The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-08-25
A BEAUTIFUL OBJECT LESSON.



Mr.. sowden's District snd the PROFIT and
4 o. ON Free Wool.
The argument having been made that
Mr., Sowden, representing the district
consisting Of Berks and Lhigh counties.
Pa. could not vote for free wool because
his district contains fifteen thousand
sheep, The Philadelphia Times presents
the following conclusive figures. Accept
ing the war tariff claim that the tariff in
creases their market and the price for
their wool, though both claims are false.
The Times says;
There are $4,000 sheep in his district,
with product Of five pounds per sheep.
The gross value Of the whole wool product
of Berks and Lehigh. at present prices,
would be SEE 500 and the population Of
the two counties is estimated NJ 220, 900.
The average consumption Of woolens In
the iron working and mining region Of
Berks and Lehigh is not less than SIC per
man, woman and child. II is probably as
high as $l4. but Mr.. Sowden is entitled to
the benefit of all doubts on the question,
and wc leave it at $l2. Thus the actual
consumption of WOODEN goods by the PEG.
pie of Mr.. Sowden's district is fully ST.
$40, 600
by the wooden clause of the Mills bill
wool is made free, which removes u tax Of
Al per cent. on the raw materials of the
wooden manufactures, and it reduces the
tariff tax on wooden goods 20 per cent 1t
would thus cheaper woolens 20 per cent.
to consumers, increase the protection to
manufacturers, largely increase labor in
the wooden industries and give our own
mills and labor our entire home market,
by free wool. the growers of the $4,000
sheep in Mr. Sowden's district would be
deprived of 10 cents per pound protection
ON their wool, which on the ii, 1000 pounds
clipped from their f1ocks, would be loss
of $500. This would be the total and
the largest possible loss to the whole PEG
pie of Mr.. Sowdens district by making
wool free.
What would the people of Mr.. Sowden's
district gain by free wooll They consume,
in round numbers, $4,000, 900 of wooden
goods each year. On that amount of the
prime necessaries Of life, they would gain
q reduction of fully 20 per cent. and 20
per cent, of Sc, SOC. 600 would be $500, 900.
The balance sheet of profit and loss on free
wool in the district would be $1,000 loss
and $500, 600 gain, as any Berks or Lehigh
boy can figure II In thirty seconds.
1.-THE people of Lehigh and Berks are
taxed $500, 900 year to save the few
wool growers Of the district 81 800 year,
and does 1t give any protection to lsbor7
Is there one able bodied workingmsn In
Berks or Lehigh counties who gives his
time and labor to the care Of sheepP II
there is, we would be glad to print his
name, residence, weight, color of hair and
nativity.
THE tariff is purely an economic ques-
ton; question Of practical business;
question of loss and gain to our varied
industries, and each community logically
favors such tariff as promises the best re-
suits to it's particular interests.
"1'hat is why Massachusetts once
wanted high taxed rum and free molasses,
when New England rum was her staple
product that is why Webster, as her
early representative in Congress, wanted
free trade before her manufacturing in
terests developed; that is why she
demanded protection at later date when
her mills and factories grew up; and that
Is why her manufacturers now want free
coal and free raw materials.
And that is why the people of Lehigh
and Berks will not vote to tax themselves
in the necessaries of life, the sum of
$500, 900 a year to give $1,000 a year
protection to wool that does not protect
the labor of single workingman in the
entire district"