Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-14
THE WOOL QUESTION,
A Protection Congressman H0is
by his Own Pctard.

"A fEOtCCtlOa congressman H01Sl
by his Own Pctard.
An appeal is made to the wooden man
ufacturer, who is asked to believe that
his prosperity depends upon making him
pay tax upon his raw material, and thai
if he gets his raw material free of tax he
will be ruined. The argument is para
dox, an idiotic contradiction, but it is re.
iterated and repeated in a thousan
forms.
Not long ago Congressman Gear oi
Iowa exhibited wooden blanket in the
House to show that, as a result of the
tariff, better and cheaper blankets are
made in his own State than in England.
In the course of his remarks he said:
Now, Mr.. Chairman, want to call the
attention OF this House to the fact that
the passage of the pending tariff bill will
not only seriously injure wool-growers OF
my State, but will close up the mill
where that blanket was made, and put
out of employment the labor engaged in
its manufacture.
The blanket was manufactured by
Isaiah Meek, at Bonaparte, Iowa, and Mr..
Meek, in reply to friend who had call
ed his attention to Congressman Gears
statement, wrote the following letter:
OFFICE OF ISAIAH MEEK,
BoNAPARTE, Iowa., May 2lst.(
DEAR SIR: In reply to yours OF the 10Th
inst, l would say: Our wooden factory
commenced operations in 1854, and was
in full blast in 1856, and we have been
running continuously since that time,
except July, 1868, to March, 1864, at
which time, having been burned out, we
were rebuilding our factory. We have
run continuously since then, except stops
in the winter for repairs.
The volume OF our business is larger
than before the war, because we have a
great deal more machinery, and better
facilities for manufacturing. Taking,
however, the amount of machinery We
had before the war and our facilities for
conducting the business, we had proper
tionately as large, if not larger amount
OF business then, and know with more
profit to us.
Our business was much more profitable
before the war than now.
Ii the Mills bill passed, with it's pro-
visions for the reduction of the wool
tariff, it is my opinion that it would not
reduce the volume Of our business, but
have tendency to increase it. 1t would,
if passed, increase our profits, and conse-
quently our ability to increase wages OF
operatives. In our experience, however
the question of wages is regulated by the
law of supply and demand wholly, and
not effected by the tariff.
In my opinion the number of sheer
has largely decreased in Van Buren,
county since 1850. am sheep breeder
and while the sheep industry, taken fol
a succession of years is always profit.
able business, the profit before the tariff
was put on the wool was as great, and
some years greater, than now.
With reference to wages paid before
the war and now, / have forgotten, and
am unable to answer. l fiId with refer
ence to my books that we paid our boss
carder in 1856 the same wages that dc
now. Yours truly,
ISAIAH MEEK.
He is manufacturer who is not to be
fooled. Mr.. Gear had taken it upon
himself to mourn over the ruin OF Mr..
Meek, who, by the way, is Republican
but Mr.. Meek does his own thinking,
and is guided by his own experience.
His establishment has been in business
thirty-four years. 1t has long record.
1t began in that period of low tariff to
which Republicans are fond of referring
as time Of death and hell to every
manufacturing industry, any yet Mr..
Meek says his business was much more
profitable then than now.
Mr.. Gear said the Mills bill would
close up Mr.. Meek's mill. Mr.. Meek
begs to differ, and as it is his mill, and
he has been running it thirty-fou years,
he thinks he knows more about it than
the Congressman. He says the Mills
bill will increase his business and his
profits.
Mr.. Gear called up an Improbable
witness when he summoned Mr.. Meek.
And let it be remembered that Mr..
Meek's views are those of every wooden
manufacturer in the country, East and
West, who keeps his business views and
commercial common sense separate from
his politics. Alta.
The ssstagnation Of business" consider
ed to be inevitable in a Presidential
year had not manifested itself as yet.
The people of the United States are get
ting over the idea that the success Of one
party or another means ruin to the coun-
try, and are not violently alarmed even
at the prospect oftariff revision. II Provi-
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