Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-18
INTERESTING TO wooL-GRowERs
The following petition to Congress is being
circulated in this city and county and through

The following petition to Congress is being
circulated in this city and county and through.
out the State:
The undersigned ool-srowers n the State Of Cal
fornia respectfully and earnestly petition the Con-
gress TO restore the duties on foreign woods SUBJ
stantialy as they were enacted by the Act Of 1851
The fragrant injustice done TO the wool-growers
by sboishing the ad valorem duties provided BY
the wool tariff of 1867 demands your attention,
and venture briefly to state some reasons for this
assertion:
Prior to that enactment no substantial protection
had been given by Congress to the production of
American woods, whereas the manufacturers of
wool had been sufficiently protected against similar
foreign fabrics. This wellknown fact led TO con-
ference OF wool-growers and manufacturers, who,
after careful and laborious consideration, agreed
upon the Act OF 1867, and this agreement became
the law Of that date
At that time the number of sheep il the United
States was about twenty-five millions, and the an
nual product OF wool was about sixty millions of
pounds Under the influence OF this law sheep hus
bandry rapidly advanced until the number of sheep
is fifty millions, and the annual product Of
wool than three hundred millions of pounds
With this increase the price Of wool has steadily re-
ceded from iftyone cents pound in 1857 to forty
two cents prior to the tariff of the last Congress
The stability of the home market, secured by the
Act Of 1867 accounts for this rapid in rease of pro-
duction and for the reduction in price Let il be
remembered that these facts carried sheep hug
bandry into every State in the Union, and in some
of these States not county is found without
portion Of its wealth invested in wool production
so that there is, to-day, million hvckmasters
who are demanding the restoration of the late
tariff.
Your petitioners further state that the abolition
Of ad valorem duties has reduced the price OF wool
during the current year, to the producer, not less
than five cents per pound; which equals on the en-.
tire product Of three hundred millions of rounds,
fifteen millions Of doars, and they ask, who have
been benefited by the lOssY'
he pf ai,,Ir-
not for on many classes Of such goods prices have
advanced In fact and in truth, this great loss has
only augmented the profits of manufacturers with.
out any appreciabe advantage to those who o.
sumo the fabric.
1t must not be forgotten that the producers of
wool have been compelled to submit to this reduc-
ton in order to compete with foreign wools. There
eighty millions of sheep in Australia, and with
her mild climate ard perennial pastures she can
multiply this number until she quadruples the
present production CT the United States, and
finally DESTROY this industry. Great efforts now
being made by certain parties in the United States to
assist Australia in this competition by improving
the quality Of her wool through the instrumentaity
of the best American merino blood. This effort
seems TO have been commenced simultaneously with
TIE effort TO modify the Act Of 1867.
The losses to the United States by destroying
sheep husbandry will not be confined to the direct
loss Of the wool production The value Of sheep for
fertiliZng land and thereby enabling it to sustain
the drain incident to the production OF the cereals
ia important factor in this problem especially in
the grain-producng States and this incidental loss
is Of great magnitude, and is best understood by
those who practical agricUturists. Wool is the
only production of those who till the soil that is
directly and materially benefited by economic
legislation. We therefore urge upon Congress tie
duty OF restoring the duties provided by the Act Of
1867
Why should the manufacturers have free wooI-or
wool with duty 50 low to let in foreign woOls,
unless the consumer of their products have free
goods, goods with duty so low as to admit
forei2 II fabrics?
We are prot ctonists, and desire to see all Amer
lean industries and American labor fairly and uni
fomly protected by just and equal economic legisa
ton. Wherefore we respectfully and earnestly pray
for the relief herein requested.