Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-02-25
THE TARIFF ON WOOL.

In paper read by David Brown. Esq,
before the Belmont County Wool Grow
ers's Association, at St. Clairsville, Feb.
9th, 1886. printed in The CHRONICLE of
Feb. 18th. He insists that we have
enough protection on wool by the tariff
of 1888, while We as an association are
asking for the tariff of 1867 or its equiv
alent. willinot undertake toIreply to all
of his statements, but will give you a few
facts to consider, as | understand them,
aud let you decide for yourselves which
rate Will give the best results for the fu
ture prosperity of our country las
one Of the wool growers of Belmont
county continue to demand the restora-
tion OF the tariff on woods as fixed by
the act of 1867, OF its equivalent, and in
proof of the necessity for such restorar
tion point
First, to the fact that the impOrtations
of foreign wool have greatly increased
since the passage of the act of 1888, and
especially during the last six months
Second, to the fact that the price of
wool has greatly diminished under this
legislation.
Third, to the fact that the number of
sheep in Ohio has decreased in the last
year not less than (as shown by the Of
ficial returns of the Auditor of State),
2S9, 1862, and the production of wool in
the State not less than 100000 pounds,
and the consequent neglect of the quail
ty of the sheep and the improvement of
the blood, and the further fact that the
present price of wool is less than the cost
of production in the United States, as
shown by Sec'y Manning, in his report,
which makes it 391% cents.
The Tariff Commission, in 1888, re-
ferring to sheep husbandry, said: "The
phase of the industry of wool produce
tion that arrests the attention of the
economist ID its general distribution
Not state in the Union, and in some
of these not county, but has Some por-
tioR of its wealth invested in wool pro
ductOn." Then, referring to the tariff
act of 1867, the report continues: "The
law fixing these duties was passed with
the appreciation of the entire producers. !"
The wisdom which guided its forma4
ton has found substantial vindication
in the growth of sheep hlsbandry during
the past 15 years. The tariff of 1867 is
the act we desire to have restored. The
growth of sheep husbsndry during the
last 15 years" | wish to briug briefly to
your notice.
In 1S60-six years before the passage
of the only tariff act that ever protected
wool growing-the sheep in the United
States umbered 22.471,225; in 1870. or
three years after its passage, while grow
erS were erecting barns and sheds and
providing pasturage and and adapting
70
of sheep was only 2S,477,951. In 1888
the number had reached 50,626,626.
In 1850 the clip was only 6O,264.913 lbs.
In 1870 it rose to ...... 100, ,102, ,3S7 lbs.
In 1888 it advanced to-. 320OOO,OOO lbs.
The number of f1ocks in 1888, as shown
by j. r. Dodge, statistician of the De.
partment of Agriculture, was 1,O2O,72S,
and the number engaged in this indus
try, including focknaster. can be safely
estimated at two million persons. The
capital new invested in this pursuit
cannot be accurately stated for want of
full statistical information on-but | am
firm in the belief that including the CEN
sus valuation Of sheep in 1880, and a
fair valuation of land required for sum
mer and winter feeding, and including,
also, the large sums invested in build.
ings absolutely required to produce the
line woods grown in the older States, that
the capital invested in this industry
amounts to S52S 100000
This business has been augmented to
its present great proportions by the act
of 1857. Confiding in the stability of
legislation the sheep farmers have ex-
pended large sums of money for the best
varieties of sheppard We produce to-day,
not only the best sheer, but the best wool
in the world, and we are able to pro-
duce every variety that is required in
our markets. As result of augmented
production the price has been red uced to
the consumer by the legislation of 1867,
as will be shown by the following quo-
tations from the report of the Tariff
Commission in 1888:
In 1867 the price in Boston was sic per Id.
In 1870 the price was ..... 46c
In 1875 the price was ..... 43c
With some fluctuations it was steadily
reduced after the act of 1867 until 1888,
since which time it has been reduced so |
rapidly as to discourage the pursuit of
sheep husbandry. The longer continu-
snce Of this industry with any prosperi>
ty and with any reasonable increase un- !