The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-10-17
WHAT HE GAINS ON HIS WOOL
THROUGH THE TARIFF.
A Review OF the Statements OF High
Tariff Organ-A Little Explanation
Of the Principles Involved.

ehen NC iupofItu Dut Iue uuIy Is
now of the most direct benefit to the
American wool grower. If it was
not for the duty, Cape of Good Hope
wool could be sold by Eastern deal
ers for 3S cents per pound secured
and Montevideo could be sold for 40
cents secured. These woods compare
very closely to Ohio and Michigan
fine fleece. The duty on these woods
makes their cost II cents and 70
cents respectively. To meet free
wool prices Ohio and Michigan fine
washed woods would have to be sold
at 10 cents and Is cents per pound.
They are now selling at 80 cents and
30 cents. The duty is IL cents per
pound, therefore the wool grower gets
the full benefit of the duty.-Ohio
State Journal.
This is one of the papers that is
continually reiterating the state
ments that "the tariff is not a tax"
"the tariff is paid by the foreign pro-
Queer, "the tariff lowers the price Of
the protected article"
That is their talk when trying to
get the consumers of the country to
submit to this enormous imposition.
But now they find that they have to
do some talking to the producer and
they tell an entirely different story
They tell US that the farmer is get
ting ii cents pound more for his
wool because of the tariff.
We suppose then, if this be true,
that the men who use wool Ia large
part of whom are farmers) have to
pay IL cents a pound more for the
wool
Ifnot, will the State Journal please
tell US why not2
The Journal also tells US that the
duty on certain imported woods makes
wool that would otherwise cost 38
and 40 cents pound cost II and 70
cents respectively.
Now then we have the statement
of the State Journal a protectonist
organ, that the achole amount of the
duty is added to the price of the
wool, that it is added not only to the
wool which is actually imported, but
is added to the price of the wool that
is produced in this country.
Well, we will not stop at this point
to consider whether this statement
is true or not, but simply supposing
that it is we ask the State Journal a
few questions based on this supposi-
tion.
If tariff of IL cents pound on
wool adds IL cents to the cost of all
the wool produced in the country,
why does not tariff of 80 per cent
on blankets add 80 per cent to the
cost of all blankets manufactured in
this country?
If tariff of IL cents a pound adds
ii cents to the cost of every pound
of wool produced in this country,
why does not tariff of 2 cents 4
pound on grain sacks add 2 cents a
pound to the cost of every grain sack
produced in this country?
If a tariff of IL cents a pound on
wool adds IL cents to the cost of
every pound of wool produced in this
country,swhy does not tariff of 35
to rs per cent on cotton stockings
add from 35 to rs per cent to the
cost of all the cotton stockings pro-
duced insthis country?
If a tariff of IL cents pound on
wool adds IL cents a pound to the
cost of all the wool produced in this
country, why does not a tariff Of
$l.00 thousand on lumber add 81. 90
a thousand to the cost of all the lum-
Der produced in this country?
We might continue this ad infini-
tum, but it is not necessary. Mind,
we have not said that the tariff of IL
cents pound on wool adds IL cents
a pound to the cost of wool. 1t was
the State journal said that. But
we ask, if this is the effect of the
tariff in the case of wool, why is it
not the effect of the tariff in the case
of all other articles?
And we add to this another ques
ton to the farmer:
If the tariff adds the amount of the
tariff to the price you get for your
wool, and if the tariff therefore adds
the amount of the tariff to the price
of everything you have to buy. aren't
you paying pretty big price( or
what you buy) for the sake of getting
very little extra on your wool?
Leaving the Inconsistencies of the
State Journal, let us look at few
plain facts and principles.
The tendency of the tariff is neces
sarily to increase the price of the
article on which it is levied If il
were not so, you may be sure that
the producers would not all be watch
ing Congress to see that their partic
ular production was properly pro
tected. This is the tendency, bu
the fact is that, owing to specia
causes, the tariff does not always
cause an advance in the price of thu
home product equal to the who'll
amount of the duty, and sometime
it does not produce any effect what
ever
The principal causes which inter
fere with the uniform operation 0
the tariff in adding to the price of th
home product are production, compe
| tition and combination.
Where The article Is produced i
this country in excess Of the con
sumption Of THE country. and u