Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-03
Wool Takers Singing Out of Tune.

In telling their various stories the op-
ponents of free wool would do well to
come to some understanding; for symme-
try is beautiful and consistency a
jewel" Mr. Columbus Delano, "Presi-
dent of the Wool Growers Association, -
is out in proclamation in which he as
serts that the low prices of domestic wool
are due TO the slight reduction
Of the duties in the tariff Of 1888. On
the other hand, the comic answer to
the Presidents message issued under
the auspices OF the Manufacturers Club
of Pnilsdelphis declares that "the figures
conclusively demonstrate that the tax On
wool and Woolens operates to make low
the price Of both" Mr.. Deleno insists
that high rates of duty, by maintaining
the prices Of wool, will protect the wool.
growers. The Manufacturers Club has
made the discovery that the effect Of the
tax is to bring down the prices of both
wool and Woolens.
1t might be supposed that in such s
case the manufacturers would not favor 6
system which tends 10 reduce the prices
OF their commodities, and that they would
endeavor TO persuade the Ohio wool grow
ers to abandon tax which operates to
their injury. But the reasoning with
which the phenomenon Of low wool under
high duties is explained is, perhaps, the
most comic part of this performance. 1t
is this:
Because every farmer knows that when
the duty is taken Of Of wool prices will
st first fall, and ninety-fve out OF every
hundred in the business Of wool growing
will kill their sheep and quit. When this
has happened then the price will advance.
How does every farmer know this?
There is nothing in experience that az
:0rds the slightest warrant for such s
prediction. IL is merely caught in the
sir. Why do not the farmers of Ger
many, France and England, where wool
is free from duty, kill their sheep and
quit the business Of wool growing? Be-
cause common sense teaches the farmers
OF those European countries that If
duties should be put upon wool imports
would be obstructed; that manufactures
would be obliged to suspend for want
of foreign varieties to mix with the do
mestic wool, and that in consequence the
prices of the commodity would decline.
What reason teaches in regard to the
effect OF such tax upon the production,
tEiS CONEtIy Is experiencing 10 llS CCSt'
The woolen manufacturers and wool
growing both flourish in these countries
of Europe because wool is free from tax.
Both lsnguish in this country because OF
the tax upon the production, to which no
other manufacturing country is sub
jected.
TIE Manufacturers Club doubtless will
admit that prohibitory duties On wool
would be utterly disastrous to the WOODEN
industries OF this country. Why, then,
does the club give its sanction to the 40
surd notion that obstructive duties can
be beneficial to the Industries? That
portion of it's address which confesses
thst "the figures conclusively demon
strate that the tax on wool and Woolens
operates to make low prices for both"
can refer only to continuous periods dur
ing which the tax vas in existence; else
the confessed demonstration amounts to
nothing. Why, then, should manufsc
turers and farmers insist upon tax
which statistics OF trsde "conclusively
demonstrate operates to the injury Of
both?" Why?