Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-28

Those tables subStantiate the assertion
I made that the United States is second
in wool producing and fourth in the num-
Der of sheep of all countries of the world
The number of sheep in the United
States in 1888 by estimation was 43 544 =
755. The amount of wool produced in
1887 in this country was 2S5 900 600
pounds; the amount OF wool imported
was ia ,03S ,030 pounds; the amount of
wool exported was 6 1886 ,232 pounds.
Therefore there were retained for con-
sumption 800 ,05l ,796 pounds. The tax
paid upon the imported wool i'll the shape
of tariff duty was Sc ,430, 3I7.
The price of corresponding grades of
wool at that period in London was 2215
cents per pound and the price in New
York and Boston for the same grades of
wool for that period was 81 cents per
podnd. So that we can clearly arrive at
the conclusion that we paid tax on the
domestic articles of S 3 cents per pound
minus the cost of transportation to this
country, which at y cent per pound
or something like ST per ton should be
stated thus: 285, 900, 200 pounds of do
meStic wool with cents added in the
shape of the duty on the foreign
wool with which it completes, making
S22 800 ,000 and the total tax therefore
upon the raw wool used by the American
people ia the year 1887, was S29 ,230 ,3I7
The cost of wooden manufactures which
were imported in 1888 was SAT .7I9 1898.
the duty paid thereon averaging 50 per
cent. was $50 ,2l3 800, making the total
cost of imported woolens SIS. 1892 ,5I3.
The domestic articles of wool manufac-
tured in the United States we can onlv
arrive at by approximation. In 1880.
according to the census, the products of
our factOries-it must be borne in mind
that less than half million dollars. all
told, were exported the last vear-the
product of our facotries was S2G7 ,252 ,9I3
in value. At the very lowest estimate,
suppose it would be fair to say that the
product of the WOODEN factories of the
United States is now at least $500 900 900.
Now how are we to arrive at the addi-
hOnal cost to the American people? We
have seen that the tax on the raw mate.
rial, domestic and imported, amounted
to 500 900 900 and upwards. We have
seen that the taxes on wooden goods i'm
ported amounted to $50 900 900 and up
wards. Now, how much additional cost
has been imposed on the American peo-
pie by the enhancement of the price of
the domestic article?
Estimating the amount of manufactures
in 1888 at $500 900 COO, if we were to take
the whole amount of duty of 60 per cent.
the amount would be Sl8S 900 600. The
price of the enhanced cost of the domestic
article, if we are to take it at so per cent.
duty, would amount to $3.50 ZOO 900. If
it were so that it did no more than en-
nance the price to the extent of % per
cent. it would be SO, 600 600. Which
ever way you see proper to take it, there
is an enormous additional tax imposed
upon the Americanepeople under cover
Of this duty on wool and wool
ems, which is to- be paid by them.
and which will continue to be
paid by them so long as our present laws
exist. We have already seen that about
so per cent of this duty on wool itself is
found i'll the enhanced price of the do
nestle wool, at least 8 = cents per pound.
Therefore, if you take 80 per cent of the
duty imposed, as / have found, upon the
domestic article, You will have some
where in the neighborhood of 500 ,O0O, =
900 Of additional tax upon the American
people in consequence of these wooden
duties.
Mr.. President, we are the greatest
wool-consuming country in the world.
That is stated and / believed admitted
upon all SIueS. we HAVE larger popu-
lation an almost any other people in
Christie ldom. The average wealth of
the people of the United States is greater
than that Of any other; their average
condition of comfort is greater than that
of any other people, and therefore we
more of wooden goods,
and it is our greatest industry,
with the single exception of the
metals In 1880 the Oro{iuct of all the |
establishments OF metals |