The Portland daily press., 1890-06-02

satory and advalorem duties to w0olen man
ufacturers. And the unfortunate use OF the
WORD W0rsted'' In the paragraph intended
for coarse flannels and blankets, led to large
importations of worsted cloths at so low du-
ties as to compel a large number OF our
worsted mills to either shut down or turn
their machinery to other classes OF woolens.
The imp0rtati0ns of manufactures OF WOOL,
greatly undervalued under existing laws,
have increased rapidly under this state Of
facts, until last year their imports reached
$52.500,000 at the low foreign valuation, and
represented domestic valuation OF nearly
800, 100000 or about one-fourth of our en-
tire consumption. These large importations
and the turning of machinery from worsted
to wO0lens, have had very injurious influ-
ence upon our wo0len manufacturing indus
try and on our wool growers, as these i'm
ports last year represented at least 60,OOO,-
900 pounds of wool brought into this country
in the form of woolen goods.
The w00len schedule Of the Mckinley bill,
and the worsted and administrative bills
just passed by both Houses, correct all the
errors of the act of 1888, and for the first
time give the wooden manufacturing indus
try the additional protection needed to ena-
bic our wooden mills to make fine cloths and
dress goods, now so largely imported. At
the same time the duty on clothing wool is
increased one cent per pound, as was pro-
ago, which fully meets the wishes Of the
wool growers, who have been dissatisfied
since the reduction Of the duty on wool in
1888; and the manufacturer is fully cOmpen-
stated by specific duty equivalent to the
duty on wool, ii imported, and all charges
arising from the same.
Leading wool manufacturers in all parts
Of the country are confident that the McKin-
ley bill would largely diminish the imports
of woolens, and give the making of a large
proportion of these goods to our own mills.
and that New England, as the most import
ant woolen manufacturing centre, would
reap large share Of the benefits.
When 1t Is borne in mind that the carpet
industry, which has been protected SO thor,
oughly since 1860 as to absolutely control
our home market, and which is equally pro-
tected by the Mckinley bill, has grown
from production of 100000 yards in 1860
to 100000 yards in 1889, with a reduction
of one half in the cost of carpets to the con.
the adequate protection which this bill gives
the -woolen and worsted cloth and dress
goods In this country, will secure for these in.
terests what adequate protection has secured
to the carpet industry; and, more than this,
will contribute to the prosperity Of our wool
growers, and give the people still cheaper
clothing. The sea fisheries are particularly
New England interest, and these are es-
pecially cared for by the Mckinley bill,
which places uniform duty Of cent per
pound on all imported salt water fish. I'M
der the present law picked fish in barrels
have this duty, but all other salt fish have
duty of only one-half cent pc
pound; while under the ruling of the Treasr
ury Department on the fresh fish paragraph,
practically all Canadian fresh fish are ad-
mtted free of duty. This ruling, united
with the discrimination against American
fishing vessels in Canadian ports, and the
Dominion bounties to Canadian fishermen
have seriously injured our New England
fishermen, who will find their interests great
ly promoted by the Mckinley bill And, in
view of the fact that the nation has always
found in our sea fisheries an invaluable nur-
sery of seamen to man our vessels in time of
war, the whole country can but regard the
encouragement given our fishermen in this
bill as eminently just and wise.
Tne increase of duty on imported dressed
or polished granite (tke duty on rough gran
ite and freestone remaining substantially as
under existing law is especially in the inter-
ests Of New England granite cutters.
The increase in duties of such agricultural
products as have been imported largely
from Canada and Germany has been fire.
quently referred to in tariff reform" papers
as antagonistic to the interests of New Eng
land.
On the contrary, this is directly and espec-
tally in the interest of New England. Half
of our population are farmers, and it Is the
products Of New England agriculture which
have particularly suffered from Canadian
and German importations.
Look at the imports of products of agri-
lfurQ in tho la eft 6aaal