The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-16
THE Wool TARIFFS A FAILURE.

ElHE toOL Il t&kFE & "A
The annual "Wool book" prepared
under the direction of Secretary North
Of the Wool and Woolen Association, is
. compendium of prices and epito-
mizad information Of interest to manu-
facturers and growers alike. 1t is be-
lieved to be carefully compiled and
reliable as to statistics. The New York
Commercial Bulletin, a great non-parti-
san trade journal, after considerable
study. finds that the results Of the
present high wool tariff form an inter
esting comparison with the wool situa-
ton in other years. 1t shows beyond
doubt that the values Of wool have not
been increased by the agency OF such
protection as has been given IN recent
years. The present wool tariff is largely
the product Of legislation Immediately
following the war, q period where there
we're many opportunities for the enact
ment Of class legislation. Tariffs then
created resulted in the upbuilding Of
fortunes for manufacturers.
There was some plausibility for the ar
gument that high protection was needed
for manufactures in a country that had
recently suffered the vicissitudes Of a
disastrous war. It was said to be neces-
sary to protect industries from the COM
petition of English goods. While the
country quickly recovered, the manu-
facturers, as a class, having grown
enormously rich, proposed to continue
the protection that had been so benef-
cial to them. They have relied on the
republican party for success, while the
consumers of the laboring and agricul-
tural classes have been holding the
burden. It is this monopoly legislation
that has aroused discomfort among
workers and has brought to the demo
cratic party the support Of 50 many
farmers in the western states.
But the conditions with the wool man
%ufacturer differ from others. He must
have certain grades Of foreign grown
wool and with the increase OF population
the necessity for this importation in
creased. If he cannot bring these woods
into this country he must mix Ameri-
can grown wool with shoddy, the use of
which has increased enormously within
the past ten years. The result is that
the demand for homegrown wool is
lessened, markets are dull and prices
unsettled. The mass of are
forced to wear shoddy clothing because
a high tariff bars foreign woods, which
mixed with the American product would
create a greater demand for both.
The conclusions reached by the Com
mercial Bulletin are briefly these; the
comparative values show that the price
of domestic wool has not increased
under the tariff for wool is cheaper than
in 1916 and 1857, when a low tariff was in
vogue; the necessity of importing cor
tain woods for manufacturers is shown
by the fact that the tariff has not kept
them out, for the per cent Of foreign
woods in our home consumption is the
same as in 1857; the production Of
domestic wooden goods, excepting
shoddy, shows little or no increase in
ratio to the population in the past ten
years.
W~oolgrowers IN Montana should re-
member that the prosperity Of that in
dustry is not wholly dependent on eli
matte conditions, wages paid to en-
ployes, cost of shipment, etc. The wool
must be in demand to be sold at good
prices, and the manufacturer must be
the buyer. 1t it is plain that a removal
of the tariff on non-competing foreign
woods will create a greater and steadier
demand for the home products than the
QrnXer will assu redlx ha hanahttad