Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1888-03-22

If the duty on foreign wool had not raised
the price of the domestic product, it would not
have been imposed. What is the use 10 lie a.
bout il. and pretend, with shallow hypocricy.
that free wool will not diminiah the profits OF
sheep husbandry? 1t will do SO. of course. and
every man, not an idiot. will recognize the fact I!
-Wea Virginia Democrat.
From the Wheeling Register of the 10th
we take the following report of an interview
of Hon. VIM L. Wilson. We do not be-
lieve that our distinguished Congressman
would lie, OF that be is an idiot:
Congressman W. L. Wilson was asked if
he could tell the exact reduction in revenue
expected from the Mills bill if passed. He
said that the question could only be answer
ed on the basis of last years returns. On
that basis the free list would reduce twenty
two millions, other reductions thirty-one
millions, making ffty-three millions on the
tariff; add to this twenty-five and one-half
millions from the internal revenue, and the
entire reduction fOots up over seventy-6ve
millions.
There are one or two schedules as to
which | would like to have information for
the Reg ister and first of all the wool rates"
"The present tariff" said Mr.. Wilson,
"begins with duty of 10 cents q pound on
wool in the grease, 20 cents on washed wool
and so cents on secured. | am not now
speaking of the cheap carpet woods, nor of
the highest priced WOODS, of which we i'm
port very title, OF Of manufactures of wool.
We have there two duties. For example, a
blanket valued at not more than 80 cents a
pound pays 10 cents a pound and 35 per
cent ad valorem, making q tax of 80 per
cent. in all. This 10 cents is the manufac-
turer's compensation for his tax on wool
and the So per cent. is his protection We
put wool on the free list, and reduce the
tariff on woolens about the equivalent Of
this compromising duty"
"Now tell me in few words why you
put wool on the free list?"
"My answer in few words would be to
help the American wool grower and save
the American manufacturers"
What do you mean by that?"
81 mean this, with tax Of so cents on a
dollar blanket, with a tax of $l.O5 on a
yard of common cheviot that costs SIPS,
and with a tax of 20 per cent on the cheap
er dress goods of our women and children,
could any man ask for increase of taxes ?
| think not. Hence we are met by two
alternatives, either to see our wooden manu-
features die out as they are rapidly doing,
or give them free wool
"Look to day at the condition of our our
wooden mills; their machinery is steadily
decreasing. visited in the holidays the
great Pacific mills at Lawrence, Mass. The
cotton print works were running to their
full capacity. The great wooden mills ad-
joining, with a yearly capacity of 97,000,-
600 pounds, more than our entire West Vir-
ginia clip, had one-third of its machinery
idle, one-third making cotton prints and
the other third running at a heavy loss. |
asked the manager how much wool he would
buy next year with the tariff unchanged.
He said Half a million pounds How
much with free wool? A million and a
half pounds Other mill owners have told
me substantially the same. Look at our
imports and you see the reason we brought
in last year s45,OOO,OOO worth of wooden
manufactures, as against 35,000,00O two
years ago this represents 135, 100000 pounds
of wool, and this Importation will increase
unless we put our manufactures on the same
footing with their competitors, with free
dom to get their wool from all parts of the
world.
1--WE do not produce more than half the
wool we need, and our manufacturers can
not buy home wool unless they can get 9th
ers to mix with them. The simple question
then is shall our wooden mills close, and
this important industry be transferred across
the sea, taking with it the wool growers
market, or shall we put the American man
uiacturer, as to his material, on an equality
with his competitors? By free wool and a
great reduction on the tariff on wooden
goods we can save this industry, restore it
to the same vigor that boot and shoe and
the cotton industries enjoy with untaxed
material, thus retaining employment for
American labor and steady and good mar
| ket for American wool -
"WiIl free wool, in your judgment, lower
its price?'
81 answer that by asking if there has ever
been worse year for Merino wool than
1887, and if the uniform history Of the past
has not shown better prices Under free wool
and low taxed wool than when there was
high tariff, and finally whether it is better
for the wool grower to have a diminishing
demand for his product, or a steady and in
creasing demand? / do not believe free
wool will impair prices, and | could give
many other reasons for this belief
The Cuban fast mail train from New
York for Jactsonville Fla went thrOuph