The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-06-06
WOOL GROWERS CONVENTION.

In fulfllment of my promise to the
wool growers of Kenosha county, I will
give some Of my impressions of the Ma
tional Convention of Wool Growers re-
Gently held in Chicago. There were
some two hundred wool growers present
from twenty-three states and territories.
They all came animated bya single idea,
the restoration of the tariff of 1867. The
ilea pressed itself with the force of an IT.
1esistible current. There was no oppo-
sition, nothing to check the dangerous
velocity of the torrent. The gentlemen
had everything their own way. The
actions of such body of men must
inevitably be one-sided and unbalanced.
But. as soon as their action is given to
1.-THE world it becomes public property,
| and must be subjected to the criticism
| of the public, Now let us see what the
National Convention of wool growers
Task. The congress of 1883 authorized q
lcommission to revise the tariff. This
commission, composed of some of the
best,minds of the nation, and taking a
broad view of all our national interests
recommended reduction of the duties
on wool, amounting from to cents
per pound. 1t is the opinion of many
able men, who, from their knowledge OF
affairs, are competent to judge, that the
reduction made in the duties on import
ed woods has had little, if any, influence
on the prices of homegrown woods.
We know this The reduction of the
price of domestic woods was greater be-
fore the tariff was reduced than since.
/ 1t is very evident that there are other
influences that affect the prices of our
wool product. One of the most striking
Of these is the increased product of our
home grown woods. But let us suppose
that the reduction of the tariff is the
cause of the reduction of the price of
wool. The average reduction is esti-
mated to be 5 cents per pound. The
product of American woods is estimated
at 320000,000 lbs. IF, therefore, the
average reduction is cents per pound,
the consumer has saved 100000 by
the reduction. Now suppose the tariff
|of 1867 is restored, and the price of wool
lis thereby advanced cents per pound,
the consumers will be obliged to pay
$16, 100000 more for their clothing to
the wool growers. Now, in strict JUS
tice, ought not the consumers to have
some voice in an act of legislation that
will take 100000 out of their
pockets? But very many of our ablest
thinkers and closest observers are of the
opinion that the restoration of the tariff
of 1876 would fail to advance the prices
Of American grown wool. And even if
it should the advance would be but tenn
porary. At even very much lower
prices wool can begrown at a large prof
It on the cheap and limitless lands of
the west, while on the higher priced
lands further east the production of
mutton is so profitable that wool is alto
gether a secondary consideration it is
in fact an extra profit over and above
the profit on the meat. The address is
sued by the convention to the wool grow
ers of the United States uses this lam
guage:
"The undersigned, members of the
committee, firmly believe that the ex-
isting sad condition of the interest you
has been brought about large
", if not altogether, by adverse con-
gessional legislation, and that it will
not again be prosperous until congress
shah again reverse its action" etc., etc.
Now this is lnadulterated bosh. Sheep
husbandry in the United States is now
IN fourishing condition and always
viii be. Mutton and wool in enormous
quantities viii always be wanted. and |
can always be produced at a fair profit. |
Ia certain parts of the United States
wool can be produced as cheaply as In
any country In the world and a decade