New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-27
S.yprp DEMoCRATTC STATESMAN


Der of the Dark Lantern half-commttee by
which the Mills Tariff bill was rugged in the
dark.n and exposes before the country the igno-
rance which guided HIM in the preparation Oh
that measure. In debate on wednesday he
said that "wool could not be produced IN the
United States for less than 10 cents per pound,
and the people of the country consume $780,
coo. 900 pounds year, which cost them S24O,-
00O. 600. Of this 600, 900, 600 pounds more
than 800, 900, 900 had to be purchased abroad,
because the high tariff had broken down all our
woollen industry If these things are true,
the Mills bill promises to break down WOOL
growing and wool manufacture still more, by
reducing the duties on woollen goods and abol-
isbine the duties on wool, so that still greater
quantity can be imported. A queer remedy
for the complaint. this homeopathic only in
the idea that like cures like, but horribly allop-
athic in the amazing magnitude OF the Dose
But are these things true2
The Agricultural Bureau, being branch OF
the present Democratic Administration, reports
that the country produced last year 100000
600 pounds of wool, and not 3OO,OOO,OOO,
a. Mr.. Bynum afirms. 1t is the fact that stocks
at New-York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago
and San Francisco were 100000 pounds
larger at the end than at the beginning of the
wear. so that the consumption OF American wool
was only 1861 5000 pounds, instead OF
300. 600, 900. So Mr.. Bynum was IN error
about the home consumption to the extent OF
43.3O0,OO0 pounds according to oinclal
reports. but that is not much for DARK
Lanternv statesman. Possibly he considered
the official statements of a Democratic Ad-
ministration less reliable than the unofficial
estimates of Mr.. Lynch, which make the pro-
duction and consumption little over 3OO,-
600, 900 pounds
If acquitted on this point, however, MIR.
Bynum gets into deeper water when he asserts
that 10000 pounds of wool were i'm
ported and consumed. The official returns
show that the imports last year were lOO,-
O35. 9O2 pounds, and that 6,933,782 pounds
previously imported were taken out OF ware
house. so that the entire consumption of foreign
wool was less than 107 ,000,0 600. 1t may be
added that the consumption of foreign wool
never has been more than about liz, 900, 600
pounds in any year. But possibly Mr.. Bynum
meant to include all wool imported in the form
Of goods, though in the reports Of his speech he
does not say so. In that case he meant that
1913, 1000, 600 pounds Of foreign wool came in
manufactured into goods or so-called waste"
But the entire value of woollen goods, rags
and waste imported last year was but S45,-
OoO, 900, so that Mr.. Bynum would make the
average cost of foreign wool made up into goods
only % cents per pound. If Mr.. Bynum will
look at an official report OF the Treasury De-
partment. entitled Home Consumption" he
will discover that the weight of all imported
goods and waste was at the outside not more
than about 100000 pounds, and the cost
about 81 per pound. II he supposes every
imported pound of goods or waste to have
represented two pounds of raw wool, even then
he cannot make the quantity more than co.
600 600 pounds instead of nearly 200, 900, 600
pounds.
What good does it do to show that Mr.
Bynum is pitiably ignorant or amazingly reck-
less in statement? Only this, that Mr.. Bynum,
and men who are on level with him in knowl-
edge and prudence, have proposed law
changing the very basis on which industries
rest that give employment to several millions
of American citizens. If they are stupidity
ignorant, or Indifferent to truth in their parti-
san ZEAL it would be mere madness to pass n
measure QdNluR HO OtucI IMAM
their report. But Mr.. Bynum caps the climax
of absurdity when he asserts that no wool can
be grown in this country for less than 0 cents
per pound. The official reports Of the Bureau
of Statistics, MIR. Lynch's reports and all trade
reports agree in this, that no quality or grade
Of wool has commanded that price for the past
four years that the average price OF the finest
washed fleece has been several cents lower dur
ing all that time, and that the Texas Territory,
California and Oregon woods, the production
of which is nearly half of the entire annual
production and has largely increased have at
no time sold for half the price which Mr..
Bynum names as the lowest cost Of wool in this
country. The root of the difficulty is that this
cheap Indiana demagogue, by the Democratic
party selected as one of its wisest men to make
laws for all our industries. does not know what
he is talking about