The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-07-30
h Wool question.

The Wool Question.
The fact that the farmers this year
have received a better price for wool
than they received last year, and that
they owe this advance to the defeat Of
the free wool clause in the Mills bill, is
now pretty generally apparent to the
country, Wool went down last year
under the scare produced by the fear
the country would sustain President
Cleyeland's raid upon wool by re.elect-
ing him, and along with him a Congress
imbued with his hostility to a wool tariff.
The better price for wool Is the result Of
the recovery fromthls scare. Mauufact-
urers have no fear that for the presentat
least the existing duties will be inter.
fered with, and therefore they are will
ing to buy wool and manufacture goods
ahead OF their immediate wants, some
thing they were not willing TO do last
year.
In view OF the present price OF wool,
which is fairly remuneratlye to the
farmer, and the prospects for abundant
pasture this year and an immense re-
serve OF hay and other food for next
year, there is every reason to suppose
that n very large growth in tho number
oil sheep. will take place all over the
country. It is q general rule that when
hay aud other farm products are super.
abundant, as they promise TO be this
year, an immense stimulus Is given to
stock raising OF all kinds, inasmuch as 1t
is more profitable TO feed stock than to.
sell the products on which they are fed.
This prospect affords an assurance that
the price Of wool will not advance out
OF proportion to the general plane Of
prices, Just as the retention Of the duty
affords an assurance that 1t will not be
unduly depressed, The existing duty
and the abundant crop prospect will
thus work tremendously for the inter
ests Of producer and consumer.
We notice that some Of the advocates
OF free wool are again making use Of the
old campaign argument that the present
advance in wool is at tho expense Of con-
sumers OF wooden goods. This argument
is as much Of a boomerang to-day as It
was last year. The inference from it is
that tho lower the price Of wool goes the
better for the interests Of the country.
In other words, II wool at e5 cents per
pound is a good thing for the country,
wool at 20 cents per pound Is better still.
They can not avoid this inference.
Wool at any price that does not make
the keeping Of sheep remunerative in
all parts Of the country adapted to sheep
raising, is not a good thing for the coun-
try. Wool Is only one feature Of sheep
raising. Mutton, the great regulator Of
prices for meat Of all kinds, is another
very important consideration. Toeyery
household this Is a matter Of great mo-
ment. Sheep on all our hills and on the
plains OF the West means beef and pork,
as well as mutton, at reasonable prices.
1t also means the saving Of the soil on
our hills. Cereal farming would ruin
the hillsides Of West Virginia and the
whole Ohio Valley in a few years, Their
soil would gradually disappear into the
Gulf OF Mexico by being washed into
the tributary streams Of the Ohio,
We are bidding for immigration into
West Virginia. The continued profit
able raising Of sheep is mi Of the great
est inducements we have to offer to
farmers to come luto our State and farm.
They will never como here to raise
wheat, corn, oats, or other cereals on our
hill sides. Therefore a fair price for
wool is ono Of our reliances for an In
creased farming population, and an In
creased farming population is our re-
lance for the growth Of our towns and
cities.
In every aspect in which we can view
the wool question It comes homo to all
Of us as q matter OF community interest.
1t is after all the only sure crop Of the
farmer in this region. The wool always
-N-..N. N..l - ..lz.. |