Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1891-06-18
ABOUT WOOL,

W. "SS@
The Montana bourbon free trade
editors who are generally employed by
the milllonaires, for lear OF losing their
Jobs dare not say anything favorable
OF a policy that protects one OF the
greatest industries in the state. With
out regard for truth, they watch every
opportunity for a pretext to make
capital for their party, which never
had a policy of any kind. If the man
ufacture of tin plate does not spring
into existence at once as il touched by
a magic wand, they pronounce it's
manufacture a failure; if wool does
not increase rapidly in price, then the
Mckinley bill is a fraud. These liars
have no other object except to earn
their money and please their bosses.
Fortunately when they write about
wool they are trying to instruct men
who know more about the operation
of the Mckinley bill than they do
men who study cause and effect, men
who have no Use for the demagoeue.
The men who invest large sums OF
money in the sheep business are not
doing so on prices that may prevail
one year, but base their investment OH
a policy that is going to protect them
through a series OF years. With them
it is not the f1uctuation OF a cent or
two in the price, but the possibility Of
breaking down the price so there is no
money to be made in the industry.
If the unprecedented have a desire to
get somewhere near the truth, let them
ignore the free trade organs who are
laboring for pelf and political power
and turn to periodicals and trade cir
culars which are in sympathy withthe
industry. We quote the following ex-
tracts from the last circular issued by
Justice, Bateman & Co. as bearing on
the operation OF the Mckinley bill:
Prices also average q shade lower than
at this time last year, owing to the absence
Of the speculation which accompanied the
buying OF wool last year in anticipation Of
the passage of the Mckinley bill. Some
who purchased wool in the country with a
view to a boom paid &c per pound above
the level of the other markets of the world
These dear purchases were held above the
market until manufacturers had mostly
supplied themselves with Australian woods,
which, Notwithstanding the lie per pound
duty, could be bought cheaper in London
The cost of clothing is no higher than be-
fore the Mckinley bill was passed, and,
without any advance in manufactures OF
wool, higher prices Tor raw material can
not he permanently maintained. Some
kinds OF wooden goods upon which the du-
ties were advanced have declined in Eu-
rope so much that the cost to the Ameri-
can consumers i'd no greater than under the
old law, the increased duty coming entirely
on OF the foreign producer. Conspicuous
among such articles are some kinds OF no
-iery, the duties upon which were greatly
incI ca sed by the Me inley bill, which have
declined SO much abroad as to admit OF
their Importation at the increased duties
and still allow of their sale to the American
consumers at lower prices than were cur
rent before the tariff Was changed. Among
the many causes which have combined to
| prevent any advance in the price OF wooden
goods was the excessive importations in
anticipation of a change in the tariff, which
/ goods, owing to a mild winter, were not all
wanted by consumers. The depression
that would have existed in the business il
the tariff law had not been changed would
have been very great. as mills that were
\ previously lule are HOW Euilullg, anu tiit
consumption of WOO in this country to re-
place the goods that were formerly i'm
| ported is at least 1000, % pounds per
month greater than at this time last year.
II the abuses and evasions OF the old tariff
law had not been corrected by the passage
of the Mckinley bill, the falling off in the
use Of WOO in the United States would
probably have been more than double the
increased quantity o used.
The increase in the clip of Australia is OF
such magnitude as to be a menace to the
~permanence of present prices abroad. Aus
tralia is now the factor which determines
the prices for wool in the markets OF the
world, only that the American woolgrower
has the advantage OF about lie per pound
owing to the protection which the present
law gives him.
The lower price that the Canadian far
mer now receives for his wool in compari-
son with the American farmer applies with
equal force to woolgrowing all over the
world. Thu Mckinley bill, while not in
creasing the cost of clothing to the con-
sumer. has transferred industry to Ameri-
can mills at the expense of foreign mills.
Although the prices for American woclhave
not permanently advanced, the foreign
markets nave declined. Activity prevails
in the wool and wooden industry Of the
United States, while depression prevails in
the industries abroad"
The above clearly states the causes
which have prevented any advance in
the price of wool, and shows what
would have been the condition OF the
wo~ol-growing industry ii abuses were
not corrected by the Mckinley bill.
What must be the condition OF labor
in a country where wool can be grown
and laid down in this country in com
petition with American woods and pay
a duty OF IL cents a pound? 1t will be
seen that while the Mckinley bill pro-
tects the American woolgrower the
price OF clothing has not been add
vanced to the This is be-
cause the bill has had the effect to
the wooden mills of the east,
which 10Y manufacture a great por-
ton OF the goods that were formerly |
imported.
The question is, what would become
OF the wool industry in America if all
the wool and wooden goods OF the
world were admitted into our ports
free OF duty Until the American far
mer, woolgrower and shepherd are
willing to exchange the comforts and
compensations OF civilization for those
OF bsrbarism the experiment will not
be tried.
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