Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-08
THE WOOL TARIFF.
A High raria Does Not Make e high Phi,

A high Tariff Does Not Make . high Price.
THE FARMERS AND THE WOOL TARIFF.
Ii Is mistake to suppose that the
farmers IS class are in favor Of keeping
up the duty on wool and woolens. That
stsunch agricultural newspaper, the
Minneapolis Farm, Stock and Home, in q
late issue said:
From 1876 to 1883 we had the highest
tariff on wool in our history. At the
Iast-named date the duty WAS reduced 10
per cent. ad valorem. The average price
of imported woods since the 10 per cent.
reduction has been from 4 to Is ceQtsN
pound, so the reduction Of duty since the
excessive one Of war times has besn from
IL to Is cents G pound. In The mean
time wool has been steadily declining,
though the rapidity of the decline has
been less since the 10 per cent. reduction
than it WAS from 1875 to 1888. P4ESti-
cAlly the past ten years has been
period Of the highest wool tariff we
ever enjoyed o. therefore it
may be q little interesting to learn how
much this high tariff benefited wool
growers in the way of prices. For ppr-
poses o. comparison We have taken the
July prices OF medium wool in New York
from 1928 to 1887, and made averages Of
prices for each ten years of the time.
During this time We have had all sorts of
tariffs and prSc ically no tariff, but prices
hdCtusted as wool was IN good or poor
supply or demand, but always in sbso-
Lutte indiff 3rence to tariffs.
From 1873 TO 1887 the average was :. 3S.s cents
From 1855 to 1871 the average was. 1913 cents
From 1885 90 1861 the average was. .56.3 cents
From 1915 to 1871 the average was. .40.6 cents
From 1888 to ls47 the average was. IS cents
From lS2S to 1887 the average was. sos cents
As large an importation of wool as
this country has ever made was under
the maximum tariff, in 1880 when 1t was
over l2S 100000 pounds.
Wool growers say the reduction in the
tariff in 1883 ruined the INDUSTRY. We
have shown now much per pound the re-
ducton amounted to, and would remark
that our wool business must be very
tender plant to be ruined by such light
frost. But how this reduction could have
ruiz ed lthe interest seems very mysteTi-
GUS i 4 the light OF the fact that our impor-
tStions In 1884, and 1856 were $4,000, 900
and 10000, 600 pounds, respectively. So
the tariff neither keeps foreign wool out
nor makes high prices. What the dickens
Ails this tariff business, anyhow?
THE WOOL TARIFF OF 1867.
Mr. +. ". Hiaby OF Charlotte, Mich,
writes to the Detroit Free Press ss fol-
lows:
It would be well for the little associa-
TONS of wool meu to pause and consider
the facts before committing themselves TO
resolutions II favor of the tariff Of 1857
and coDdennstoTy of the position taken
by President Cleveland In his Admira5lt
message. The options of well known
high tariff advocates Of the eject of that
tar1f upon the price CT wool may be
worthy of consideration. call their at
tention to few of them:
domestic WOODS have gone down In
price from the time he Morrill, tariff was
enacted until to-day rs Frye Of
Maine, 10 1883
$40 1867 lie price of wool was 81 cents;
in 1870 46 cents; in 1880, which WAS alb
normal yesr, 4s cents nut today am told
these woods sell from Sc 70 40 cents psr
pound. So the result of The policy Of
protecting the wool-grower has been-ss
it is in all lndustries-to gradually re-
duce the pice. Under the operation OF
the existing Law (the tariff of 1860 the
price Of wool has gradually gone down."
4 Senator Sherman Of Ohio in Senate,
1883.
"To day wool is cheaper, pound for
pound, and has been for the past Ave
years, than IL was from 1856 to 1860 under
the free'ratinE Of the Free Trade party"
-gOocument Republican State Commit
tee Of Michigas, in 1883
1.-THE tariff of 1867 has steadily year
by year reduced the price of wool"
-TOaio Wool Growers' Association,
1888.
"The price of wool has steadily re-
ceded from 81 cents in s67 to ~ cents"
& Indiana Wool Growers Association,
1888
"The price Of wool from 1915 to 1860.
under low tariff, was to the grower 46s
oeuts, while to- day, under the tariff of
1867, It is less than 80 cents. VI National
Wool Association, 1883.
'tThe average p-ice Of medium wool in
Boston for thirty 1--we years before the war
and under s low tariff was nearly IS
cents. The average price Of the same
wool for fiiteen years under the tariff
Of lse7-except for 1871 and ls72-wss
materially ~ ". G. Markham, rep