The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-08-14


Wheeling Register
1t is charged that the two recent
decisions of the Treasury Depart
ment, changing the tariff rates on
wool, are in pursuance. of an under
standing reached before the Presi-
dental election, by which the great
proportion of the wooden manufac.
turing interest was induced to fore
go the demnnd for free wool, and
turn in for Harrison and high tariff
ali around.
There is every reason to believe
the charge is well founded, for tho
manufacturers can not get along
with a high tariff on their raw ma-
terial and they certainly would not
have supported such a policy unless
with some such understanding as
the above.
These troasury. rulings nre simply
jobs and will probably bc the sub
joct of Congressional inquiry. Tho
first, some woclts ago, by a jngglc
of the words "worsteds" and "wool-
ems" raised the import duties on
very large line of wooden goods SO
as TO practically shut off competition.
Tho second is the rule just promulga-
ted by which the duty on fine wool,
characterized as "wastc," is re-
duced from 60 to 10 per cent. 1t is
capable of being used for any pur-
pose for which manufactured scour-
ed wool can be used. 1t can be
either combed or carded and can
be spun into worsted or WOODEN
yarn.
Its effect on the price of raw wool
may not be great but it is a direct
bacl-cap to the small wool growers
who voted for high taxes in the
hope of getting slicc.t
Both these decisions, reversing
precedent and the ruling of the
Federal Courts, and plainly wrong,
are, it will be noticed, in the inter-
est of the wool manufacturers. In
one casc the duty on the manufac-
turcd article is increased to tho
prohibitory point, and in the other
-relating to fine wool, which comes
in competition with our wool grow
ers of tho West Virginia panhandle
the duty is reduced from $50 on
the 500 to s10-nlmost free wool.
This is to satisfy and reimburse tho
manufacturers who allowed thcm-
selves to be "fried" by Quay & Co.
1t is asserted that Quay dictated
these rulings. A Washington spc-
cial to the st. Louis Republic
says:
The Cleveland Administration
caring more for a faithful execution
OF the revenue laws than for the
profits of the Philadelphia manu-.
, facturers, refused to lot this article
in under its false colors, and col
lected the lawful duty of 30 cents
per pound. 1t had actually become
so profitable to import this so-caIled
waste and cheat the revenue that
5 in England for a time the price OF
the article was raised above the
price of the secured wool from
which it was made. Secured wool
could not bc sent to the United
State because of the 30 cents per
pound duty, while the same article,
under the name of garnettcd waste,
could be admitted at only 10 cents
per pound duty. This bogus waste
made of highly purified and worIs.l-
Bile wool, comes III at !: rate of duty
which defrauds the revenues and
the Philadelphia manufacturers aro
in a fair way to get return of the
money which they invested in
Harrison's election through Wanna
maker.
Tho American wool grower il
one of the lambs who will be pluck
ed by the fraud. The Quay party
has cheated him badly In the last
campaign the Ohio and other
Western wool growers joined hands
!, with the manufacturers in elcctinR
Harrison under a compact which
was to protect the interest of both.
The manufacturers were to have
the benefit of an identical cIassifi
cation of wooden and worsteds, and
the wool growers were to be satis.
fed with ruling that would put a
stop to the importation of secured
wool disguised as waste at the low
rate of duty. An effort was made
to carry out the terms of the COM
pact. Secretary Window had q
decision ready that would have
shut out all the bogus waste, rs il
declared the gnrnctted stuff secured
wool, which has been subjected TO u
further process of preparation, and
therefore subject to duty OF sixty
cents per pound at the last mo
ment the influence of Quay was
brought to bear, the bargain with
the wool growers was repudiatcd
and the Philadelphia manufacturers
are now in protection over. They
gain at both ends, securing cheaper
raw materials from abroad and
higher prices here for their man
ufactured goods TO be worked off on
the protection-loving public.
i NWH