The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-14
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SOME SENSE ABOUT WOOL.

The Sentinel returns to Its mutton and
makes new appeal in favor of free wool.
This time the appeal is based on the claim
that free wool would benefit the American
wool grower. The beautiful syllogism by
which this conclusion is reached is as follows:
Free wool would cheaper manufactures; cheap
manufactures would stimulate consumption
of wooden goods; this increased consumption
would cause increased demand, and this in
creased demand would cause an increased
price for the raw material. This looks very
pretty on paper but it shows, as General
Harrison says in his letter. that those who
advocate the scheme are students of maxims
and not of the markets The plain American
farmer cannot be fooled by any amount of
college lore or cheap logic into believing that
repeal of the duty on foreign wool viii in
crease the price Of the home grown article.
The Sentinel says:
NEARLY one-balf the wooden mills in the
country are idle to-day, while we are import
ing a. 600, 600 of WOODEN goods and exporting
barely $780, 900. With free wool. these mills
could start up and make the bulk of this
$44, 000 900 of goods which are now made for
US in England, Scotland, France and Ger
many
1t is not true that NEARLY one-half the
WOODEN mills in the country are idle to-day"
If any have closed it is on account of the
tariff agitation or the threatened passage Of
the Mills bill. Not one has ever closed on
account of the duty on foreign wool. 1t will
be observed that the Sentinel ignores tie eis-
ment of wages. Free-traders always do. The
maintenance Of wages and the rights of labor
is something that does not enter into their
calculations. Even with cheaper raw ma
terial, American manufacturers could not
compete with foreign without large reduc-
ton of American wages. The report of Car
roll ID. Wright, United States Commissioner
of Labor, shows that the average wages of
employees in woolen-m in the United States
was ST. 40 per day, against IS cents per day in
British mills. [Annual report for 1856. page
226. We defy any free-trader to show how
American manufacturers, with free wool,
could compete with British manufacturers
without an equalization Of wages. Besides,
the cost of the plant. every dollar of which
represents labor. is much greater in the
United States than in Great Britain. as is also
the rate of interest and other items. But the
free trader takes no account of these things,
and least of all Of wages. lie studies max
inns. not markets.
It is true, as the Sentinel says, that we sIa
importing of all kinds of wooden manufact-
lures over "a. 100000 worth year, and the
fact is in every way discreditable to US. We
ought not to be importing a dollars worth,
and under firm adherence to protection,
and the development of American industries
the time will soon come when we need not
Every dollars worth of wooden goods used in
United States should be manufactured here
1t should be manufactured by American
workmen at American wages, and the pay
rolls kept at home. AT present our importa-
tions are mainly fine cloths and dress goods,
which people of fashion will buy at any price,
because they are foreign. Fipe broad-cloths
are as yet not manufactured extensively. il
at all, in this country, and. therefore, consti-
tute prominent part of the importation of
cloth goods.
Statistics show that from 1850 TO 1880 the
wooden manufacture in this country doubled
its allowance per capita, and the consumption
of wool increased in the same proportion. At
the beginning Of the war the con-
sumption of wool was not more than
four and a-half pounds per capita, while now
it is nearly eight pounds. Then about two
thirds of the small requirement was manu-
featured at home; now about four-ffths of all
we use is man ufactured here All this has
been done under protection, and yet, not
withstanding the enormous increase in the
consumption of wooden goods, the price to
the consumer has steadily decreased, aud the
quality has improved If the American peo-
pie are wise and true to their own interests,
the time ought to come soon when we will
not import pound of foreign wool, nor
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