New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-27
THE TOOLLEN MANUFACTURERS CALL

THE UOOLLEN MANUFACTURERS CALI.
A call has been issued to the National AS
sociation of Woollen Manufacturers for meet
ing at Boston, September II, to agree upon
schedule of duties on wool and woollens to be
recommended to Congress. 1t is pronounced by
free-trade journals an attempt of "wo0l manu-
facturers stricken by protection" to find "a
remedy for their present disastrous state" The
well-consdered call issued by President Whit
man. however, gives no excuse for such state
ment 1t describes the object Of the meeting
thus:
Permit us 70 impress yoI the importance. first,
of absolute unity of action among those whose interests
are affected by the wool tariff second OF the necessity
which exists for very careful consideration OF all the
questions which enter into the proper and equitable
adjustment of the schedule and third OF an agreement
upon basis which shall be so just 10 all interests
concerned and shall commend itself for It's rsason
able adaptation the industrial situation as IL exists
today as TO compel the favorable consideration OF
Congress and tho public. and thus, when enacted INTO
law give promise Of pcrnanence III the tarn al"
stability In all business. The proposed conference 10
be productive of good results. must be representative
OF all branches Of the woolen manufacture
Not a single word here appears to JUSTIFY inc
assertion that the wool manufacturers CONSIDER
their present state disastrous or think they nave
been stricken by protection" or contemplate
any removal or lessening of protection either
on goods or on material, as desirable remedy
for any evil that exists. The truth Is, that
changes in modes of manufacture and in foreign
markets have rendered the present tariff IN"
ADEQUATE in some respects; that treasury rui-
ings and decisions of courts have altered its
character and rendered its operation injurious
in some other respects; and that the changes
in 1874 which were not in the direction Of pro
lection. but of essening or removal of pro-
lection, have by their unsatisfactory results
warned manufacturers that it is exceedingly
dangerous to advise further revision without
carefully considering its possible effects upon
each branch Of the industry. These being the
facts, il seems not quite proper for The
American Wool Reporter to distrust in adj
vance the efforts Of the manufacturers and to
say:
Tho results OF the tariff revision OF 1883, under the
leadership Of the National Association of Wool Man
ufacturcrs, however wei intended, have been
cause of grief and distress to the wool manufacturing
industry OF the United States ever since.
look at the list of failures of woollen
mills since January 1. 1850, and how many
others have seen their surplus capital fade away
during the past few years the result of the tariff
Inequalities pcrpctrated in 1883. Later In Jan-
ary, 1888, conference of wool growers and woollca
manufacturers held In Washington, which has
been source OF contempt and the laughing stock OF
the Nation since.
Ii is true that the revision of 1888 as re-
spects wool and woollens was vicious and has
worked badly, but it Is not true that the re-
vision at that time made was precisely the one
which the manufacturers recommended. II
was without regard to the interests of growers
and met the wishes of only a part of the manu-
facturers. II is not true that the subsequent
evils and failures have been results of that re-
| vision alone, but in large part they have been
| caused by changes in manufacture or markets,
or by Treasury rulings and decisions of courts,
which no one could then foresee and nobody
is now competent to say exactly what the effect
Of the revision would have been if circum-
stances then unforeseen had not afterward
| arisen. But il is true that portion of the
manufacturers at that time exercised an in
| fuence not in harmony with the interests Of
Others and it is also true that reduction in
duties on wool, which was by some manufact-
urers supposed to be for their benefit has re-
suited disastrously to the manufacturers and to
wool growers, once more illustrating the truth
that this great industry cannot thrive unless
the prosperity both of growers and of manufact-
urers is carefully considered in any revision.
II is in this particular that the proposed con-
ference is open to some criticism. The manu-
facturers are invited, but no effort appears TO
obtain cooperation or conference with repre-
sentatves Of wool-growers Perhaps such an
effort is being made privately, for the manu-
facturers can hardly have overlooked the
necessity of securing harmony Of action be-
tween representatives Of wool-growing and
Mountaineering districts in order to get
anything accomplished. Nor are they ignorant