Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1888-04-28
WOOL WORKERS.
An Opinion as to the propr iety
OF a Protective TariH-Wash-
ington Belt
Turns Himself Loose Upon the
Country on this Important
Question.
WOOL.

A careful estimate places the mum.
ber Of woolgrowers In the United
States at about seven hundred thou.
sand, and fully five hundred thousand
men are employed by them to assist In
caring for their f1ocks and doing other
farm labor. A majority Of these flock
masters. as well as their employed
help, are heads Of families; therefore,
If you add to their Dumber their
wives, children and other dependents,
you will have population of at least
four million persons more or less inter.
ested in the growing of wool; or about
one-fifteenth of the entire population
of the United States. There are no
doubt fully one hundred and fifty
thousand other farmers who keep d
small number of sheep, but these could
not be fairly classed as growers Of
wool.
These seven hundred thousand
farmers will average to own or possess
at less, one hundred and sixty acres of
land esch-msking total Of one hun
dred and twelve million acres-devoi-
ing the mare desirable parts of their
farms 10 the raising Of grain, hay, ETC.,
Ia good share of which Is required for
the feeding of their horses, cattle,
hogs aud sheep during the winter sea-
SOM and selecting the poor, rough and
billy portions for the pastursge Of their
sheep; thus putting to profitable use
their entire farms.
The number of sheep in the United
States is now estimated at fifty mill
ion pounds. and worth on the averag.
OF last years prices about twenty-five
cents, making the total value of the
wool crop Of the country seventy.seven
million dollars.
There are sold annually for export
and home consumption from thirteen
to fifteen million sheep for their NUT
ton, bringing on the average about
three dollars per head; making the
total value of wool and mutton sold
each season about one hl ndred and
twenty-five million dollars.
Sheep would also decrease in value
fully fifty cents per head, making an-
other shrinkage of twenty-five mill
ion d0llar-.
Wool would decline from seven 10
eight cents pound from the average
price of the last fifteen years-adding
another loss of twenty-five million
aud the farmers would be So
Impoverished by the low prices 90
tainsble for their wool, that out OF
actual necessity they would be COM
PEELED 10 reduce the wages of these
i've hundred thousand persons EN-.
ployed to assist in the caring OF their
fiocks and the doing Of other farm
abor To the extent Of at least fifteen
cents per day or about fifty dollars per
year; making still further loss OF
twenty-five million dollars from this
source alone.
Nov, for the sake OF reducing our
revenue between i've and six million
dollars, we must virtually impoverish
Of The entire population
OF the United Stutss, and SO force this
large body 10 follow business that
will yield no profit. and compel them
TO raise wool In competition with all
the poor aud poverty stricken nations
on the earth, where land and labor are
fully one-half less than in this couD-
try; and in doing this, we inflict on
his most honorable and respected
American industry the following
iosses, VIZ:
SGriI kage In the valne Of