Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-03-20
Mr.. Wilson on the Wool Tariff

The Cincinnati Enquirer, Wheeling
Register, and other papers seem to be
applying to our representative for his
views on the proposed Tariff bill, as
interviews from him have appeared
in them several times of late. From
one in Fridays Register we append
the following as of special interest
to our farmers and others:
Congressman w. L. Wilson was asked If he
comld tell the exact reduction in revenue eX-
pectcd from the Mills bill If passed. He said
the question could only be answered on the
basis of last years returns. Gu that basis the
free list would reduce twenty-five million. other
reductions thirty-one millions. making fifty
three millions on the tariff ; add to this twenty
two and one half millions from the internal
revenue. and the entire reduction foots up over
seveuty-ivc millions.
There are one or two schedules as to which
I would like to have Information for the Regis
ter and first of all the wool rates"
The present tariff said Mr.. Wilson, "be-
gins with a duty of 10 cents a pound on wool
in the grease. 20 cents on washed wool and so
cents on secured. / am not now speaking of
the cheap carpet woods. nor of the highest
priced woods. of which we import very little. or
of manufactures of wool. We have there two
duties. For example. u blanket valued at not
moro that 30 cents a pound pays 10 cents a
pound and 80 per cent. nd valorenn. making a
tax of so per cent. in all. This 10 cents is the
manufacturers compensation for his taN on
wool and the 50 per cent. is his protection
We put WOOL on the free list. and reduce the
tariff on wOolens about the equivalent of this
concentrating duty"
fNow tell inc in a few words why you put
wooisbu the free list"
NV answer in a few words wonld be to help
the American wool grower and save the Amer
lean manufacturers"
"Whnt do you mean by that ?"
81 mean this. with u tax of so cents on a
dollar blanket. with Il tax of 51.05 ON a yard of
common cl"viot that costs Sl.25, and with a
OF our women and children could any man ask
for increase of taSes? / think not. Hence we
were met by two alternatives. either to see, our
wooden manufacturers die ont as they are rap
idly doing. or give them free wool.
"LoOk to-day at the condition of our WOOL
en- mills; their machinery is steadily decreas-
in". l visited in the holidays the great Pacific
mills at Lawrence. Mass. The cotton print
works were running to their full capacity
The great wet lleHrH Mills nfjjofning with q yeur=
" capacity of 100000 pounds-more than
our entire West Virginia clip-had one-third of
its machinery idle. onc-third making cot
ton prints and the other thiId running al n
heavy loss. ] Hskrl the manager how much
American wool lie would buy next year with
the tariff unchanged. lie said " Half u mil
lion pounds" - How much with free wcul?"
~ y nlIIIiO.l d;Iu n Iull pOultiS. OtHeT ulIii
owners haV" told M substantially the same
Look at Olir imports and vnIi sec the reason. We
brought Mast year SIS, 000. 900 worth of WOOL
en- manufactures. a. e .ai'2t * 000, 600 two
years ago. This rrrr>svits lS5. 00U.000 pounds
of wool. and tl.is Importation will increase un-
less we PIT our manufacturers on the same
footing with their competitors. with freedom
to get their wool from all pnrts of the world.
I'VE q" not pIo6Icc more tl:an half the
wool We need. and our man .Ifacturvrs cannot
buy home woods unless they can get others to
mix with them. The simple question then is
shall our wooden mills close. and this iinpor-
tant industry be transferred across the sea.
taking with it. the wool growers market. or
shall We put the American manufacturer. us to
his material on AZ equality with his conIpcti-
tors ? BY free wool and great reduction on the
tariff on wooden goods. we can save this in
dustry, restore It to the same vigor that boot
and shoe and the cotton industries enjoy W it'll
untaxcd material. thus retaining employment
for American labor and a steady and good
market for American wool"
VIII free wool, in your judgment, lower its
price ?"
II 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 a high tariff,
and finally whether it is better for the wool
grower to have a diminishing demand for his
product, or a steady and increasing demand !?
l do not believe free wool will impair values.
and l could give many other reasons for this
belief"