Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-01-28
7HE TARIFF ON WOOL.


With m Abl0 ANSWER
cleveland Leader.l
BELLEEoSrAIsH, ONO, Jan. e.--DEAR
SIR learn from newspaper reports that
on the 9Th instant the wool growers Of
Carroll county, at meeting IN CaFrollton,
adopted bringing resolutions criticising
Cleveland,s message and desiring the tarin
OF 1867 70 be restored. . have not seen
the fun resolutions, ana so do not know
their exact language. ] know the great
service you have rendered to the wool
growing and other industries OF the eoun-
Try BY your able advocacy and support Of .
protective tariff, and avail myself OF this
occasion TO express nay great satisfaction
that the wool growers and wool manufac-
turers all over the country are at last wax
ing up to the dangers which threaten the
destruction OF the great industries in which
they are engaged, and you are fully en-
listed 10 the effort to avert so great .
calamity to ali the people. My particular
purpose in addressing you Is to call at
tention to some part of the remedy which
wool growers and manufacturers should de
mand 10 relieve the present depression IN
the industries mentioned, and to place them
on a basis Of permanent prosperity. Inc
Farmers National Congress of 1885, and
again in 1885 demanded ssa restoration OF
the wool tariff of 1877 The congress OF
1887. held at Chicago in November, changed
the form Of the demand In favor OF tariff,
which win in due time secure the American
market for the American wool growers and
manufacturers. There was a reason for
this change which should be more renerasly
understood. 80. <.-
OF restoration of the wool tariff Of 1867
has been to obtain leg Station which will
place the wool growers in as favorable 2
position. in view OF now existing conditions.
as they occupied under the wool tariff OF
1867 under the conditions then existing. In
this view OF the real purpose Of such re-
solves they are eminently just and proper.
But it is a mistake to suppose that we now
want literally Q restoration OF the wool
tariff of 1867. We want new tariff the
tariff OF 1SSS-adapted to conditions which
the act of 1867 was passed. We have out
grown the tariff OF 1867. 1t is no longer
applicable, and would not now be sufficient
" protective. | do not mean that higher
rates OF duty are required as to all forms OF
wool, but IS to some classes the rates pre-
scribed in the act OF 1867 would no longer
be protective.
The act OF 1867 for the first time In our
history classified woods as:
l. ssClothing wool,n being the ordinary
merino wool such as we raise ia Ohio.
2. sCombing WOOL" being the long,
coarse woods.
5. ssCarpet wool,'' COARSE. inferior
quality. unfit for and not then used in the
manufacture Of clothing, but In cheap car
pets only.
The act of 1867 Imposed duties as fol-
lows:
On clothing woods, unwsshed: value 50
cents per pound or less, 10 cents per pound,
and IL per cent ad valorem. Value exceeding
per cent. ad valorem. Washed, double duty.
On combing woods; value 30 cents or less per
pound. 10 cents per pound. and Il per cent. al
yalorem. Value exceeding 81 cents per
pound. Il cents per pound, and 10 per cent. ad
valorem.
On carpet woods: value II cents per pound or
less. 8 cents per pound, value over II cents per
pound. 6 cents per pound.
On all classes secured, treble duty.
Under the operation of this law the wool in
dustry prospered. The increase In the number
OF sheep from 1860 to 1870 amounted 70 5000
SIS, or "a per cent from 1870 to 1880 the in
crease In number was 1928, $40 or about A
per cent; and in 1854 our sheep numbered 80,
360,24S. Our wool product increased faster
than our sheep, that is tine average weight of
fleece rose from ~ and 81 pounds to aud 511sa
pounds [ofwashed wool. according to loca-
ton. Thus the wool industry, for the first
time in our history, grew rapidly, was prosper
GUS and TemuDeraiive under the act OF March
2, 1867, and up TO act of March 3. 1888.
give the provisions Of this tariff, not for
your information-for that is not necessary
but that may have the weight OF your
name In calling the attention OF others to
them. Your great influence In aiding the
passage of that law is so well known that
you do not need to be enlightened. 1t is to
be especially noticed that this act imposed
one rate Of duty on raw clothing wool, and
double that duty on washed wool. That lie,
for illustration, about as the fact generally
was, say 49, cents per pound on raw cloth
Ing wool. or 81 cents on washed clothing
wool.
The long comhing wool was admitted
washed at the duty Of 13A cents per pound,
only half the duty on clothing WOOL The
reason for this that combing woods were
not then used in making cloth or mems
clothing goods In any form. They were
used chiefly In making thin goods for ladies'
dresses and for Innings. Thus the secretary
of the National Association of Wool Manu-
facturers, 10 pamphlet prepared in 1886
Washington, said:
In England and In this country only
the hong staple woods were classed as combing
woods until as late as 1867, the period Of the
tariff of that designation. Until after that
time combed WOODS flong woois) or yarns made
of such woods had never been used in cloths or
the fabrics for the ordinary wear of men, out
were used only as .'stuffs," or the unfeited
fabrics, such as Qadies) dress goods and lin
ings.
Thus, when the act OF 1867 was passed,
the importation of the long woods did not
In the least interfere with or displace our
merino woods. The long woods were then
only produced In his country to q limited
amount, aud the manufacture OF ladies'
dress goods was then comparatively small
IN extent. In view OF these conditions the
tariff OF 1867 admitted the long washed
woods at half the duty imposed on the
meFino clothing wools IT the same con-
ditions now existed similar legislation
would be wise. But this is no longer so
Now the long combing wool Is used not only
In the manufacture Of laiies' dress goods,
but also in making clothes for mems wear.
The chief OF the bureau of statistics, 10 HIS
special report OF 1887 on wool, &C., says:
Prior to 1868. workted manufacture was con.
fined 10 the goods before meptioned fdelaines,
ladies, goods, &c. J but in 1868 eiaeonsl and
other worsteds for mems wear tworsIed CLOTH
began 10 De MADE.
And be says:
A considerable portion of the wool product
of the country which, according to the terms
of the tariff now in force, is classed as clothing
wool, has, by comparatively recent Improve
nents in machinery. been rendered suscep.
tible TO the eombing process, and thus has
been utilized IN the manufacture OF worsted
goods. embracing certain higher grades OF
wearing apparel. w0men's aNd children !
dress goods. as well as fabrics Of mems cloth
| Ing. Such wools though 10 the trade regarded
as eombiDg WOODS. under the terms of the
revenue-law tariff would be claszed es cloth.
ing woods.
In other word, merino woods and The long
combing woods are now all clothing and
combing woods. Both can be and are made
into cloth for mems wear, and both are
made into ''women's and children's dress
goods.n
Yet, under the act OF 1867 and the came
is true OF the act OF l683--wasbed long wool
is only charged halt the duty as washed
merino wool, though both are now used for
exactly the same purposes The result y
that the country Is being flooded with the
/ foreign long wool W1ich euDDianfs nur