Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-04-04
Hon. WI. Wilson on the Wool Tariff.

Congressman w.. L. Wilson of W. Va,
in an interview with Wheeling Register
reporter was asked if he could tell the ex-
act reduction in revenue expected from the
Mills bill if passed. He said the question
could only be answered on the basis of last
years's returns. On that basis the free list
would reduce thirty-one millions, making
fifty-three millions on the tariff; add to this
twenty-tw and One-half millions from the
internal revenue and the entire reduction
foots up over seventy-ive millions.
s'The present tariff" said Mr.. Wilson,
"begins with duty of 10 cents pound on
wool in the grease, 90 cents on washed wool
and 80 cents on secured. lam now speak
ing of the carpet woods, not of the highest
priced woods, of which we import very lit
tie, or of manufactures of wool. We have
there two duties. For example, blanket
valued at not more than 30 cents pound
pays 10 cents pound and 30 per cent. dd
Ualorena, making tax of so per cent. in all.
This 10 cents is the manufacturers COM
pensation for his tax on wool and the 35
per cent. is his protection. We put wool
on the free list, and reduce the tariff on
woolens about the equivalent of this COM
pensating duty"
"Now tell me in a few words why you
put wool on the free list ?"
'My answer in few words would be, to
help the American wool-grower and save
the American manufactures"
''What do you mean by that ?"
81 mean this, with a tax of so cents on
a dollar blanket with a tax of S1.05 on
yard of common cheviot that costs 81 20,
and with tax of 70 per cent. on the
cheaper dress goods of our women and
children, could any man ask for increase Of
taxes? l think not. Hence we were met
by two alternatives, either to see our wool
en- manufactures die out as they are rapid
ly doing, or give them free wool.
Look to-day at the condition of our wool
en- mills; their machinery is steadily de-
creasiug. 1 visited in the holidays the
great Pacific mills at Lawrence, Mass
The cotton print works were running to
their full capacity. The great voc len mills
adjoining, with yearly capacity of o.
600, 900 pounds, more than our entire West
Virginia clip, had one-third of its ma
chinery idle, one-third making cotton
prints and the other third running at a
heavy loss. l asked the manager how
much American wool he would buy next
year with the tariff unchanged. He said,
half million pounds. How much with
free wool?' "a million and half pounds
ally the same. Look at our imports and
you see tho reason we brought in last year
$45, 000 900 worth of wooden manufactures
as against $50, 000 600 two years ago; this
represents 1876. 100000 pounds of wool, and
this importation will increase unless we
put our manufacturers on the same footing
with their competitors, with freedom to
get their wool from all parts of the world.
We do not produce more than half the
wool we need, and our manufacturers can
not buy home wool unless they can get
others to mix with them. The simple
question then is shall our wooden mills
close and this i'm portant industry be trans
ferred across the sea, taking with it the
wootgrowers' market, or shall we put the
American manufacturer, as to his material,
on an equality with his competitors? By
free wool and great reduction on the
tariff on wooden goods, We can save this
industry, restore it to the same vigor that
boot aud shoe and the cotton industries en-
10y with untaxed material, thus retaining
employment for American labor and
steady and good market for American
wool"
"Will free wool, in your Judgment, lower
its price,"
81 answer that by asking if there has
ever been a worse year for Merino wool
than 1887, and if the uniform history of the
past has not shown better prices under free
wool and low taxed wool than when there
was high tariff, and finally whether it is
better far the wool-grower to have dinlin-
ishing demand for his prqdust or a steady
a. d incf easing demand? | do not believe
free woel will impair prices, and / could
give many other reasons for this belief"