Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-04
WAYSAND MEANS COMMITTEE
Wool Growers and Manufacturers
Contradict Each Other.
SHEPHERDS WANT PROTECTION.
A Revised Tariff and More of IL De-
manded By the Herders-But
Higher Duties will Close
The Factories.
A Conflict of Opinion.

w
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.-The session OF the
ways and means committee opened with Rep
resentative Carter of Montana as a witness.
He spoke in relation to sheep husbandry. He
thought that If there were no tariff on wool
that that industry would be destroyed.
MIR. Shepard, a wool grove from Texas,
read a paper to prove that with sufficient
protection the United States could raise all
the carpet wool consumed in this country.
He wanted the same duty on all wool and
said the wool growers of Texas were gener-
ally IN favor of protection.
Hon. William Lawrence Of Ohio said he
was one Of a committee appointed by the Ma
tional Wool Growers ASSOCIATION at its re-
cent Washington convention to make some
remarks as TO the legislation which the wool
growers generally believed was REQUIRED by
sound public policy aud justice. He ad-
Messed the committee on two subjects, the
proper duty on carpet wool and on the pro-
visions of the law necessary to secure an
honest administration of the tariff law. 1t
was safe to say the wool growers gen.
orally believed sound policy required the
imposition of such duties on so called
carpet wool as would IN due time enable
American wool growers to produce all the
wool required for home consumption. Either
the protective policy should be abandoned
and the policy of free trade adopted or else
the protective policy should be made effec-
tive so as to give the whole American market
TO the home producer.
Mr.. Carlisle asked the witness n number
of questions as to his views on taking the
tax off tobacco, alcohol used in the arts,
sugar, etc. He favored removing the tax
from.the first two articles and regarding
sugar, said IL does not tail within the policy
of the protective tariff for the reason that
for more than twenty years with protection
the sugar industry has not been developed
to supply more than 10 per cent of the con-
sumption of the country. w cap,'' he
said, ''develop the wool industry so as TO
supply all the wool we want. If necessary
to save the protective system he would tax
whisky to the full extent to which the law
could be enforced.
Bayne suggested in order to save time and
give other gentlemen opportunity to address
the committee that Mr.. Lawrence's manu-
script be printed without being read. To
this suggestion MIR. Lawrence assented, with
the condition that he make u condensed
statement orally of what his manuscript
That clause was adopted and
Mr.. Lawrence went on with his remarks.
He would purposely, he SAID, omit a tariff
speech which he would like to make in con-
gress to the effect that an adequate duty on
wool and manufactured WOODEN goods would
not ultimately increase the cost ut all, be-
cause home competition would prevent uu-
reasonable charges, while IL the protective
DOllCl U hll ~ ouIh
imported from abroad the result would be
that the American people would be ut the
mercy Of foreign trusts and corporations.
Carllsle-That argumenJ rests on the as
sumption that the home industry would pc
abandoned.
Witness--Y Yes, the effect Of the tariff Of
1888 has been to cut down vastly the number
of our sheep, and with free wool the wool in
dustry would be practically abandoned in
the United States.
James Dobson, u Philadelphia carpet man =
ufacturer. denied the correctness OF many of
Iawrence's statements. He argued that the
wool growers of the United States would not
and could not produce the quantity OF carpet
wool used in that industry because where
they received Sl.50 for u fleece Of tine wool
they would not receive 25 ceuts for coarse
wool.
William Whitman of Boston, president OF
the National Association of Wool Manufac-
turers, said the prevailing sentiment in the
organization was for the maintenance but
not the increase of the present duties. They
would oppose any attempt TO restrict the i'm
portation of foreign wool because IL would
be impossible for the wool manufacturer
to produce all tho goods necessary for home
consumption unless they could have foreign
wool. In reply to a question, Mr.. Whitman
sand that under no circumstances would free
wool enable the manufacturers to make an
impression on the foreign markets. he
thought free wool would stimulate produc-
ton and give the manufacturers an oppor-
tunity W uispiaSc iorciBh prouuCts NOW uscu
here, but he also thought the effect OF free
wool would be to diminish the price of WOO
and consequently discourage sheep raising
THE moment we begin to take from the
wool product any given amount Of wool the
price will DO raised and wool will become
considerably dearer than now.
II. G. Search, representing the Manufac'
turers' club of Philadelphia, declared him
self in harmony with Mr.. Whitman's Vows
A statement TO a like effect was made by w
H. Eolwell, a cloth manufacturer of phila
delphia. He announced himself in favor o.
putting high duties on southern products
sugar, rice, turpentine and peanuts, anC
having free whisky and free tobacco.
John L. Plummer of New York said tn,
country Is suffering under the popular
prejudice that better clothes can be go
abroad than here at the same prlce. He de
Clared there was no country where a mai
could get as good a suit of clothes for q
little money us in the United States.