The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-05-13
Coming Down to the Practical.


AS the farmers begin to market their
wool clip the full significance OF Demo-
cratic reform commences to dawn upon
them. The proposition to abolish the duty
on wool, which is now before Congress- is
already bearing its legitimate fruit. Deal
ers who have been accustomed topurchase
largely, now hesitate to make investments,
and as consequence this important
product Of the farm is already drag on
the market. The protests that have gone up
from every assembly of farmers where the
wool growers have been represented as an
organization have SO far had little effect.
At the recent meeting Of the National
Wool Growers Association at st. Louis, Il
vigorous protest against the reduction was
unanimously adopted and like action has
been taken by State Associations. so far
these protests have proven tmavalllng.
Messrs. Morrison & Co.. are not so defer
entail to the farmers as they were to the
representatives of the iron interests. Under
the original bill as prepared, iron ore and
coal were put upon the free list, but whenit
was ascertained that the representatives
of those interests not only protested but
were in a position to make their protest
effectual, the tariff thinkers took back
step and concluded to let iron and coal
severely alone. Not so, however, with the
| wool movement. They seem determined
to open the door to the cheap Australian
and South American product, whatever
the consequences may be. Under the
present rate of duty there came into this
county in 1884, over SIS 100000 worth of
wool and woolens In other words $751;
OOO. 900 were taken from the pockets of the
farmers during that year to enrich foreign
competitors, and the purchases made by
the money were thrown upon the market
| to still further depress the domestic
product. If $4,000 worth came in
under a duty of 10 and II cents per pound
how much more will there be when al
restraint is removed?
And who is it that is asking for this re
duction Not the farmers certainly
Wherever they have had an opportunity
to be heard, they haze spoken with no un
certain voice. Do the manufacturers
desire it? Not at all. The Wool Manu-
facturers' Association have unanimousl!
passed resolution against the Morrison
bill and free wool, and have sent a thou
sand protests from separate firms agains
tariff tinkering Of any kind. The mer
chants and dealers in woolens OF New
! York stand shoulder to shoulder with tht
farmer, and are proclaiming their position
with an emphasis that cannot be mistaken
The reduction on wool and woolens ha
!, wrung protest from the manufacturer
: which is voiced by the leading ready-mad
clothing dealers in a letter recent
written by Messrs. Browning, King & Co.
} of New Y ork. in which they say.
1 We are satisfied that if the Morrison
bill should pass, it would entirely destro
the manufacturing Of ready-made cloth
, | ing in the United States. This wOul(
occur from two causes First, from pop
ular idea that an article manufactured il
Europe is better than one manufacturer
in this country Secondly and chiefly from
! the great difference in the price paid TO
f wages. We are employing several thou
sand persons in manufacturing clothing
the average wages of whom, last year, raj
from nine to ten dollars per week this in
cludes the labor of men. women and chill
dren employed, simply for manufacturing
and sewing of garments. Now the same
, wages paid in Berlin is -. 50 per week TO
, males and SLAP per week for females il
,, Leipsic the same labor receives 1886; il
Frankfort it receives 50. While at ths
same time if this bill was carried out il
|. wouli ruin our business in the United
States, there would be fortune in it by
transferring it to the other side, and if VIZ
were satisfied this bill was to be a perma
nent law of the land, we would most as
suredly be compelled to do this. This
would be bonanza to those who have
sufficient capital and are willing to trans
! fer it to the other side, but it would bring
to grief an industry running into the hun
, dreds of millions
And yet in the face of these protests
. from every class interested in wool, The
tariff thinkers persist in the program the.
have marked out, and the people are made
to suffer.