The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-05-07
sHODDY w. WOOL.

vo. "OoDs
Tho history Of wool-growing in the
United States does not record a year in
which the price Of the staple was 80 low
as it now is, nor does the tariff history OF
the country point to a time when the
tariff upon wool was as high as it is at
present. These are facts and will not be
denied by any intelligent wool-grower in
this or any other state. On the other
hand the history of wool tariffs and wool
prices since a tariff on wool was first
imposed in 1924, SHOWS that the best
prices for homegrown woods were OBJ
tanned when the wool tariff vac the
lowest. If these facts teach anything; il
they possess any significance whatever,
they emphasize the truth of the declara-
ton Of the democratic party that a high
wool tariff schedule is running the wool
industry Of the country and at the same
time compels the laboring masses to
wear shoddy in place Of pure wool cloth
ing.
These are apparently broad statements
to make, but they are facts easily proven.
The TRIBUNE has before shown how and
where the woolgrower is hurt and every
well informed sheepman in Montana
knows it confined itself to the truth.
Still we see republican journals that
know no more about the effect of wool
tariffs upon the wool industry than they
do about the streets of the New Jcrusa-
lem filling their columns with thread
bare platitudes and exploded theories
which have long since been laid away in
the garnet of forgetfulness by intelligent
men as worthless rot.
WOol-grOwcrs of Montana. let US rea-
son together! Many of you favor a high
protective wool tariff, and many of you
do not. But all of you know that while
your wool is quite as clean. and strong
and bright as it was ten years ago it
bears a much lower price in the markets
of the east. Some of you may know why
this is SO and some of you may not.
Therefore a few facts bearing upon this
subject may be of interest to you.
The annual wool product Of the
United States is less than 3OO,OO0,OOO
pounds. Probably 275,OOO,OOO pounds
would measure the output. Montana
grows the cleanest range woods in the
whole country. This is also well-known,
and it is as well known hat it loses at
least half it's weight after being secured.
Making our calculations upon this basis
this would leave us 1877 100000 pounds
of home grown wool ready for the manu-
facturer. Now there are G0O,O0O,OG
pounds of raw wool or 3OO,OOO,OOO pounds
of secured wool annually manufactured
in the United States. From whence
come the lG2, 100000 pounds Of secured
woods to supply ~ manufacturers! Not
from abroad for the custom houses do
not show that quantity imported. Then
where does it come from? We will an
swer and in the answer you will find the
reason why your woods are SO low in
price and SO slow in sale.
Under the old tariff shoddy was dutied
at Is per cent and there we're but &c: shOd-
dy manufactures in the United States,
Under the Mckinley tariff shoddy is
dutied at 30 per cent and there are now
96 shoddy establishments in the United
States turning out annually lOO,OOO,WC
pounds OF shoddy. These figures are
from the census of 1880. Now this 100,
100000 pounds of shoddy take the place
of 1UO,OOO,0OO pounds Of secured wool OF
of 2OO,OOO,OOO pounds OF unwashed wool
in the manufacture of so called wooden
goods. Nor is this the darkest side OF the
picture. For in order to manufacture
this shoddy into cloths that will hold to-
gcthcr long Australian woods are re.
CURED, thus shutting out your Owr
woods. Now can't you see how Mr.. Nc
Kinley's tariff hits you.
Shoddy takes the place Of your woolt
and your output becomes Il drug in the
market. You vote for a high protective
tariff and thus sharpen the knife thai
cuts your own throats. The Mckinley
tariff encourages the manufacture OF
shoddy and deprcciates the price of you
wool. This is as plain to be seen az the
sun at MONDAY. Now what is the RENE
dy? You can SEQ it yourselves. If you
cant we will reason together somo otheI
time.
WON'T there be a monkey and parrot