Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-12
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY l2, 1888.
The Wool Tariff.


The Wool Tariff.
Republican politicians and the
press of that party are very emphatic
in their statements that any reform
of the tariff will injure American labor
and American industry. 1t will be
remembered that in his message
President Cleveland laid special stress
on raw material being used by Amer
ican manufacturers as the best field
for tariff reform. Wool was particul-
arly selected as one class of this raw
material. To any political economist
the reasons for these recommendations
were patent. Free raw material is to our
industries as great stimulus as pro-
tective tariff on manufactures. In some
cases it is much more advantageous
than either protection or bounties.
The recent history of the leather in
dustry in the United States is case
in point. This branch OF manufac-
turing languished under protection be-
cause the tariff embraced all sorts OF
hides. By the last revision of the
tariff hides were admitted duty free
and at oace the leather industry grew
into vigorous development. Some
months ago leading manufacturer OF
woolin San Francisco was interviewed
by a re porter in that city. He gave
facts and figures to show that free
wool would benefit not only the man
ufacturer, but that by stim-
ulating the woolen manufacturing
industry, it would also benefit the
WOOL growers. The High Protection
lists were loud in their denunciation OF
these views, and claimed they were
the expressions OF designing person
arguing for his own advantage and
misi eadiIg the wool-growers in order
to gain selfish ends.
The San francisco Examiner has
found wool-grower who is willing to
talk on the tariff from his own stand
point. He is the Hon. Charles Miller,
Of Sacramento. His time for thirty
years has been devoted to sheep rails
ing near that city. He has 5000 acres
of land, on which he now has 1000
sheep. He used to have 5000 sheep
on the ranch. Away back in 1859,
when wool paid no duty, he got 16
cents for his wool. The product of
his docks is now protected to the
extent Of 10 cents pound. But he
has to sell his clip at from to ~ cents.
He thinks that one year with another
the price does not average 10 cents,
the amount of the duty. The strange
part of the story is that his views
exactly coincide with those Of the
San Francisco manufacturer. He
says it all comes of protection. The
woods of California are very different
from tn ose of Australia. The manu-
facturer requires both sorts in his
business. He has to pay 30 to 80
cents for Australian wool. His
English competitors buy theirs for 10
cents pound less than he does. The
English manufacturer therefore has
an advantage over him equal to one
third Of the price Of his raw material.
The California manufacturer is not
able to compete against such
odds. The woolen industry languishes,
there is no demand for California wool,
the price drops off fifty per cent, and
the California wool-grower reduces
his protected flock from 5000 head to
1000, and meditates going out of the
business entirely.
Mr.. Miller goes on to say that if the
tariff we're taken off Australian wools,
California manufacturers would be
able to do paying business, and
could afford to pay him good price for
his product. 1t is evident that Mr..
Miller's views coincide to a nicely
With those Of the President. Bus
mess is continually changing in
some Of it's elements. The re-
quirements Of one period will not an
ewer those of twenty years later. The
!. high duties were never imposed with
the primary idea Of protection. The
war made a large demand for rev.
enue. It had to be met some way.
Import duties opened the only door
by which it could be obtained.
Ionopolists seized upon the oppor-
tunity 80 offered and built up enor-
mous enterprises by means of this
nav tariff. They want to maintain
ohis tariff after the cause Of
Z - creation is passed away. They
Nss the Republican party for their
0nas. We find more revenue coming
r than Is needed. We claim . revi-
! ufon should be made to cut off the
.nFplus. We allege that there ait
1nstxies which can bear moderat.
ming don Of the tariff, an.
~ that there are others whicl