The sun., 1890-01-03
rHr rlnrrr On Woon.
Wool Growers Plead FOR Higher Duties
nnd Manufacturers for Free Wool,


nna Manufacturers for Free Wool.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2-The Ways and
Means Committee to-day heard arguments by
representatives OF the wool growers. George
II. Wallace OF Missouri read prepared
paper aboundlng with statistics to DEM
onstIate the necessity for maintaining the
duties on imported wool, and suggested an ad-
Unstable tariff which would diminish whom
wool was scarce and high In price and in
crease when it was plentiful and low In price.
He dWelt at length upon what he described as
imperfeotlons OF tho present olassiflcations.
saying that In Wanamnker's store could be
seen pantaloons made ofthird class or carpet
wool and sold at $3.50 per pair. The importers
OF carpet woods said that this grade OF wool
was used everywhere and for all kinds OF wool
manufacturing as we'll as carpets. This dem-
onetrates the fact that tho importation OF third
class wool under the present law Is diminish
ing the production OF wool in America.
Mr.. Flower questioned Mr. Wallace closely as
to tho actual cost OF wool production in Mis-
souri,. elicitinR the fact that the land was worth
from t35 to $40 per acre, and that 1t would
maintain one cheer, per acre. ,
taIned from the witness that the fleece aver
aged about t1.50. The actual cost OF produo-
tion OF the wool was about 20 cents q pound.
There was no money to be made at that figure,
but there were other circumstances to be heed.
ed. such "a the manurinR OF the land, the fact
and and othepWiso Sh beneflted the farm. w 'O'N''
Mr. Carlisle said that was as he supposed; !;
the sheep were not valuable alone for wool and
r. b, bennett of Boston, editor Of the AmerI-
can Wool Reporter. said that two petitions
$50 persons in favor Of free wool, and the other
signed by 200 persons In favor OF an ad valorem
Sn 4 place a no the
rank and file OF smaller manufacturers were as
willing TO express their opinions In regard to
trade. No effort had been made to ascertain
the politics OF the signers Of these petitions A
benefit benefit Of It the % manufacturers % Who furnish our our
domestic wool growers the sqe market l; Tor for
tlon Concerned in the raising of wool.
The witness next spoke OF the ad valorem
largest merchants and manufacturers, and
reading letters from experts tavoring this sys-
on manufactures Of WOOL because OF the diGi-
Guilty Of determining their value, but the same
ob,eotion could not be made to an ad yalorem n,
over the world, and differentiation could not
In answer to Chairman Mckinley witness
said that an sd yalorem duty of 40 per cent. on
combing, and 20fper cent on carpet wool would
afford suf1iciept projection. -, ., T..
was undoubtedlly true that as land Increased
in price the number Of sheep decreased Whore
ts e ala not hf
that the tariff on wool had increased the price
rStFod dSbs RI the TqS yS gave number
statstics relative to the cost Of growing and
marketing wool in the West Taking the ac-
counts of q Colorado farm, he showed that 49,
600 pounds Of raw wool cost the grower about
25 cents per pound; at the seaboard 1t cost 80
cents, and after securing pretty nearly 80
sheep grower to wager $4,000 sheep against o
like number held by another owner that Har-
ria ha ala Cta6D Draaihapt Ia hat
the man chanced nothing for he calculated
that his sheep would be worthleasif President
the last Presidential election that every dollar
invested In sheep was staked on the issue" !" eaid
the witness.
Chairman Mckinley asked II there was any
gentleman present to speak in favor OF free
wool. There was no response, and the com-
mittee adjourned until tomorrow.