The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-05-14
THE WEEKLY TRIBUNE
SH AND WOOL.
SATURDAY. MAY IL. 1862.

CnueT tne CdptlOH otICh " tHt
Facts the River Press of recent date
devoted all it's editorial space in an at
tempt to refute the position taken by
the TRIBUNE that the present tariff is
running the wool industry of the United
States. The River Press is unfair in its
statements, faulty in its arguments and
hence wrong ia it's conclusions. Like
the pettifogger who presumes upon the
ignorance of the jury and argues from a
false standpoint. the River Press quotes
such figures as best rsuits its purposes
and from them passes judgment upon
the whole subject matter p%resuming
upon the ignorance of its readers. Here
is one Of its statements:
From 1857 to 1883, IA period of higher
tariff thar at present. Ohio woods sold at
prices ranging from 30 to GA cents per
pound for fine wool: from 1884 to 1850.
under a lower duty. prices Ior the same
grade ranged from :3 to 81 cents per
pound.
The River Press presents the above
figures in order to rcfute the statement
of the TRIBUNE. that The history of wool
tariffs and wool prices since Il tariff ON
wool was first imposed in 1894, shows
that the best prices for home grown
woods were obtained when the wool tariff
was the lowest" 1t will be seen the
River Press quotes the price of "Ohio"
woods to sustain It's argument. preserv-
ing the silence of the dead concerning
the price of other woods grown in the
country. Now. it is well known among
all wool. growers that Ohio woods have
always borne top prices. They stand
first among the long. clean and firm wools
of the older settled states. They bear
better prices On account of their quality.
But the River Press stops at its figures and
passes on to others equally as useless for
the purpose of its argument. The TRI-
BUNE. however. will pursue the subject
farther and give its contemporary and
the wool men in northern and eastern
Montana a little more light upon the
matter.
y chain is no stronger than its weak
est link. The chain of the argument of
the River Press abounds in welk links.
The TRIBUNE will show them. If the
price of Ohio woods were higher under
the tariff of 1867 than they were under
the tariff of 1883 it would stand to rea
son that the sheep industry of that state
would be greatly stimulated. Was it?
Let us see. We will take the figures of
the United States agricultural reports
as furnished by the Ohio state authori-
ties. They will not be disputed. In
1867 Ohio had 7.l59.171 sheep: in 1869
" had 6,3O0.OO0: in 1878 it had 3,7S3,OO0.
1t is thus seen that under the high wool
tariff of 1867. when. as the River Press
claims, Ohio woods sold at prices rang
ing from b to Ga cents per pound the
number of sheep in that state fell off
nearly one-half. Does that show that "a
high wool tariff stimulates the wool in
dustry of the country:
But this is not all. Here are a few more
figures which knocks the argument of
the River Press. that a high wool tariff
: the proper thing, higher than Glide
roy's kite. In the year 1867 the aggre-
gate number of sheep in the states of
OHIO. Michigan. Pennsylvania, New
York, Indiana. Illinois. Wisconsin and
Iowa. was D.S7o.222. In 1878 under
that high wool tariff Of 1867, with which
the River Press seems to be in love, the
number of sheep in those states was only
l2.s93,GOO. a falling off of nearly 17.OOO,-
no or one and one-half millions a year
for IL years. Now let us look at the
prices Of all woods under the several
tariffs.
We take our figures from Mauger d
.Avery's wool circular, accepted authority
al the bureau Of statistics in Washing
ton. The first wool tariff law was en-
acted in 1874. The average price of
woods in the United States in January
If that year.. and before the law was
passed. was as follows: Fine. GS cents;
medium. - cents; coarse. 40 cents. In
1897 prices for the same month we're as
follows: Fine. 80: medium, 81; coarse,
%. From that date up to 1860 the price
of wool ranged all along from % for fine
to as high as 10. In 1860. before the war
upset the prices Of everything. fine wool
brought GO cents: medium. so: coarse,
II. In 1867 the Sherman wool schedule
was passed. 1t divided wool into three
classes clothing, 'combing," and ''car-
pet" Before the Mckinley bill was
passed these several classes were dutied
at - per cent. AZ per cent, and % per
cent. respectively. The Mckinley bill
placed a still higher tariff upon all these
woods.
Now for the effects Of these tariffs up
on the prices of woods. The prices for
the month of January for the years