Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1891-10-15
THE TARIFF AND WOOL.


The last Oregonian contains an able
address delivered by John Mimic at
Salem, Oregon, at a recent meeting OF
the Northern Pacific Sheep Breeders
and Wool Growers ASSOCIATION. Mr..
Mimic isconsidered the best authority
in Oregon on the sheep industry, and
in his address he showed the benefits
OF the tariff on wool, and the good re-
suits secured through the enforcement
of better rules relative 70 the admis-
sion Of foreign woods and wooden goods.
Previous to the new regulations large
quantities OF fine secured woods were
imported as "waste," and still larger
quantities classed as carpet woods
were admitted into competition with
the American product at a very low
rate of duty.
Mr.. Mimic attributes the decline in
wool in 1883 to Mr.. Cleveland's
threatened policy to admit wool free.
He says:
What was the effect of this proposition
Oh your inteTtSts dS SuctP pIcSuciS Nv
wool growers? You know that the fall OF
wool prices on the North Pacific slope was
from 8 to 8 cents per pound, and that a
decline of an average OF 5 cents per pound
is a reasonable estimate to place upon it.
/ can pear personal testimony to the TACT
that it carried my crop OF pure heavy me-
rino wool down from 16 cents in 1887 to
IL cents in 1888. Many men in the inter-
Tor Columbia river valley sold their wool
as low as 8 and 10 cents, and not only
felt unable to purchase good breeding stock
for the purpose of Improvement, but re-
Trained from breeding altogether and sold
their fioeks next year for feeders. OF course
nearly all OF this sudden fall in prices and
closing out OF the business OF wool growing
was the result of a then reasonable lear
that Mr.. Cleveland's proposition would be
endorsed by his reelection. The cost oil
clothing to the consumer was not notice
ably reduced, but the production of Ameri-
can wooden mills was reduced by the meas
urs OF increased imports alluded to. 1t
now remains to review the influence OF a
policy contrary to that advocated by ex-
President Cleveland, which is to encourage
! necessary home production by defending it
| against that OF countries having cheaper
labor and more favorable conditions.
| Each of you, l have no doubt, can bear
| testimony to the beneficial effects of a mere
hope that such a policy would be enacted
into law. Prices of wool rose from that
influence alone from 3 to z cents in 1889
as compared with those OF 1883. My own
product advanced 4 cents per pound, and
that of 1890 to 16 cents for heavy rams
fieeces, to % cents for pure blooded ewes
heeces, unwashed. Hope and confidence
we're restored in these arid or woolgrowing
| districts of the North Pacific, and men be-
gan to turn their attention to sheep-breed-
ing. A trade which began in 1888 out OF
the dependency | have mentioned-by the
Lauteerman Bros, of Dakota, buying
10000 cheap, good grade merino ewes in
Umatilla county-has since greatly en-
larged. and has helped to advance prices,
until this season large numbers OF sheep
have been purchased in the upperC Columbia
valley at better prices than have been OBJ
tanned for ten years past. Mandan, \. d.,
is the main point of shipment by rail to
which these fiocks go, although no incon-
siderable number OF them are moved on
foot to Montana and other portions of the
Rocky mountain grazing lands. This seems
to be a plain result OF the farmers OF the
Dakotas seeking a more sure market for
their labor by diversifying it rather than
to continue being mere missionaries fur
nishing cheap bread to manufacturing la
borers of Great Britain, and SO enabling
British capitalists to keep down the price
of labor.
Mr.. Mimic makes clear the point
that the Mckinley law cannot regu-
late the foreign market, but it can
prevent domestic wool of the same
character from falling to the level of
the foreign product. He quotes from
Justice Bateman & Co.'s circular of
July 1st, which says: 1.-THE Ohio and
| Michigan woods that are offered in
Boston and Philadelphia for % cents
would not sell in the London market
for over 16 cents"
Mr.. Mimic estimates that at least
$50, 900, 900 will besaved and dissem-
mated amongst American wool and
wooden industries within the first year
under the operation OF the Mckinley
law.
Mr.. Mimic gives a happy illustration
of the effects OF the tariff on American
wool by quoting the following extract
from a letter written him by Theodore
Justice: "a Pennsylvania farmer, a
Democrat, bought some Shropshire
lambs in Canada. When there were
twins he took one and left one. The
lambs that came to Pennsylvania
we're shorn unwashed and we sold the
wool at 80 cents early in the season.
The lambs left in Canada were washed
and the fleeces sold at Is cents"
The whole address, is full of informa-
ton and logical deductions, giving
evidence of Mr.. Minto's familiarity
with his subject. We hardly think
Mr.. Bynum made many free wool