Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-16
WOOL AND THE TARIFF IN 1891.
A Case In Which the Tariff Certainly
Does Not Help the Producer.

A Case In Which the Tariff Certainly
Does Not Help the Producer.
When the Mckinley tariff, which
increased the duties on wool, went into
effect year ago, it was predicted by
Mckinley and his associates. who made
the bill, that it would boom the wool in
dustry, raise the price of domestic WOO,
and decrease the importation of foreign
woods
The American Wool Reporters annual
review of the wool market for the past
year shows how complete has been the
failure of the Mckinley tariff to do what
was expected of it. The course of the
wool market" says The Reporter, dur
ing the past year has been a great dis
appointment to the trade as well as the
wool growers. So far as the actual
volume Of business in primary markets
is concerned there is no very radical diff
ference to be noted, taking the year as IL
whole, the aggregate OF sales, as will he
seen. from our reports elsewhere, being
not far from those of the previous year. ="
The receipts OF wool ut Boston, the
principal market of the United States
during 1891, show an increase over 1850
of 81 per cent. of domestic and 81 4 Der
cent. of foreign wool, while the total
sales during the year aggregate only
l 1881 go pounds more than in 1890. At
the same time the stocks on hand at the
close of this year, as compared with
1890, are as follows:
1880 1891.
pounds. pounds
kNnunzttR - IA
Foreign. 2,aj2.4JO 49S5, 1910
This, taken in connection with the re-
ceipts and total sales for the year, shows
clearly that while there has been larger
increase in the consumption OF foreign
wool, it has been at the expense of that
Of domestic growth. What. in view of
this, becomes of the claim made by the
high tariff advocates that the decrease
in the importation Of goods during the
year meant larger consumption of do
mestic wool:
Concerning prices, The Reporter con
tinues;
In the matter of prices realized the
trend of values has been almost steadily
| toward lower figures when there has
been any movement. The year has been
characterized by long periods of depres-
! sion, and after each period of weakness
there has not been one rally calculated
to lift values upon higher plane In
! spite Of the increased duties upon for
eign wool, importations of the latter
show decided increase. as those who
| have been at all familiar with orr
market reports very we'll know The
strengthening influence, therefore, that
was to come from anticipated reduced
importations has been characterized by
/ Its absence.
The result Is that the markets at the
seabotrd and in the interior close the
! year at practically the lowest point Of
, the year. and ON an average with wool
about two cents per pound lower. Ohio
and Pennsylvania tieeces have shown the
most marked depression, which is sig
uihcant, certainly. in view OF the fact
| that the growers Of those woods were the
| most clamorous for the increased duties
and that it was their interests more par
ticularly than others that the tariff was
| designed to protect"
How general has been the fall in the
prices of wool grown in the states east
Of the Mississippi Is shown in the follow
| ing table, prepared by The Reporter.