The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-18
THE WOOL MANUFACTURERS.
The Question of Free Wool Is Under Discussion
Arguments in Its Favor.

BosToN, Sept. 1.-THE executive COM
mittee of the National Association of Wool
Manufacturers is in session here to-day.
The question of free carpet woods is one of
the principal topics under discussion. No
action as yet has been taken, but the asso-
citation quarterly bulletin Just published
says editorially: at was admitted in 1867
that the duties upon carpet woods were not
designed to serve as protective duties, but
were imposed for purely revenue purposes.
We cannot subscribe to the claim now
made that conditions have so,changed in
twenty years that protection duty is now
desirable and would be advantageous. The
argument is that the conditions now exist
ing which removed all necessity for pro-
tective duty on carpet wools, have been in
creased and intensified by the lapse of
time A prohibitory or highly protective
duty on the cheaper grades would not lead
to the production in this country of woods
similar to those now imported for this pur-
pose. The manufacturers would be iusti-
fed in insisting that the low grade carpet
woods shall go upon the free list.
These low grade carpet woods are al
most the only raw material on which rev
enue duty was imposed when the govern
ment needed money from which it has not
since been removed, for it is not there lin
the Senate tariff BILL proposed to remove
it. The argument in favor of free carpet
wool 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 securing at the customs houses
the classification necessary for the proven
too of frauds. We hold this difficulty to
be the only valid argument that can be
urged against the free admission of carpet
woOlS.n
The proceedings Of the executive commit
tee are private.
During the afternoon resolutions were
adopted declaring that the Forty seventh
Congress reduced specific duties on manu-
featured products so far beyond the reduc-
ton in duties on wool as to. destroy their
compensatory character, causing such an
increasing importation of certain goods
as to flood the market; that the wooden
manufacturers If the United States
should occupy : shat the manufacturers de
mani a revision u tue tariff in which there
shall in every insjauce be placed on manu-
factGred products the full amount of the
specific duty necessary to compensate
whatever rate of duties public policy may
require to be imposed Oh raw material.
That as the existing dUt,r afforded nearly
20 per cent. less protection rIan was deemed
necessary for the Development of the in
dustry Tehen the rates OF 81 Ngt.r G.-Cd the
association DEMANDS an increase in Tue ,lI-
valorem duties and ashS for the adn.;.pn
of Il single rnle of daty ~ auui.,-..tl TO
each item of the wooden schedule and for
the abolition of existing minimums.
1t is held that no rate of duty on wool
can be protective to American manufacture
ers which is not accompanied by cores
yON on
tured articles to enable our manufacturers
to hold the home market.
Resolutions of protest against making
the wool industry any longer football of
politics.
The resolutions will be submitted to the
annual meeting of the national association
to be held in New York, October 2S.