The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-03-26

MINUS vi wool or admirable quality are
grown IN Germany, but il the German
manufacturer did not have cheap for
eign wools to mix with the home staple
Germany would not export woolcns to
the extent she does.
=. III England were to return to the
old practice of putting duties on foreign
wOols her manufacturers would have to
pay more for the imported varieties.
Their business would be ruined. 1t
would be impossible for them to com
pete in foreign markets with German
and French manufacturers. Since they
would manufacture less the domestic
price of English and Scotch wools would
drop That which is essential to the
success Of the English manufacturer is
equally essential to the success of the
American one. The latter, like his
English rival. wants woods from Aus
tralia. Argentina, Germany, Syria, and
India. He needs for mixing purposes
woods not produced in this country
which have special peculiarities of color
or fiber. If allowed to do so he will mix
half dozen different kinds o make one
particular fabric. II he cannot get these
varieties he does not substitute Ohio.
Michigan and Pennsylvania woods for
them, because they do not answer his
purpose.
This country produces an enormous
quantity of cotton Of many kinds. Yet
American manufacturers send to Egypt
and buy there Egyptian cotton, because
they must have it if they intend to com
pete with the manufacturers Of England
in the production Of certain kinds of
goods. 1T is easy to say that the United
States ought to raise all the kinds of cot
ton the cotton -spinners can need. But
the fact remains that it does not and
| cannot. What is true of cotton is even
more true of wool
| This point may be illustrated still fur
thcr. When hides were put on the free
| list it was asserted that the United
States produced enough to make all the
leather it needed and that the admission
Of South American hides would cut
down prices of domestic ones. As to the
| first point, the leather men knew better.
They knew that owing to the difference
in climate Argentine can furnish certain
kinds of hides which cannot be had in
the United States. They knew that to
make all sorts of leather they must have
all sorts of hides, but the United States
does not furnish all the kinds that are
needed. As to the second point, prices
OF domestic hides did not fall, but the
| leather r-manufacturiug industry of this
country got an enormous impetus. But
for free hides the United States would
export comparatively little leather or
! leather goods.
| 4. II foreign mixing wools were al
mitted free that which took place in
in England would take place here. Why
not? Have similar causes failed to pro
duce similar results? The Unitod States
produced in 1890 about l00.000.OO0
pounds Of wool on secured wool basis.
1t imported about 100OO,OO0 pounds of
secured wool 1t also imported woolens
representing l4O,0OO,OOO pounds of
secured wool Ii raw wool were free it
is true that more of it would be imported
than is the case now, But it would re
place wool now imported in manufac-
tured state. 1t would be mixed with
| American woods, and the demand for and
! the price OF them wOi ld be increased
| thereby. AS the manufacturer got his
foreign wool cheaper he would ask less
| for his goods. That would increase the
consumption. The mill-man being en-
abled To manufacture on "A larger scale
could utilize his plant to the utmost.
| 1hc more one manufactures the more
chcaply one sells. In 1890 the inporta-
| tion and use of seven pounds of foreign
| wool neccssitatcd the use of ten pounds
of American wool. If 100000 pounds of
/ foreign wool were imported the con
sumption Of American wool would rise
10 li3,0oO,0U pounds.
j. The correspondent says that if the
present wool schedule has not raised the
price Of the Arizona wool it has at least
kept il from falling as low as it would
otherwise. The american Economist,
which is believer in the present wool
tariff, prints long table of comparative
prices from which it appears that the
English and Australian woods were on
! the average 10 per cent lower in Fobru
AIRY. 1892, than in January. 1890 1t ap-
pears also that the price Of the lin
proved grade Of wool from Colorado
and New Mexico which aught to cover
Arizona also has fallen % per cent in
the two years. Have growers of the best
grades Of wool in Arizona any cause to be-
thankful t. the present wool schedule?
But on the other hand the price Of tn"
very coarsest and commOnest tcrrltorla!
woods has advanced slightly in the last
| two years, according to the figures Of the
Economist. This is a significant fact.
The poorer woods have gone up and the
better woods have gone down. That is
to say, the quality of the wooden fabrics
has been dctcriorating Fine iecc"s
have been supplanted by coarse ones.
And while the Ohio shepherds, for whose
special benefit the higher wool duties
were imposed. are getting - and II per
cent less for their product the coarse and
carpet woods of Colorado and New Mex
leo have risen 3per cent.
6. But supposing that free wool did
iniurc this special Arizona industry: It's
interests are insignificant when wcighnu
against those Of the whole union. Sixty
five thousand people. some Of whom are
engaged in sheep-raising, have no right
to ask sixty tive millions to go to i'ontin-
ual extra expense on their account. Why
should their particular interest be cnd
died ut the cost and to the loss of all the
people of the United States except IA few
thousand flock masters IN the arid reg
ions oi the far west: For il all mixing
woods were admitted free the whole pco