Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-25
FREE WOOL.

One of the articles which the democrats, through the Mills bill, have placed on the free list is raw wool. The republicans object to it on the ground that the wool growing industry will be ruined, while, they claim, the industries in which raw wool enters as an element of production will not be benefited. The fallacy of both objections may be easily and clearly shown.
 The first time that wool was taxed in this country was in 1894 For thirtyfve years, from the passage of the first tariff act July 4, 1789, wool remained on the free list. A tariff was then imposed in response to sentiment among the wool growers that they had an equal right | to protection with the manufacturers. | What has been the result In 1895, when this tariff first took effect, wool sold for 3S cents pound, and now, after sixty three years of protection, it is selling for 9 to 2S cents. And this, too in spite of the fact that in 1867, at the demand of the wool growers, the tariff was raised to 50 or 60 per cent. The price of wool, it will be seen, has steadily gone down even under the protective tariff. The number of sheep in the country also diminished in ten years, under the highest wool tariff that ever was known, from 39, 3S5, 1886 to 35, ,S04 200. The reason of this and also of the decrease of price is plain The wool that is grown here, to be of service to the | 6o @bo finer grades of foreign production. The wool grown in this country is of coarse texture and is only used to mix with the fine grades. These fine grades cannot be produced here because the sheep on whose backs they grow do not thrive in this country. And the more these finer grades of foreign production are taxed the less the manufacturers can afford to pay for the domestic article, of which we do not raise half enough in this country. The domestic product for the year 1887 is put | by the statistician of the agricultural depart ment at 265, ,O00, ,O00 pounds, while it is estimated that about 0,0O0, ,000 are needed to supply the annual demands of home consumption. The importation of IA 404 173 pounds, of which considerably over two-thirds was of the cheaper grade, which paid only ?! cents per pound duty, shows that the home industry is not yet able to supply the home market neither, it is said, does the protection afforded by the tariff have the effect claimed for it of increasing the price for the wool grower. Putting wool on the free list will not ruin the wool growing industry. Rather will it stimulate it by increasing the produc- ton of woolen goods and creating larger demand for wool
 The industries in which wool enters as an element of production will derive un- told benefits by removing the tax on wool. Foreign manufacturers of these goods en- | joy an advantage over their American rivals only in their ability to secure cheaper wool The cost of labor is generally higher in England than here, and article for article the American manufacturer can generally turn out his products cheaper than his rival. The greater amount of work which the American mechanic pro l OuCtS, W ulCu We l1dNS GuS dulIAO11lS Ol MI Blaine is at least 50 per cent, enables the American manufacturer to pay larger wages. The greater cost of production in this country is in the cost of material. With that cost reduced the manufacturer can increase his output of goods, and with the larger market that the reduced cost of production will enable him to seek keep his factory running full time and his wage list at high tide, and his operatives and himself will reap mutual benefits there from. America, with taxed wool, exports less than $500,0O0 worth of woolen goods, while England, with free wool, exports more than 100,00O,000 worth. If the American manufacturer could have his wool free he could go into the foreign markets and compete with his English rival, and he could undersell him every time.
 Free wool will be benefit both to the wool growing and the woo1en manufac- turing industries, for both will receive a speedy and strong stimulus therefrom The masses of the country, the great body of consumers who keep the wheels of labor moving, will profit still more, and those who are committed to unnecessarily ex- cessive taxation should think of this If they refuse to give heed to it they will find themselves under the wheels of political juggernaut next November.
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 For full line of peaches and fruits go to w. N. Ladds.
 ,l We need a faw mora names ~Or oD