The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-16
OCTOBER 10. 1901.


..
Wool and tho Tariff.
A correspondent OF tho Now York
Pres writes to that paper on the effect
OF the Mckinley law on wool and its
manufactures, and tho Press editorially
refers to him AZ a gentleman Of high
standing and thirty years professional
knowledge oil wool and wooden fabrics.
The lotter is in reply to ono written b.
Mr.. Louis Windmullcr TO the FREQ trade
journals OF the country, in which he
makes an effort to rob tho Mckinley
tariff OF the results it was designed to
effect. Mr.. Windmullcr is M importer
OF wool and is, OF course, selishly inter-
cstcd in trying to show by the jugglcry
OF figures how tho Mckinley bill has
miscarried. The letter referred to
above analyses Mr.. Windmuller's fig
ures and shows by them how fallacious
are the free trade arguments he extracts
from them.
Like all other free traders, Mr.. Wind
muller introduces tho import figures
with the charge that the Mckinley
bill is responsible for tho reduction in
the price OF Australian wool from l3d
to lad per pound, Notwithstanding the
importations of clothing wool for tho
seven months ending July amounted to
100 per cent. moro than for the same
period in 1890. The figures used by
the free trader and those published by
the Government Bureau OF Statistics
are as follows:
1mportatlons OF clothing wool for seven
months ending:
July 3, 1891. July 81, 1880.
a9,2Sl, DC lbs. 3,S.jl, $50 lbs,
valued mt valued Mt
ST, 2OO,32O. 81, lGJ. SO.
'C Il I ESe ID g? g !:f5i ID.
1t is absurd to charge to the Mckinley
bill the TACT that an excessive produc-
tion OF Australian wool depressed prices
in that country. The Mckinley tariff,
says the Press correspondent, "has in
creased the number of sheep in this
country, and us the crossbrcd or bright
sorts are moro desirable because of n
fashionable demand for certain kinds OF
fabrics, prices for these sorts have been
very steadily preserved, while for fine
ilecccs the prices have declined. As the
figures that relate to the imports OF
manufactures OF wool have an essential
bearing upon the imports OF wool, our
readers are reminded that they should
not be lost sight Of" From the total
importations, classified as manufactures
OF wool, those that relate to carpets,
rags, shoddy, mungo, wastes, ETC., have
been deducted and we have the follow
ing.
Im%portations OF manufactures OF wool
for the seven months ending
July 81. 1891. July n. 1890
&l9.S0S,5IO. ST, lS0,ii9.
From these figures given in the
Press article, it will be seen that the
imports OF manufactures OF wool for
the seven months OF 1891 have been
Sl5,314,S70. "At the average pound
cost OF tho importations this sum would
have furnished an additional supply of
722,50O,000 pounds OF wool, whereas tho
excess ovc tho same timo last year
has been IL, 1926 07 pounds. Ii to con-
vert this greasy wool into cloth twenty
cents per pound is allowed, it will be
seer that the work people OF this coun-
try have been or will be paid s., 1000 900
in wages through the operations OF
the Mckinley tariff, and also tho wages
Tor manufacturing $1,000, 900 pounds
more OF domestic wool that has been
necessary to make up Tor the decreased
importations OF manufactures OF WOOL"
1t ma" be ut once seen from the above
that the laboring man has much to
thank the Mckinley bill for. In check
ing the imrortations OF manufactures OF
wool it proves itself n benitcent meas.
ure andoperatcs in behalf OF tho Amcri-
can working nan byaiIording him more
employment at good wages. Our free
trade friends will be forced to ac;nowl-
edge the force OF this before another
year has gone by.
"#H..