The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-09-02
SALT AND WOOL.

The Republicans of the Senate voted
solidly, last week, against free salt Except
for he millionaire meat-packers and free
wool. The former is one of the most i'm
portanr necessaries of daily life. and the
latter IS the leading raw material of Amer
lean manufactures.
The above is from the Sentinel, and,
of course, contains several inaccuracies.
The Republicans did vote against the
proposition to put salt on the free list.
Free salt would help nobody except
few people on the Atlantic coast, who
would be benefited by salt brought to
this country as ballast, or in ships COM
ing empty at a nominal cost. American
salt in bulk now costs $3.50 ton In
Chicago, while ton of English salt,
without duty, costs 1857. Salt is one
of the articles with which the duty has
of the American people. The Repub-
ican Senators voted against putting it
on the free list because the abundance
of American salt makes the price in this
country. Now, as to 'the millionaire
meat-packers,n who are allowed draw
back on English salt used in packing
why do they use English salt? Because
Englishmen believe that England pro-
duces the best of everything, and, con-
sequently, they will not buy meats
cured with American salt. There
fore, meat packers in Chicago
and elsewhere seeking a market
in England must use British salt, upon
which there is a duty of 12 cents hum
dred pounds if in sacks, and cents if in
bulk. These packers ask rebate of the
duty on English salt imported for and
used in the curing of meats for that
market. The Senate finance committee
opposed the proposition, but the Sen
ate, by vote of 81 to IL, adopted it.
The twelve Senators voting against it
are Republicans, while every Democrat
voting and twelve Republicans voted
for it. Neither of the Indiana Senators
voted ON 1.-The millionaire meat-pack-
ers'" rebate, but they appear to be
paired in favor of the rebate of duty
which they ask, and it was carried by
the votes of nineteen Democrats. AS to
wool, it has never been in a free list,
even under the. Democratic or Walker
tariff of 1916. 1t is not raw material,
because the production of the best
grades of wool requires long experience
and great care, which have resulted in
doubling the weight of the clip per
sheep in this country. Sheep-husbandry
is one of the great industries of the
country. in nearly all the Northern
States large numbers of farmers keep
| f1ocks of sheep, and the industry.was in
creasing until, under the ridiculous
classifcations and negligence of customs
officers under the tariff act of 1883, woods
of high grade and partially manufact-
ured were admitted under the lowest
duties, to the great injury of the home in
dustry. The present bill makes new
classification, which will prevent frauds
and increase the duty on some grades
| about 10per cent. This is done to give
a new impetus to the industry, and to
| put upon firm basis branch of agri-
culture which has been remunerative to
farmers of the United States to the ex-
| tent that this is now one of the largest
wool growing countries in the world.
The Republican party assumes the re-
sponsibility of putting duty on wool
for the sole purpose of protecting the
wool-growing industry, and of prevent
ing the wool growers of the Republic
from competing with poems of South
| America, the coolies of India and the
| convicts in Australia.