The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-08-17
WHY WOOL IS LOW.

An Explanation From One of the Leading
Coates Bros.'s Philadelphia Circular, lug. LIST.
In response to many requests for the rea-
sons why the value of wool throughout this
country should have continued to be low for
so long a period we state the following:
LIST. The lo0 values of competing foreign
,coozs. For several years foreign markets
have been very low, and therefore our do
nestle woods have had direct and severe
competition, Notwithstanding the 10 cents
duty.
I'd. The loo v0lues Of competing foreign
goods consequent on cheap wool and cheap
labor abroad.
Sd. The loao duties on worsted goods. The
tariff act places worsted goods and yarns on
a sliding scale, and the low prices ruling
abroad permit higher grades to come in at
lower duties than was supposed or intended
when the act was passed. The Treasury de-
partment has declined to remedy the matter
by classifying the worsteds as woolens,
which would give them better protection,
and would be proper, because by improve.
ments in machinery most of the worsteds are
made of short and soft woods that were not
formerly considered woods.
9TH. The rulings Of the Treasury department,
BY which, without change of the law, wool
can be imported at but a fraction Of the pro-
per duty. The duty on clothing and combing
woods is 10 cents per pound for unwashed, or
80 cents for secured. The duty on waste is
10 cents per pound. The so called French
system of combing produces a ring of secured
wool that is permitted to be imported at 10
cents duty because it is called "ring waste"
whereas it should pay the secured wool duty
of 30 cents, as it is equal in value to secured
wool, and is used for the same purposes
with but slight manipulation. Thus it pays
but one-third of the legitimate duty. Other
descriptions of secured wools are admitted at
the same low rates, and it is known that So !
called "tops," ~"roving' and 'sslubbing"
(which are all secured woods partially man. |
ufactured), are purposely broken and manip- |
ulated SO as to be called "waste,' and there
by, under present rulings, are imported at
but one.third Of the duty of secured wool,
while they are used here in competition with
our secured woods. ..m. ....".
9th. Woods are imported as carpet ecools, lat !
the low rate of 81 cents if under IL cents
value, and 5 cents duty if over - cents yalue)
of which a large proportion are not used for
carpets, and compete directly with many of
our woods that are below the grades of fine
and medium. 1t is estimated that probably |
nearly as much wool is imported which is
used for better than carpet purposes as all
the other importations of wool that pay 10
cents duty. In 1886 the importations paying |
the 10 cent duty were about q, 200, 600 lbs ,
while the importations at the low rate of
carpet woods were about 80, 1000, 600 lbs. If
therefore but 80 per cent. of the latter were
used for better purposes, this fact is proved.
The exact proportions, of course, cannot be
ascertained, but it is unquestionably very
large.
9th. Secured ,cools being imported at duty
Of unoashed. The so-called clothing woods
bear double duty when washed, and treble
duty when secured. The so.called carpet
woods bear treble duty when secured, but
only single duty ~ cents or 8 cents, accord.
ing to value) when washed. Many carpet
woods are imported In practically secured
condition, but the Treasury department calls
them "washed," although they have gone
through a securing process in large factories
called "washeries," anG they are admitted at
the single duty of unwashed wool, and that
duty at the low rate established on carpet
grades. The Russian sDonskoi" woods and
the East India woods are largely SO imported
and all the better grades of the latter can be,
and are manufactured, in all parts of this
country, into yarns and goods.
9TH. The effort to remove Nduty from wool.
as proposed by the President and carried out
in the "Mills Bill"