St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-18
BLOWING HOT AND COLD.
Howling for Protection, Manu-.
facturers Want Free Wool.

w anu w OOI.
BOSTON, Sept. 1.-THE executive
committee of the National Association
of Wool Manufacturers is in session
here to-day. The question of free car
pet woods is one of the principal topics
under discussion. No action has as yet
been taken, but the association quar-
terly bulletin just published, says editO-
rally:
II is admitted that the 1867 duties upon
carpet woods were not designed TO serve as
protective duties, but were imposed for
purely revenue purposes. We cannot sub
scribe to the claim now made that conditions
have so changed in twenty years that a pro-
tective duty is now desirable and would be
advantageous. The argument is that the
conditions then existing which removed ali
necessity for protective duty on carpet
woods. have been increased and intensi-
fed by the lapse Of time. A prohibit
tory or highly protective duty on the
cheaper grades would not lead to the produc-
ton in this country of woods similar to those
now imported for this purpose. Manufac-
turers would be justified i'll insisting that the
low grade carpet woods shall go upon the
free list. These low grade carpet woods are
almost the only raw material upon which a
revenue duty was imposed when the govern
ment needed the money, from which it has
not since been removed, or 1t is not there Gn
the senate tariff bllI. proposed to remove it.
The argument in favor of free carpet woods
is vastly stronger than that which was made
for free hides. The difficulty in the way Of
giving the manufacturer the full benefit of
the principle arises from the trouble in Sc
curing at the custom houses the classified
ton necessary for the prevention of frauds.
We hold this difficulty to be the only valid
argument that can be urged against the free
admission of carpet wools.' The proceed
ings of the executive committee are private.
During the afternoon resolutions
were adopted declaring that the Forty
seventh congress reduced the specific
duties upon the manufactured product
so far beyond the reduction of the
duties on wool as to destroy their COM
pensatory character, causing increasing
ImportationS of certain goods to flood a
market that the wooden manufacturers
of the United States should occupy;
that the wooden manufacturers demand
a revision of the tariff in which there
shall, in every instance, be placed upon
the manufact product the full
amount of the specific duty necessary
to compensate whatever rates of duty
PUBLIC POLICY MAY REQUIRE
to be imposed upon by the raw ma
terialr that as existing duties afford
nearly 20 per cent less protection than
was deemed necessary for the develop
ment of the industry when the rates of
1887 we're fixed, the association demands
an increase in the ad valorem duties
and ask for the adoption of the single
rule of duty as applicable to each para
graph of the wooden schedule
and for the abalition of the
system of mi1limums. 1t is held
that no rate of duty on wool can be pro-
tective to the American grower which
are not accompanied by corresponding
duties, compensatory and protective,
upon the manufactured articles sufa-
cient to enable the American manu-
facture to hold the home market. The
resolutions solemnly and emphatically
protest against making the wooden in
itics. The resolutions will be submitted
to the annual meeting of the national
association, to be held in New York,
Oct. 2.