Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-04-05


The three column article on the Grind
stone wool figures which the Windham
County Reformer printed last week, was a
good illustration of the truth of the prov
erb which says that Too many cooks spoil
the broth 1t is evident, however, that in
its modern application the old saw should
read that Too many cooks spoil the soup
especially when, as in this case, the cooks
are all in the soup together. The effort
was Enthusiastically combination one, the
valorous Davenport holding the spoon and
stirring the mess round and round while the
mighty men of Democratic brains threw in
the strange ingredients gathered from Phil
adelphia, New York, Chicago, New Mexico.
Montana, Texas, Brattleboro, and the me
tropolis of Leyden, Mass. from every
place, in fact, but Boston, which, unfortu-
nately for the men of Democratic brains,
happens to he the leading and controlling
wool market of the country. We are glad,
however, to give this combination effort the
credit for one virtue which it possesses in
remarkable degree. 1t is a complete and
unanswerable demonstration of the unrelia
bility, inconsistency and impossibility of the
Grindstone wool figures
The article opens with an essay on wool
and its different varieties, written, like one
of Cleveand's speeches, out of a encyclopedia
or an almanac it then gives a tabular com
parison of prices which shows that the
Grindstone figures do not agree with any
authoritative quotation of prices for any
standard grade of wool following this is a
column devoted to showing how, by scour-
ing the whole country over and picking out
at WILL to suit the Democratic convenience
"a price from the sales of wool of all sorts of
grades figure may usually be found which
comes somewhere near to the Grindstone
price of that year. In conclusion, "waiv
ing the strict accuracy of the Grindstone
figures, half column is given to a reitera-
ton of the Democratic claim that wool
growers suffer under high tariff and pros
per under low one.
1t can be shown in short compass that we
do not misrepresent the case. In its issue
of Dec. 2lst last, when the Reformer first
undertook a formal defence of the Grind
stone figures, it stated explicitly that they
were given, as they prove to be, jas record
of sales in the Boston market" and it was
further stated with equal explicitness, that
1.-THE figures were undoubtedly correct for
what they purported to be, the highest
price wool brought in the different years y,
In their combination effort of last week the
Democrats abandon completely their claim
~ a.. q -. g. a.
ures, or that they represent the highest
price, or any other price, of any one grade
of wool They reproduce, from the Mauger
and Avery table of New York prices fix
ures which show that down to 1860 the
Grindstone prices agree with reasonable
degree of closeness with the highest price
quoted in that table for fine wool at any
time during each year. After 1860 this
plan wont work at all, and to meet the diff
ficulties encountered Mr.. Childs and his co
laborers, abruptly dropping their previous
method, pick out some one of Mauger 4 Ave
rvs prices-of coarse wool in some years,
of medium in others and of fine in others
to find a price that comes within few
cents of matching the Grindstone prices for
the year quoted After a few years even
this plan wont work, and so the victims Of
their own folly make another sudden turn
and search the country over 10 find a price
at which some kind of WOOL no matter
what, sold at figures that can he tortured to
fit the Grindstone prices.
One illustration will suffice for the whole
Bear in mind that down to 1850 the price
quoted 10 justify the Ga indstone price u.s.
with few exceptions, the very highest
price given by Mauger * Avery for fine
wool In 1880 the Grindstone turner's take
the table of Porter & Coates, and, pass
ing by the quotations for Ohio and Peunsyl-
Vania fine and medium woods, New York
and Michigan fine and medium, coarse
woods, and washed and unwashed woods, no
less than thirty quotations in all, they hit
upon a New Mexican wool which is quoted
at - to - cents, and here they say, is a
wool, the average price of which at 30 cents
just fits the price of 30 cents given in the
Grindstone circular
What fairness is here What consist
ency What grasp of this whole subject
of wool prices How it would make a
Boston wool man smile TO see table of au-
hoiiiaiire quotations made up in this way
How proud Mr. Childs would feel TO go into
Federal street and Atlantic avenue in Bos
ton, aud show the wool dealers this article
To prove 10 them how much he knows about
wool prices, and how fair and honest he is
when it comes to politics
And yet this year 1880 is only fair illus
tration of the way the Reformer treats
every one Of the dozen years after 1869
which it explains about seriatim on ex-