National Republican., 1888-01-14

so that II shall give the full measure OF protec-
ten Intended by its trainers.
! The wooL,sriff and the tariff on worsted
goods wageI eIsaced by the act OF March 8,
1888. It has lsSSved ruinous to wool grow,
ers and wool manufacturers Our able and
faithful senator, John Sherman, resisted tho
reduction by all the power Of his speech and
vote and all the influence he could COM
mand. The reduction was made, notwith-
standing the manly and powerful resist
ances he brought TO bear against It.
A writer lnTaylor'l in the Cincinnati
Enquirer Of Dec. 81, referring TO the reduc.
cent. reduction In 1883" The Chicago ri
bune Of Dec. 81, uuder the head Of "Del-
AMOS Decisions on Wool,n says the reduc-
tion twas only one TO three cents per
pound" and the Chicago Tribune Of Nov.
Is took occasion TO say:
Mr.. Lawrence, Of Ohio, wool grower, in his
address before the farmers national congress,
reduction OF the tariff on wool in 1855.
Why didn't Mr.. Lawrence state Just what was
the wool tariff reduction, OF 1888. IL was
only t9 iSos ients Per pound on the different
1 will now proceed to show the exact re.
duction made by the act Of 1888, by giving
its provieiors, and this will correct the err
ror-the great error--into which these
same free trade writer's have fallen.
The act of 1881 reduces the duties TO scale
'sSiothing wools, value 90 cents per pound or
;esS, 10 cents per pound; value oyer 80 cents,
IL cents per pound; washed wool, double duty.
"Combing wool, value 80 cents per pound or
lesa, 10 cents Der pound; value over 30 cents
per pound, II cents per pound. -.
Carpet woods, value r. cents per pound or
less, az cents per pound; value over IL cents
HH9n classes fsRss seosred pes tGTeSe GssSRsa duty
In addition to this reduction the repeal OF
sections 2so5 and 2sos Of the Revised Statutes,
further material reduction.
Ohio and the older states produce sub.
, Msially no carpet wool, and this is COM
paratively true Of all the states. The re-
duction then Ia only TO be considered on
other woods. They may be stated thus.
l. The reduction on unwashed clothing
woods costing 80 cents per pound Is Q $40
conts per pound, which, estimating un-
which is above the market price OF 1887, is
over 13 per cent. On similar unwashed
clothing wool the reduction is 6.10 cents
per pound, equal to 22 per cent. on the
present price In Ohio, estimated at 80 cents.
The reduction is proportionately less on Inn
ported wool costing less than 30 cents, and
can readily be computed. On combing
equal to 3-1O cents per pound, Thus the
reductions are sufficient to take off fair
margin for profit, and render wool growing
unremunerative. But this does not present
a full view Of the actual practical rednc-
tions.
2. The act Of 1888 practically makes q
reduction on woods which compete with
American clothing woods Of at least G 1890
cents per pound on any fair basis OF compu-
tation, IL not more. Washed long woels Of
the value OF 80 cents per pound can now be
imported at duty OF 10 cents per pound.
| This can now be made into worsted cloths
and supplant or take the place Of an
| equal amount Of Ohio merino clothing
wool. When the act Of 1867 was passed
thatw not possible. Imported long wools
could not then be made Into cloth. They
could not and did not supplant Ohio cloth
ing woods. The effect Of the law is pre-
cisely as II washed clothing (merino) woods
| could now be imported at 10 cents per
pound. When the act Of 1867 was passed
such wool would pay 90 cents specific duty
and IL per cent. ad yalorem, equal to
80100 cents, or In all % 80 100 cents per
pound, whereas now 1t 10 only 10 cents, or o
The act Of 1867 and that Of 1883. both as
sumo that q duty Of 20 cents per pound on
washed clothing wool is only the equiva.
lent OF 10 cents on unwashed. But II fall
difference Of duty between washed and un.
washed wool should be only the addition Of
one.third on washed wool, this added to the
ad yalorem duty OF $40 cents given by
the act of 1867 makes the reduction In prac
tical effect equal to- 1880 cents per pound
3. But this is not the worst feature Of th,
act Of 1883. 1t admits worsted cloths at {
less rate Of duty than the duty on the raw
wool Of which they are made. The effect Il
that worsted cloths are being imported al
so low rate Of duty that our worsted
manufacturers are being closed up BY
| to ~ tnh
In in the form Of worsted cloths, aud Ohit
and similar woods are thus being supplanted
American manufacturers and wool grower
are both being driven out Of our owl
markets, our money goes abroad, and ou
industries are threatened with destruction
An examination of table 8 Of the recen
special report on wool by the chief Of tn
that the imports Of only five of the classe
Of worsted goods were In 1882 Of the valu
Of 5000 with total weight Of good
$50, ,267 pounds, requiring wool to produc
them 2, ,297, 100 pounds, but the imports G
1856 increased, showing similar goods Q
the value Of $5,294 ,435, with total weigh
6,5S131l pounds, requiring wool to pre-
duce them 1883, 305 pounds. With In
portations Of worsted cloths increasing Q
In this.country will soon be destroyed, an
with It the demand for nearly all of ou
clothing woods.
4. Nor is this all. When the wool tari
Of 1867 was passed cariet woods were nc
used in the manufacture of clothing,
! Edward A. Greene, prominent woo
dealer OF Philadelphia, In published letts
Of May2, 1887, says
The greatest wrong to our wool grower
however. is the importation of carpet woods,
which s6,0O0,00O pounds were imported la
year. Not over 30,o00.000 pounds of thes
| wODlq ha1onpn bafu
used for clothing purposes.
1t was In view of this fact that the N.
tiopal Wool Growers Convention at 81
Louis In Msy, 1887, among other things n
solved
That the tariff act of 1888, even when II
not ey9ded @ byl underysuations and 9th,
growers to the extent intended in good iait
by its trainers. They intended to give all clOt
ing wool, as specified in the act, protectiy
than half OF all so-called carpet wools, no
imported at a low rate of duty, are used in III
manufacture of clothing goods, thus defeating
And to add to the evil, the act Imposes i
higher duty on these carpet woods washed tina
unwashed. The result Is that such woods a.
duty BUT little over % oSsHalf the @ rate Rtsg spsc
fed for unwashed wool, equal only to abo
~ cents per pound, and so increasing the
importation, slpplantpG to large exten
the protection Intended to be afforded to il /
the act of 1858, to wit A duty of at least
cents per pound on washed clothing wool. |
like manner the act of 1888 imposes no high,
dntv on, washed than on llRwashed cOmbir
woods. Importcrs have taken advantage
this to generally import such wools washe
thus gvingl TO 0uI.Amcrlean long wO1ls bl
little over half the protection specified in ii
act of 1883 on unwAshed wools.
II is indeed high time that the wool groy
ers and wool manufacturers all over Il
country should follow the example whic
Carroll county has set In having meeting
as the newspaper report before me says,
about 500 wool growers aud those interestC
In wool from all parts Of the county, d.
mandpg that protection which shall glS
permanent prosperity to our wool GROWN