The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-10-14
FREE WOOL.


by the Free Wool Tariff al 1888.
Many Kansas farmers who had en-
barlled in the sheep business were
ruined by the tariff reduction on wool
in 1855. some of whom have never re-
covered from the blow. Mr.. William
G. Steel, OF Philadelphia, who has been
in the wool business since 1851, has
something to say upon the subject of
wool and wooden goods that should be
read by every man who is thinking OF
voting for free trade. under whatever
guise It may be presented. He says,
speaking OF the Springer bill, which
proposed to reduce the tariff on wool:
Through the constant decline in
values of, almost every manufactured
article there has been for many years
Il steady abatement in the measure of
tariff protection to the American manu-
facturer and his employees, and an
equally steady decrease in whatever
burthen the protective tariff may have
imposed upon those-if there are any
who derive no benefit from il. This is
more marked in the wooden trade than
in any other, and there is, therefore,
the least reason for the advocates of
free trade to single out this branch of
industry for special attack, even were
excessive protection, instead of the de-
termination to carry out pet scheme,
the real animuS that stimulates them.
Prior to the act of 1883 the protective
duties on manufacturers of wool were
virtually what they now are, 30
Al.
adjusted upon values existing when
the law was framed, as necessary to
cover the highest cost, not only of
labor, but Investment and many other
conditions under which the manufact-
IRE is carried on with more difficulty in
the United States. At that time wool
was much higher, and goods cost
abroad more than double what they
now do. 50 that upon cloth costing
abroad S1.25 the home manufacturer
had G2ll cents of protection TO cover
his disadvantages
Goods that then cost 81. % can now
be bought for GO cents, or less, so that
with the same rate of protection the
American manufacture has now at most
only so cents of protection, or less than
half that Of former years Meantime
the la Dor in the mill is at least us well
paid as then, in many instances it is
better paid, showing that whilst in this
country the products of labor have ma
terially decreased in value. its rewards
have been maintained, and, therefore,
its purchasing power greatly augment
ed, which is equivalent to correspond
ing increase of pay. The prices have
cited in this comparison are those of a
certain class Of goods bearing these costs
at the respective periods and which are
now coming into this country, despite
the present protection, merely because
the labor here is paid more for making
them, and not be 'ause of any lack of
skill or knowledge upon the part of our
master manufacturers. Yet the Springer
free wool bill proposes to reduce this
protection from 80 to "a cents. There
Is no manufacturer in the United States
who can make these goods at an outlay
of so cents for the mere expense of
making, much less "A cents For eX-
ample the foreign weaver gets 1 Z cents
per yard for his portion of the work,
whilst upon the scale OF wages paid to
the geavers here, the lowest pay he
would get would be cents. At this
price the American weaver makes only
fairly good living. How the foreign
weavers live upon their scanty pay may
be readily conjectured."