Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-10-26

One of the principal arguments used
~ the advocates of free wool is that if
he duty should be removed the wooden
manufacturers of the United States
would be able to compete successfully
or the markets of the world, and that by
retaining the duty upon wool we are de-
iberately excluding them from profitable
employment There is. we believe. much
popular misrepresentation as to the extent
of the markets of the world in wooden
goods. The total amount of the net i'm
portations of wooden goods by all the
countries of the world. excluding the
United States, probably does not exceed
s9O,OOO,0O0 per annum. We ourselves
imported last year, 1888, nearly S49, O0O.-
900 in foreign value of goods, or more
Than SS0.O00,000 in duty-paid velue.
1t Is thus demonstrated that we have
within our own reach market which is
almost equal in Importance to all the 9TH
tr available markets of the world, and it
would seem to be the paramount duty of
Congress to secure to American pro-
oucers by wise legislation this important
PORTION of the worlds market. 1t can
lie easily shown that if we had free wool
We could not compete on equal terms for
the neutral markets of the world. We
Gould not compete because the cost of
production of all manufactures of wool
aside from the cost of wool is much
greater in the United States than in COM
peting countries. We have equal advan-
tages in machinery. capital, the enter
Prise of our people, but the much greater
wages paid to operatives and the greater
earnings in this country of all the people
who contribute to the production of our
WOODEN manufactures prevent successful
competition in neutral markets, unless
wages should be reduced to the foreign
scale.
II is only by the maintenance of the
American system that the operatives in
American wooden mills can hope to retain
the Immense advantages in respect to
wages which they have over the working
men of England, Germany and France.
The protection of the allied industries of
wool and woolens has not, however, been
beneficial alone to the persons employed
in wooden mills. 1t has at the same time
helped to increase the wages and rewards
of farm labor; it has enabled us to raise
and sell 300, 100000 pounds of wool where
6O,O0O.0OO pounds were raised. and to EN-
ploy operatives in working up 100, 000,-
600 pounds where but $4,000, 900 pounds
were manufactured. Coincident with
this constant advance in wages and en-
larged employment there has been great
reduction in the cost of wooden goods to
American consumers. Free trade in wool
and bare revenue duty for woolens
would compel farmers to raise other
crops, of which the supply is already
greater than the demand and it would
close factories in which many millions OF
capital are invested, rob an army of op-
eratives of employment. and force down
the wages of all other labor.
All the sacrifice and suffering, this ar.
rest of harmonious progress, and this dis
organization of labor, we are asked tc
face in the hope that with one-sixth OF
the worlds supply of wool cut off, we
may thereby get cheaper wool and wool
ems. If this hope were rational, the los:
would far outweigh the gain. 1t is bet
ter to maintain the wages of our worker:
and to develop our own resources than tC
abandon our fields, stop our mills, anC
look to Europe for the supply of oul
manufactured products.