New-York tribune., 1890-01-04
DISCUSSING THE TARIFF.
"A TEXAS MAN TELLS ROGER Q. MILLS
WHY THAT STATE DOESN'T
WANT FREE WOOL.
VIEWS OF REPRESENTATIVES, OF THE wooLLEN
INDUSTRIES PRESENTED TO THE WAYS
AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
by TELEGRAPH TO THE TEIRtI Nn-K

Washington, Jan. 3.-The Ways and Means Com
nittee, by sitting until late this afternoon. finished
the hearings the wool schedules of the tari',
Several more wool growers appeared and continued
yesterdays argument for higher duties ON foreign
woOls. especially in the lower grades Representative
Carter. of Montana, and ex-Controller Lawrence ol
Ohio, both spoke at length the conditions OF "ooi
growing in this country, and emphasizeu tne ldo' @
the cost Of the clip TO the herder was edo" S
running ahead Of its market value. MI carter eaVo
figures the cost of production IN Moh'dn" "'i'n
showed that under the present tarh rates the "ool
grower could not Law down his product IN the Boston
or New York market at the price pau ulee IoI iin
ported Australian feeccs, except at loss Inc III
dustrv was barely self-sustaining now, even tahhs
into account the natural increase of the HOOKS ana
the sales for mutton. and any reduction OF tall rates
.rould drive the ranch owners ont Of business The
raising of sheep. Mr. Carter said was vital TO the
prosperity of Montana, and the mture OF the State
was staked in great measure on the maintenance ol
the present protective duties.
Ex-Controller Lawrence who spoke for the National
uool Growers Association, thought that the existing
rates should not only be maintained. but somewhat
increased lie held that the United states could supply
all the wool needed the home market even IN The
coarsest grades used for carpets and that IL was oOh
the DUTY and the interest OF the Government to en-
courage the full development Of the home industry by
excluding all foreign Heeces. The wool growers had
bcen Disseminated against in the 1883 tariff. Mr..
Lawrence said for the benefit of the carpet manu-
facturers and the grades OF wool had been let
IN at rates ruinOus TO the domestic producer Ihls
was unjust to the sheep-rancheIs, and the witness
felt obliged to ask that carpet wool be taxed at inc
same rate practically other wool.
This proposition stirred up the carpet men, who
were unprepared for radical a suggestion. Mr..
Dobson of the well known Philadelphia carpet firm,
took the floor at once to dispute What Mr.. Lawrence
had said. The carpet men, lie exclaimed, were tired
OF being bounded" by the wool growers. Mr.. Law
renee and his associates wanted to keep out Of the
country all could be used for carpets. Yet
the home producer did not, could not and would not
raise enough or anything like enough, of the coarser
grades to supply the American market. The only
sheep worth herdine in the United states were the
high grade ones like the merino The American
farmer wouldn't have the others, and there
nothing 10 do but TO import the coarser feeces The
carpet makers, Mr. DObson said. were satisfied with
the tariff IT They regarded a proposition
like Mr.. Lawrence's as absurd.
The other leading woollcn manufacturers who ap-
peared before the committee. Mr. Whitman, of Pha.
delphia, the president of the American Wool Man
ufacturers' Association. and Erbcn Search. of the
Philadelphia Manufacturers Club, willing to have
any additional tax put materials. if the man
ufacturers could have compensatory specific duties.
and a slight increase the ad valorem rate woollen
goods. They submitted a scale 10 be used in ad-
justing the compensatory duties, by which for every
cent pound added wool. they should have
1
on clothing. The ad vaorem duties were to be ad-
vanced to 30 per cent the yarn. so on the cloth
and 60 on the made-up clothing. These rates were
higher than those in the senate bill. but the
ufacturers concnded that they had doing losing
business for several and could cOntinue to make
wOollens only under the rates they suggested
additional notifications Of the Senate bill asked.
among them the abolition of the so-canad sliding scale
OF values.
An amusing incident of the sitting the cross
examination of A. F. shepard. a Texas sheep rancher,
who was trying 10 SHOW thai he could produce carpet
wool in large quantities. if there a protective
duty 1t of 10 cents a pound. He said that under
the present rates wool growing improbable and
that the number Of sheep Texas had been steadily
decreasing-all this in spite Of the great natural ad
vantagas of taat state for sheep raising.
Texas would lie great state if properly protected,
wouldn't it, asked NJ. Eayne, looking at Nj Mills.
who busy sharpening his knfe-bade the sole
OF his boot.
YES said the witness "n we were properly cared
for
Mr. Gear-what would have been the effect on the
wool growing business in Texas the NILS bill had
gone into effect
The witness-We would all have gone out Of bust
ness, l reckon.
This stirred the Corsicana statesman up little
and he put series Of questions 70 Mr. shepard 70
show that duty OF 10 cents on carpet wool would
Increase that much the price OF clothes. Nou simply
want 10 inc poor man. 40 YOU H't' Io N"u' "''"
benefit he said.
"No,7 replied the witness warmly " the only men
I want 10 rob are the rich and COnSrcssmc- Ike
yourself who are anxious to plunder tic sheep
raisers am a Democrat mys.lf-an but free trade
7 voted for Cleveland in l--1 and would have voted
for him in 157s if he hadn't singled out the wool
industry in his message for de,tructon' lApplauscJ
Mr. Brcchnrdge-N are a revenue Democrat
The witness-I do not know what you may call
me. have not the language TO express it.
Mr. Bayne-Are the farmers and woolgrowers OF
Texas generally in favor Of protectlon1
The witness-I cannot speak for the farmers /
know that the wool growers are.
Mr.. Bayne-Wltuout regard to partyl
The vitness-Wc are going 10 drop the question Of
Marty We will also try to drop some Of our present
Representatives in Congress.
The Clairman-You must be very discriminating IN
regard to members. There are some members from
Tevas whom We want left with LaugherJ
The witness then went on 10 say that the wool
growers in his section organizing TO put pro
tectioDist in Congress next November and "oum
make campaign on tariff platform
Mr.. Mlns-Dd not you try little OF that philosophy
in the last paISnl 1870
The vsitDe.s-Not as much as ! wish We had done'
There was another feature in that campaign p'''""
t!on-which elected some gentlemen. -
Mr. BrecElnridge-Is the Democracy oi i'A"'
strongly in favor Of prohibition H.. .to
The witDe,s-No Sir am sorry TO say that r'o
Democracy Of Texas is in favor OF hee ""'A'S
(LaughterJ a..
After this the Democratic cross-e2ahllioI' i'' ''''
Texan farmer severely alone.
Mr. shepherd said that with sufficient protection
the United states was able raise all the carpet "oo
consumed in the country. lie gave figures 10 $40"
that in Texas il cost from l. t. J. cents pouNu -
rroduce fine wool. thai il cannot be lald do"H ID
Rost0n at less thon 10 cents pound While inc A"9
tralan wool could BE- laid down there Gf there w"' no
dtv on III AT u cents d pound Nr. shepherd mas
a,.ont 900 sheep. on $4,000 acres, and hnda tI'I
t ,bo supDort Of one sheep aDout five acres are re