape rs contending for it, tariff com
missi on retaining all they can of it
and set of sorely puzzled members
of con gress yet keeping the system IL
existence.
a great deal of "stock" used il
making cassim eres is neither more mol
less than woolen rags. These in Eng
land are 8 cents pound. i
bou ght there and imported into
this country tariff of 1:
cents would be added besides thu
freight makes this kind of material
cost the manufacturer here more thar
200 per cent more than the English
man. 1t will take one and a quarter
pounds of washed fleece wool to make
a yard of three-fourths wide twelv,
ounce cashmere worth So cents. Mr.
Dean estimates the commission or
sales 10 cents; wool, 425x cents; labor
Ia cents. Rent, interest, dye, soap
oil, etc, IA cents per yard. The Eng
llishman would have an advantage Of
more than 90 cents q yard on the cost
of production. Mr.. Dean says thai
upon the whole, though, The
wooden manufacturers pay NOR,
per week wages, yet The
week here is longer by
four hours and the men work faster
than they do in England, therefor'
the cost of labor per yard is about th'
same.
) Our manufacturers cannot go int
foreign market in competition will
the English with 2ll4 cents per yarC
against them to begin with. The con
sumers of woolen goods can see how
much the tariff increases the cost Il
them on goods of this kind, and OF
iow-priced goods, such as are worn b,
laboring people at their every da,
work. the difference is very mucl
greater. Tariff on aportion of the stock
as we showed above, being 200 pc
cent