Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-09

desire 20 expose its fallacy or untruth-
fitness. Since free wool is the backbone
of the Mills tariff bill the Democratic
party has tried TO show that It will have
no injurious effect upon that industry
Now as to the labor put into wool. let US
see. A flock or bunch of sheep on the
great plains consists of 1000 sheep, and
have to be watched night and day by a
herder. There is no vacation for the
herder, no picnics. no Sunday schools, nor
any rainy days. He gets out his sheep at
sunrise. and gets them in at shutdown 3S5
days in each year. His pay averages S25
per month every month in the year. He
has to be furnished food for each day in
the year; therefore $50 per month is a safe
figure to estimate the cost of the labor re-
quired to herd a flock of sheep numbering
1000 This is $780, Two thousand sheep
viii shear 5000 pounds OF wool. This, at
Is cents per pound, which is a fair price
during the last five years (s1nce the tariff
reduction in 1888, viii give 81, 200 at a cost
Of $780, on the labor put into that wool of
80 per cent. This makes no allowance for
death loss or food in winter. nor cost of
clipping. which many focks require.
Neither does it add cost of transportation
from ranch to railroad. There are other
expenses also not included, such as cost Of
keeping teams and foreman and shearing,
which is over s per cent. in itself, since it
,5t1 s.1.5 : cents to shear each fleece
undertake to instruct the people in a sub
ject we know nothing about.
Please let me say a word as to the effect
of the reduction of the tariff on WOOL
which is based on experience.
April 3, 1888, purchased sheep ranch
in Colorado with 5000 sheep. To be accu-
rate, / had on the goth of April 4, 965 ewes.
wethers and lambs and 81 bucks. The
lambs were nearly one year old. In March
of that year reduction of the tariff on
wool, under Republican Congress and
President, Of 2 1-2 cents per pound was
made. Any wool grower will understand
that the quality of the clip of wool in 1888
was superior to that Of 1882 when | say
that the increase of the herd was from
natural growth, except 429 sheep which
were purchased to make up the herd TO
5000 sheep, at cost Of 400 per head.
The wool from those same sheep and the
other Mexican Ewes which had died dur
ing the year brought q IL cents per pound
for the finest, best wool. June q, 1888.
finished shearing. Had 81, 567 pounds of
wool, including 332 pounds of sacks. Oct.
10, same year, | sold that wool for IL cents
for the best quality, and 10 cents for the
lowest grade. Here is the effect OF a 2 IL
cent reduction on the wool industry. IN
dOubtedly the wool grower had to stand
the whole effect, which was 12 cents per
pound. The following year, with an inn
proved quality, the price was Is cents in
place OF IL cents. This is the effect on
wool. What was it on sheep? In April,
1888, purchased ], ITO (my pick at 81. 80,
and $50 ewes (picked) at 81. so per mead; al
SO 181 fine large wethers at &. 40 per head,
average 50 IS per head, delivered at my
ranch and counted there. | have never
yet been able to account for the decrease
in price of wool and cost of sheep, except
on the hypothesis of q reduction Of the
tariff on wool. Is clothing 10 per cent.
cheap r now than in 1882? or was 1t cheap
or in 1883 than in 1892