Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1888-06-03


John +. Swift Is engaged IN n viooron
effort to carry Oregon for the Keprbl
cans. Whether he fails or succeeds i
that effort, we, as non -partisans. do nc
care brass farthing. But we do car
for the truth, and 1t is because Mr.. Swil
apparently does not that we propose /
, take him to task Oregon, lacking pom
lation to fully occupy her fertile vaileyf
raises sheep and produces wool. MI
Swift thinks that appeals TO the arazior
against the Presidents low tariff view
will win votes, and are, therefore, goo
political thunder. 1t is his right to s.
, think; upon that score we have n
quarrel with him. But when h
proceeds to sustain his case b,
allegations that are false, and by libel
upon a friendly people with whom tn,
Pacific Coast holds intimate aed valuabl,
commercial relations, it is proper that hi
interruptions course should be rebuked
In the course of what the Bulletin call
an liable argument on the wool ques
ton" Mr.. Swift, the other night, tolt
the Oregonians that they could not com
pete with the Australians in the produc
ton OF wool, for tho following reasons
| 90 Because "the Australian Government
lets out its land in large tracts, calico
sneep walks, at merely nominal rent
whereas the American wool grower
has an uncertain tenure, in thai
ne must be prepared to quii
and move with his fiocks whenever
the land is wanted for actual settle.
ment and cultivation by any passing pio-
neer." (2.) Because the American
sheep owner, unlike the Australian,
must buy and pay for his land, and
then pay local taxes on it before he can
hope to have any established foothold. F"
| go Because Australian wool is raised
by the cheap labor of the kidnapped and
partially enslaved South Sea Islanders, .
In fact (Mr. Swift says) the fleets OF
kidnapping schooners now range those
seas in the man-stealing trade, which is
but a slight improvement over the
American slave trade of last century.
The gentleman puts his case clearly, and
II it were truly stated, would be strong
one. What are the facts?
AS rule the Australian Governments
give licenses over what are known as
1.-THE waste lands a. e., the unoccupied
lands). Such licenses are renewable
year by year, and give the owner the
right to Craze only, and even that subject
to the higher right Of all corners to make
presumption and homestead entries to
the extent of 800 acres each. The
licensees have to pay a stiff rental, based
on a Government valuation Of the
ranges, according to carrying (sheep
feeding) capacity" They have also to
pay local taxes on their total acreage to
the County Governments. In the United
States the sheep and cattle men occupy
their ranges for nothing and frequently
escape taxes OF every kind. In Texas.
New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Cal
ifornia and Oregon they have &C.
cured the fee simple of vast areas
upon which is raised large per.
centage of the wool crop Of the
country at merely nominal rates. Mil
lions upon millions of acres have been
sold at prices varying from 10 cents to %
cents per acre, and in no case has the
Government received more than slips
per acre. In earlier times the Australian
wool-growers bought the fee-simple title
to large blocks-though to a much more
limited extent than here-but in no in
stance did they ever obtain an acre for
less than So; that being the minimum
price. In those days the grazing lands
were sold by auction, and frequently as
high as from $40 to $50 per acre was
paid. OF late years, in several of the
colonies, homestead settlement, with
actual residence and improvements. is
the only legal method of obtaining title
to country lands. From these facts il
will be seen that Mr.. Swift's statements
are the opposite of the truth in nearly
every particular.
AS to the slave labor story, it is simply
wicked and false. The Colonies of Vic
toria, South Australia, New South Wales.
Tasmania and New Zealand are respon-
sible for over so per cent. of all the wool
exported from Australia, and in not one
OF them does there live contract laborer
from the South Sea Islands or elsewhere.
The shepherds are English, Scotch and
Irish, who are paid proportionately as
high as in the United States, and
last year, by reason OF temporary
scarcity Of labor, the shearers
received three times the wages paid
here. The stale yarn about kidnapping
Islanders is based ON an effort made
some years ago to induce the cultivation
OF sugar into Northern Queensland
(where the climate is too warm for sue
cessful wool growing by means of col
ored labor. Under very strict law, the |
planters were allowed to import labor
into that very sparsely settled territory,
but the scheme did not prove profitable. |
and being distasteful to The other Colo |
MES, has been practically abandoned.
In regard to the cheap production Of |
wool, the most important element of cal |
culation is market for mutton, The |
Australians have no market worth
talking about, and have to boil their sur
plus sheep down for their tallow. In |
Australia full-mouthed sheep, with the
wool of his back, is practically valueless.
In this country the carcass is worth
three or four times the value of the wool. |
In Australia the product of the sheep
has,. in most instances, to be hauled
hundreds OF miles by OK teams, whilst in
the United States railroads are seldom
far off. Then, in order to reach this
country, the important item of sea
freight has to be added. AT present the
United States import many millions
of fine English and French
cloths. Why? Because the coarse
woods raised here do not permit of such
Import one pound of
The finest Australian wool, mix it with
TWO pounds of American, and then there
would be no necessity to import from
England and France, as we now do.
Free wool of the finer sorts would be an
advantage alike to the local grower and
Either John F. Swift, on the stump in
oregon, knew these facts or he did not.
N the latter case, he is manifestly the
wrong man in the wrong place. II he
lid know them, as was most likely, he
vas guilty OF an objectionable amount
i misrepresentation. 1t is lamentable
hat public affairs cannot be discussed
With at least as much candor and truth
Is are applied to the ordinary affairs Of
ife.-[S. +. News Letter.
CALIFORNIA; EXHIBIT
Ii the Ohio CentenniaI and G., A, n.
Encampment.