The Republican journal., 1886-06-24
Wool and the Tariff.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: Not
long since l advised the farmers, through the
columns of your valuable paper, to keep sheep,
advancing the idea that wool would be higher
and sheep products in better demand this wear
than last. | am a wool and sheep buyer my
self, and as the prices of wool are not much
higher than last year am in receipt of several
letters from farmers in this county asking why
wool Is no higher. ! take this opportunity to
explain through your paper the real causes.
First, all classes of business have received n
severe check by the recent extensive labor
troubles, which seemed to break out like an
epidemic and spread from one industry to an.
other until general paralysis in all kinds of
business is the result. The money that should
be circulating in our business system is now
locked up in vaults, as manufacturing has be-
come very precarious occupation. No man
can figure out the cost of an operative as labor
is tickle in her prices which are virtually out
of the laboring mans control. This condition
of things affects wooden manufactures as well
as others.
Second, but not least of the causes which
deprtSS the price of wool is the fact that smart
men are employed by importers to study our
tariff question and if loop hole is found they
will take advantage of it, which is the case at the
present time. BY examining the tariff it was
found there was but little more duty imposed
on wooden yarn than on unwashcd wool. or
wool in the grease. Now it takes two pounds
of this wool to make one of yarn and it can be
manufactured very much cheaper in the old
countries where labor is not over half as high
as on this side of the Atlantic. So importers
are taking advantage of this. and immense
quantities of WOODEN yarn are coming into our
markets to the great dctrmcnt of our WOODEN
interests Another thing that ntimilates buy
crS and spectators in wool is the uncertainties
of the tariff question. As our government is
at the present time in the hands of the Demo-
cratic party, who largely believe in free trade.
no one knows at what time the duty ON wool
may he I'LL taken of, which if brought about
would surely reduce the price five cents or
more. In the Province of Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick my agents are now buying
sheep and lambs. Wool is only worth Is cents
ON one side the line and 20 cents on the other.
Lambs that are selling To-day in the Provinces
III = pllli9 N-DV one llllic IlllN >tlt InG IlnCI
The same holds true with other live stock and
horses.
We think there is no State in the Union that
free trade would injure badly as Maine, ON
account of it, close proximity to Canada.
geographically Maine is Il wedge driven into the
Dominion. Free trade would shake our lumber
interests and reduce the price of our real cs-
tate Onc-third. I.aborcr> would not then be on
strikes but hunting for a job at poor pay, as
lots of Canadians Ito who flock into our State
from all sides to get employment in hayiug or
at something else to ckr out Il scanty living. If
our working people and farmers could travel
in Canada among the working people u do
they would be content to let Ncli enough alone
and would never Vote with a party who wish
to degrade the farmers Of Maine to the level of
anadian drudge. &C. LIBBN.