The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-26
TAXED Wool AND FREE sUeAE.


The Democracy inquire why not free
wool as well as free sugar. The answer Is
that after q century Of protection this
country did not produce 10 per cent. of the
sugar it consumed, while after ten years of
genuine protection it produced nearly all
the wool il consumed. The imports of
foreign wool for the year ending June 80
were "a. o00,o pounds less than for the
previous year; the imports of manufact-
ured wool are nearly SIS, Oo,000 less in
value. while the exports of carpets trebled,
and there was an increase in the exports
of other wooden goods, facts that prove
very large increase In the consumption of
domestic wool without increasing prices to
consumers. another illustration of the fact
that genuine protection increases produc-
ton and reduces prices, while it increases
and enriches the home market In which
We spend our money rather than the for
eign market. The history of protection to
wool shows the same results that have
been exhibited by steel rails, wire nails.
wooden manufactures and other protected
industries.
Increased protection to domestic wool,
with increased production, has forced
down the price of wool, but the decline al
home has only been from 3 TO 3 per cent.
on fine wool, while abroad there has been
decline of more than twice that amount
on similar grades. The pretense that car
pet woods cannot be produced in this coun-
try is absurd, since 100000 pounds of
domestic woods are used for carpets.
Under ten years of revenue tariff, from
1880 to 1860, the production of wool only
increased 80, 264 900 pounds, decrease of a
pound less per capita than in 1850, while
the price of fine wool increased from Al
cents to 60 cents a pound by giving the
foreigners control of our market.
On the other hand, by protection the
production of wool was so greatly in
creased that in 1869 this country produced
152, 0O0, 900 pounds, or AZ pounds per cap
ita. In nine years 1t more than doubled
the production per capita, and at the same
time reduced the price 10 cents per pound.
After the heavy increase in the duty on
wool in 1867, the production increased
rapidly, and prices went down. In 1879
the production of wool had increased to
232, 500 600 pounds, and the price of fine
wool had declined nearly one-half, or to "a
cents. In 1884 the yield was increased to
1896, 10000 pounds, or ga pounds per
capita.
Then under the reduced wool duty pro-
vided by the tariff of 1888 the production
of domestic wool was arrested and de-
creased until the enactment of the present
tariff This year it is evident the farmers
have increased their wool product, for the
sales in Chicago of domestic wool since
January have been "a, 4s5, 300 pounds. an
increase of nearly 100000 pounds over
the corresponding period last year. In
Chicago the increase has been 46 per cent,
or II, 800, 1863 pounds. In Boston there has
been an increase of about 1000, 900 pounds,
while in New York the increase amounts
to over 5000, 900 pounds.
In ten years under the high wool tariff,
with increasing production, the price of
wool fell IS cents pound, while in six
years under the reduced tariff, with domes-
tic production falling off every year, the
price of wool declined only cents a
pound. The Mckinley tariff provides for
free sugar and protected wool, because it is
hopeless experiment to try to grow our
own sugar; but with thousand of WOOL
growers to one sugar-grower, the benefits
of protection go to avery large class rather
than to a very small class.