The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-04-25
The Wool Question.

Mr.. Washington Belt of New York
has recently published small pam
phlet in which the magnitude of the
wool industry in this country is clearly
set forth and the effect of placing wool
on the free list is candidly considered.
Mr.. Belts facts, figures and deduc-
tons appear well grounded. He places
the number of wool-growers in the
United States at about 100000, and
fully 100000 men are employed by
them. A majority of the fock-masters,
as well as their employed help, are
heads of families; therefore, if you add
to their number their wives, children
and other dependents, you will have a
population of at least 100000 persons
more or less interested in the growing
of wool, or about one-fifteenth of the
entire population of the United States.
Besides, there are fully 100000 other
farmers who keep small number of
sheep, but who are not classed as grow
ers of wool. The 100000 wool-growers
possess altogether about 112,000,000
acres of land The number of sheep in
the United States is now estimated at
100000 head, and the crop of wool
at about 350,000,0O pounds, worth. on
the average of last years prices, about
twenty-five cents-making the total
value of the crop ST. 100000 There
are sold annually for export and home
consumption from $1,000, 900 to 10 000,-
600 sheep for their mutton, bringing, on
the average, about SO per head.
If you remove the duty from wool,
continues Mr.. Belt, it would render
valueless the portions of farms adapted
and devoted to sheep-raising, thereby
decreasing the average price of the
whole farm at least $3.50 per acre,
making loss from this source alone of
$3.50, 100000. Sheep would decline in
value fully fifty cents per head, max
ing another shriukage of S25, 900, 900.
Wool would decline from seven to
eight cents per pound from the average
price of the last fifteen years, adding
another loss of $25 100000. The low
prices of wool would doubtless compel
the growers to reduce the wages of the
half million persons employed by them
and this would probably involve a
shrinkage of S25,O00,O00. Mr.. Belt
figures the probable total loss to the
wool industry by making wool free of
tariff duty at 1855 900, 900.
In regard to the alleged advantages
to the country of "free WOOL" the
writer says: If wool be placed on the
free list, our wooden manufacturers
will obtain their raw material for $685.
100000 less than they now do under
protection. Will the people of the
United States get the full benefit of
this sum in the cheapening of their
wooden goods? We think not; but at
least one-half of this amount will 90 to
the manufacturer and merchants in the
way of increased profits, and this small
sum of S25,000,000 is all the saving
which the manufacturers and people
can possibly make to offset the enor-
nous shrinkage enumerated above.''
Very few carpet woods are grown in
the United States, and no great harm
would be done by placing them on the
free list. But we are growing in this
country nearly full supply of the finer
sorts of wool, and only require to i'm
port about 33 100000 pounds to give us
full supply. Continue protection a
few years and we shall raise all the
wool we require, carpet woods excepted
Competent judges claim that the esti
mates of loss herein given might be in
creased S100,000,000 without exagger
ating the facts" In conclusion, Mr.
Belt says: "These two great companion
industries, the growing of wool ant
the manufacture of wooden goods, are
inseparable and should be protected
equally-the manufacturer to the ex.
tent of the difference in the cost Of
manufacturing in Europe, as compared
with that of America, and the wool
growers to the extent of the difference
in the cost of raising wool in othe
countries and that of raising it in tn,
United States, where land, labor ant
living are so much higher"