Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-04-02
EXTRACTS FROM Mr.. DINoLEHss
SPEECH ON FREE WOOL BILL.

There is no doubt that the American
farmer, in consequence of the protective
| duty, gets to-day for his wool from 8 t
10 cents per pound more than he would
get If wool should be put on the free list
as you propose by this bill. In Other
words, the farmer who keeps only 10t
sheep, yielding six pounds of wool pei
head, would lose $50 per annum by the
operation of your bill; the farmer who
keeps 800 sheep would lose $3.50.
I am informed by leading clothiert
and dealers in wooden cloth and clothing
in various parts OF the country Gov
Dingley gave several names OF promi-
nent clothiers and dealers that wooden
clothing and wooden goods are to-day
cheaper than they were before the Nc
Kinley tariff was enacted. The result
of the Mckinley tariff has not been to
increase the cost of goods to the con-
sumner one single cent; while it has
added $50, 900, OOO, some say $40, 600, 900,
value of wooden goods to the product OF
our own mills, furnishing opportunities
for additional employment for labor,
furnishing better market for our farm
ers, and bringing an increased prosper
ity to the country SO far as that indus
try is concerned; and all this accom-
plished without adding a single cent to
the cost of any of these goods to the
consumer. What more convincing refu-
tation than this could there be of your
assumption that the protective duty on
manufactured article increases the cost
OF the domestic article to the extent Of
the duty. Twenty per cent duty added,
as you say; not cent increase OF cost
to the consumer"
Mr.. Coombs: SIS it positively the fact
that the Mckinley bill has not increased
the cost ?"
Mr.. Dingley: "It is positively the
fact as to goods that are made in this
country"
A member: "Do you mean to say that
every wooden mill in the country is run
ming today"
Mr.. Dingley: II mean every mill
adapted to produce the kinds of goods
that are wanted. Some old mills, adapt
ed only to the production of goods used
twenty years ago and that are not want
ed now, are of course not running. This
or any other manufacturing business
cannot be successfully carried on in the
same way that it was twenty or thirty
years ago. If man does not keep up
with the times in anything, of course he
cannot expect to succeed.
SNOW, what is the explanation of this
fact which cannot be denied? Desiring
to get an explanation. I went to lead
ing manufacturer, who, I knew, had q
quarter of his machinery shut down in
1889, while in 1891 he was running
every spindle. I said to him, What are
you getting for your goods now? He
told me. Then I asked, How does that
compare with the prices of 1889? He
answered, 'One to 10 cents yard less,
according to grade Did you make any
profit in 1889" No; I lost money
Did you make anything in 1917 Yes;
I made very fair profit How could
you make profit if you received / to 10
cents less per yard than you did in 1889,
when, as you stated, you lost money?
Why said he, every wooden manufac-
turer knows the reason. When I could
run only three-fourths of nay machinery
I could not produce goods as cheaply as
can now when I run all of it. When
my market is large and certain I can
strain every particle Of my machinery
I have; am encouraged to put new
capital into the business, to bring into
use new labor-saving devices, and be-
sides large part Of the expenses are
very nearly the same whether I run
three-fourths of nv machinery or the
whole Of it. Thus I can make goods at
q lower cost per yard with quick mar
ket and large demand that allows me
to increase my production than I can
when the market is dull That is the ex-
PLANTATION"
Mr.. Butler: ''That is very satisfac-
tory"
Mr.. Dingley: 81 am glad to hear the
gentleman say So"
Mr.. Bryan: "f the gentleman from
Maine will pardon me, I think he has
made mistake in his figures, which I
am sure he will be glad to have correct
ed. I understand him to say that we
imported last year 10000, 900 pounds Of
wool"
"Mr. Dingley: 81 said 100000
pounds of combing and clothing wool"
Mr.. Bryan: IF the gentleman will
refer to appendix d he will find that the
imports for the last year were 100, O00,-
900 pounds"
Mr.. Dingley: "That includes carpet
woods as well as combing and clothing
wools-the woods used in making cloth.
I was speaking Of clothing woods. I
have not yet referred to carpet woods;
but I may as well say now that we raise
almost no carpet woods in this country.
OF the 100000 pounds of carpet
woods used in this country last year,
probably not over Z, OOO, 900 pounds were
raised here. It is much more profitable