The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-18
TRUTH TOLD UNDER OATH
But Later Mr.. North Became the
Expert Liar of the Repub-
lican Party.
In the Latter Capacity He Dis
credited His Own Official.
Sworn Reports.
Congressman springer's Position ON the
Wool Question Set Forth in . Let
ter to North.

g w
SPRINGFIELD, H.. Oct. 1.-THE following
ia Congressman Springer's letter in reply to
Secretary North:
The newspapers contain n letter ad-
dressed to me signed S. N. d. North, score
tary National Association of Wool Manu-
fac tursrs. dated Boston, Oct. 8. As l have
not received a copy of this letter. ! assume
that it is intended for the public and not
for myself. However. some statements in
it call for a reply. Mr.. North says:
by reason of che tariff on wool the
American wool product sells in the Boston
market at a price from % to 80 cents per
pound higher than similar qualities of Aus
tralian wool bring in the London market
the prices in both cases being calculated
upon the market value of q secured pound
of WOOL"
1t will be seen by those who have read my
remarks in reference to the so-oalled trade
circulars of Justice, Bateman h Co., wool
dealers of Philadelphia, that this state
ment of MIR. North is not responsive to the
controversy between myself and that firm,
nor does ii cover the points of difference
heretofore stated between Mr.. North and
myself.
Mr.. North's letter is in reference to the
present price of secured wool, a subject not
heretofore in dispute. It is we'll known to
those who deal in wool that there are no
quotations in this country of the price of
secured wool. I have before me a
large number OF trade circulars giving
prices of wool. and in none of them Is
there any reference to the price of secured
wool in this country. The reason of this is
that wool, as a commercial product, Is
either in the grease or in the condition OF
wool washed on the sheep's back. and that
such fleece is bound together with Irvine.
and in this condition reaches the manu-
f~acture.s. So that all prices of wool in
trade quotations are either wool in the
grease or washed wool.
In the WOODEN manufactures there are
certain skilled employees known as sort
ers." They take each fleece and spread it
upon a table and separate, first the coarser
parts from the legs and TANKS. and then
other grades, SO that three. four and FIVE
different grades of wool are frequently
obtained from the same fleece. Each grade
is adapted to a particular kind of cloth, and
" bauS CAh bOPohosSe s"o 40
thoroughly cleaned or secured for use in
the making of cloth or other fabrics. There
are no quotations in the market in this
country of secured wool. that being the
last condition to which it is brought before
being put into the mills. Hence. the state
ment by Mr.. North that the price of wool in
the secured condition in this country is
from % to 35 cents per pound higher than
similar qualities of Australian wool in
London, depends for its accuracy upon his
own assertion, and he could obtain the in
formation only by drawing upon his i'm
agination, and not by reference to any
authentic statistics.
The real issue is this. whether American
wool has on the average during the last
twenty-five years of high protective tariff
on wool sold at a greater or less price in this
country than similar qualities and condi-
ions of Australian wool have sold for in
London. On this point I refer to the table
furnished me as chairman of the committee
of ways and means by Mr.. North, who was
the special agent to the eleventh census,
and therefore acting upon his official oath.
The table ia published on page Al of report
No. 501 of the ways and means committee
of the last session of congress. l also call
attention to Mr.. North's letters to me
printed on pages SO and 40 of that report.
From these letters l quote as follows:
II will add that the grade Of Australian
wool which most nearly corresponds to the
OQlO WaEQ6u u66Ce wool ID Inc TOTb Tlllllp
fleece, and this is the line of quotations
which should be studied to ascertain the
relative London and Boston prices of wool
ct any given time"
And further: 1.-The Port Phillip fleece is
o washed wool, as is also the Ohio fleece
quoted"
In his letter of Feb. Is he states that he
incloses to me q table showing in parallel
columns the average Boston prices of Oh 10
medium washed fleece and the avera ge
London price for corresponding dates of
Port Phillip fleece from 1866 to $780,"
l caused the currency prlce of Ohio me-
dunn wool to be reduced to a gold basis,
which calculations were made by an expert
of the treasury department. Botn quota
tions having been put pom a gold basis,
the result was as follows, as shown by the
table of statistics furnished by MIR. Moth:
yAverage annual price of wool for twenty-five
ears:
Cents.
Ohlo.....-....... Al AZ
Fort
Difference in favor of American Wool. A..
Average annual price of wool for twenty-five
yers. emitting 1912:
iGrt fh1lp................ ...-.......40.a
Ohio 49, ~
Difference ia favor Of foreign WOOL. .lt
The reason for deductinR the years 1871
and 1872 Is that during these years there
were wild gpeculatlonS III WOODS OF all
Kinds" according to information furnished
me by Nr. North, and printed on page "A
of said REL ort, which rendered the quota
tions of those years utterly worthless for
purposes of comparison.
thus it appears that wool of. the same
grade and condition in the UniJed States
has. on the average during years of normal
conditions slnce the Ligh tariff was put
upon wool, sold for less by more than one
quarter OF Il cent per pound in the United
States than IN London.
am not surprised that Mr.. North and
other high protecJionists are so much exer-
clsed ever the statistics furnished the com
mlttee on ways and means. In his official
capacity as special agent OF the census Of
nee, while acting under the obligations of
his oath of office, he told the truth. But in
his individual capacity as secretary of the
National Association of Wool Manufactut =
ers and as a republican politician he does
not hesitate to repudiate his own official
acts for the purpose of misleading the pub
lie on a question Of vital Importance.
In the speech which | submitted in the
house OF representatives on the 4th dny OF
April last, which WAS read by Air. BRYAN. OF
Nebraska, during my illness, [ exposed
fully Mr.. North's effor q to repudiate his
own official acts. Those who desire to reaG
my remarks on that OCCASION. and the re.
port of the committee on ways ana means
and the tables to which l have referred
will find them in my book on tariff reform,