Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-19
a MtmorIal.
SPECIAL to the Gazette


SPECIAL to the Gazette
SAN ANTONIO, TEX, Feb. Is.-Under
the patronage of tie wool growers Of the
state a memcrIsl Is bsiDg calculated
through the counties of the west and
sOuah Gest and is being generally signed.
The matter is The outcome OF the desire
for concerted action among those engaged
In this Industry. By the time 1t reaches
Washington it will be&r the names OF
thousands. The name Of the county in
the original form Is left blank in order to
slow the Insertion at the proper time. Il
Is ss follows:
To the Honorable the Senate ana Houss CT Rep
res=n .aIiYes Of Inc UAised states
The undersigned, citizens Of
- county, Texas, would respectfully
represent that the proposed reduction OF
the taritf on wool would be q serious dis
sister to our section of country, and in
our judgment would so
PARALYZs OUR GENERAL PROSPERITY
as 10 make it almost al impossibility to
develope the vast area OF lsRd In tbs
western portion Ct the state. Up to 1888
the wool industry Of the United States
was steadily increasing ana the produc-
ton Of raw wool had reached o total OF
800 900, 900 pounds per HbnuU, which
vas within a comparatively small
amount of the demands Of
ous manuisc: urers. Since the
reduction of the tariff the industry has
retrograded and the production OF wool is
now 10, 0G0 900 pounds per snnun Less
tnsn It was in 1883, and the estimated
loss Ia the value OF sheep owned by Tex
as Slone has been over SIC. 600. 900. The
change in tariff has Certainly not made
any zppr ciable difference in the value or
price of
MANUFACTURED wooLEN GOODS,
and inasmucn as IL has resulted in SUCH
serious loss Of 100000 we feel iusti-
ded IN asking that the tariff on wool De
restored to the basis OF the tariff Of 1867,
upder which the wool industry received.
such prosperity. We would respectfully
RI present that when the first impetus was
given 10 this industry after the tariff OF
1883, it WAS Sd Impossible to obtain
sneep at 6 reasonable cost that individuals
were compelled to 60 into Mexico aud
purchase the low grade Mexico ewes,
shearing less than two pounds OF coarse
wool, with which to begin and by the
infusion of pure blooded Merino rams
imported OF great cost from the older
states our people have succ- e'ed in
IMPROVING THEIR SHEEP
to the standard Of 1Ve pounds medium
wool and 1t is our Judgment the next few
years will enable them TO so improve the
quality Of their wool as to meet the re-
quirements OF our eastern manufacturers
n every respect. We are of
the opinion th.t Western Texas Is especi-
ally adapted to the production Of wool
and the vast area Of grazing lands in our
state must be applied to thst and cattle
raising or they will remain unproductive
for many years. The experience Of the
past fully iusti6es the opinion that in a
few years the 1verege shearing capacity
ofour sheep will be eight pounds per
mead ss sgslnst FIVE pounds as present.
This will naturally reduce
THE CosT OF PRODUCTIONS
and will enable rs to compete with fer
eign nations upon = mole favorable basis
At this time our sheepmen are compelled
to employ sheepheroers to guard their
sheep from animals, which increases The
cost OF producing wool TO betweeH II
cents ana Is cents per pound, while ~
Australia they are able to run sheep loose
and the cost of producing wool lie abosss5
cents per pound. Il can, therefore, be
seen how important IL is that this5gAlua
ole industry be protected by an speqDste
tsriff until we can remove some of the
obstacles in our way, and We, therefore.
pray that your honorable bodies will take
prompt measures to relieve Cur people.