Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-29
THE REPORT IS READY.
The Committee on Ways and Means
Will Bring in the Wool Bill.
THE FALLACY OF THE HIGH DUTY
Imposed BY the Mckinley Bill Plainly Shown By
the Statistics Of the Sheep and Wool IL
dasri,s Since 1867, and Parica-
larly in Late Years-lhs
Minority Report


WASHINGTON, d. c., February os.-
The reports OF the majority and minor
ity OF the House Committee on Ways
and Means, 10 accompany the Springer
wool bill, have been prepared and will
be presented To the House tomorrow.
The majority report was prepared by
Mr.. Springer and the minority report
by Mr.. Burrows, OF Michigan.
The majority report says the Mckin-
ley bill was passed with enormous rates
OF duties, many of them prohibitory and
all OF them unreaSona5ly high. There
can be no good reason" says the report,
"for maintaining Sucn high taxes
upon articles which are so noces-
ssry to the health aud comfort OF
people. A peculiar feature OF these
rates is that owing TO high rates per
pound and square yard added 10 the
adyalorem rates the duties were highest
upon the cheaper grades OF goods worn
by the masses OF the people and lower
upon high priced goods worn by those
better circumstances.
"Twenty.nve per cent" comments
the report, "was all the protection that
wool manufacturers in 1867 asked In
| order TO enable them 10 compete sue
cessiully with their foreign rivals, but
IL seems in the case OF wooden goods, as
In a.. others, the protection required
increases from year To year. As the
industries get Older and better estab-
lished more protection Is demanded"
The rates proposed in the bill SUBJ
mltted with the report says are fixed
with due regard TO the labor, pro-
duction and to the necessities Of con-
sumers. The lowest rates are placed
upon goods upon which tho least labor
| has been bestowed. and which arc con-
sumed by the greatest number OF pco-
pie. Statistics are printed IN support
| OF this statement. In considering the
effect OF the act OF 1867 on sheep hus.
bandry, the report says:
"In 1865 there were 6,730,000 sheep
In Ohio; in 1890 there were only 3,oi3,.
600 reported, while in 1891 tho number
was given at 4,06l, 900. Similar re-
suits took place Ia all OF the
other states east OF the Missouri
and Mississippi river. The increase
in the number OF sheep In the United
| States has been In States west OF those
rivers, or IN localities where there was
free range upon puellc domain. There
were IN the Uniled States ia 1858 near
ly 80, ,OO0, 900 sheep. At this time there
are only 100000; an Increase OF
| 4,439, 900 In twenty-four years; tho
whole increase being IN sheep upon the
! ranches Of the West.
The wool growers Of 1867 believed
that the imposition OF high tariff on
wool would secure the control OF homo
market. The result proves how greatly
| they were mistaken and how inefiect-
uai the law has been to produce tho
condition which they desired. As 10 It's
effect on prices, wool has steadily de-
cIined from 1867, when II was worth o9
cents per pound ia currency. 20 the
present time. The Mckinley act In
| creased the duty on wool an average OF
one cent pound, The result has been
Il fall IN the price OF two or three cents
q pound instead OF rise IN prices.
After twenty-five years OF expert
ment, the result has been reduction of
one-half in the number OF sheep In
States east OF the Mississippi and Mis-
souri, rivers, and a reduction OF one-half
In the price OF wool. Nor hayo
the manufacturers Of woolen goods
been benefited by the imposi-
ton OF high duties on wool
and wooden goods. With high pro-
tectlye tariff on the new material aud
compensatory and high adyslorem
duties on finished product and products
| limited 20 the home market, wooden
manufacturers cannot even nope
70 increase their productions De-
yond the annual increase OF population.
| Notwithstanding the high protection
accorded manufacturers OF wooden
goods, the quality Of such goods has de-
Perforated from year 70 year since tho
discovery of machinery Tor converting
WOODEN rags into substitutes Tor wool
The shoddy produced In the United
States in 1891 will amount 70 lOO,OOO,O0O
mounds. The secured wool prodaced In
that wear amounted 10 only $1,000, 600.
IL thus appears that The high protective
tariff on wool, which was enacted
with the ayowed purpose OF
aiding wool growers, has forced
manufacturers 70 use q cheaper
material than wool. and TIE competi-
| ton which now threatens mostly 'ho
wool producers OF the country, comes
from the 9i establishments mannfactur-
| ing shoddy Ia the United States rather
than from wool grown In Australia and
South America.
The minority report says that ifoa
both wool growers and wool mspuisc-
turers here comes up 70 this Congress 40
almost unanimous sentiment tnat the
law may be permitted TO stand.
Within the year that has passed since
the present law was enacted the hocks
of the United States have Increased
more than 100000 sheep and noaer
any assurance OF Is pernanenee this ~
crease will continue rapidly.
The number OF woolen miiis 10 tns
country has also increased; great
amount OF idle machinery has oeen
started up 10 supply the ne" mar,
ket created by 9 curtshmsn' ',
s22. 500. 900 in the Imports OF
foreign wooIen goods; old mills long laie
have been re-equipped; large numbers
Of operatives have been given employ
ment and new industries never oeiofs
successfully undertaken In the Chi'ea
states have been inaugursted-