The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-01-14
wnnlen Manufactures In Council

The annual meeting of the National
Wooden Manufacturers Association Was
held IN Boston ON Friday. William whitman
was elected president A committee Wa
appointed to take charge of TIN Woo. "a
hihit at the Worlds Fair with II members
including Hon. Charles A. Scott % Lowell
chairman, and |. Wis Anderson II SHOW
hogan \ memorial T. Congress vs.
a ioptcd protesting usaust any change ia
the tsrih act of Ism. Il speaks In no
uncerts n muauer as alnst free wool They
re,Ilzc that TIT woul grower as well Ms tue
wood worker ha- rights aud interests tina
ar, 10 b., considered We quote from this
memorial.
Tic retention Of the wool and woolens
schedule IN its present form until 1t can be
thoroughly tested can work no injury 10
Sooipn manufacturers. There is unS,r
sal ner, cmrnt among manufacturers til II
the tariff is now accurately and scien M
cnlly adjusted, in its relationship between
the duties ON raw material and the tu shf Il
products II thus establishes the cpndl
ton of prosperity for the wooden industry,
50 far Is it depends upon custom duties
On the other hand. no injury to e1nsnm-
rrs has resulted from thu law. AotNlth
standing the fact that the increase III duli">
IN wooden goods, by the tar Il of $50 was
/ grenter thnn in any other schedule {ncces-i
tated by the unfortunate and illogical di .-
proportion between the wool duties snd
the goods duties III the tafit Of lNs3
| there hiss been no increase Whatever ia the
marke, price Of domes ic wooden goods
On the contrary. ali the staple wooden
goods and most of the fancy goods may
now bc obtained in thu greatest abundance
mt n cost to consumers less thnn ever be-
tore in the history of the country, cNeep;
at brief intervals of universal panic aud
financial crisis. Competing wooden goo Is
Of foreign make have psid the increase
duties without an increase of the prices NJ
which these goods are sold to consumers
Thus far the increased rates have forced ii
CO RE ponding reduction III foreign prices
What TIVE wooden monu 'aeturts OF the
United States now needs, before all else u
IA period OF entire rest FROM tariff ogita
ton aiming at radical departure from the
conditions upon which the industry is now
organized, and to which 1t has been fnll>
adjusted. The wooden industry is subject
" Iuubihi anu uDhNOitlhilib Niiii' uifi'Nf IN
possible to fore ee or prov de against, ow
ing to constant and arbitrary changes II
the fashions and the popular taste. " her
to these difficulties are added the dolb
and uncertainty arising from continue
tariff agitation, stability is destroyed, ant
prosperity becomes impossible. In no re
cent session of Congress has the woolet
manufacture been exempt from the loS'
| up1 1nutuU u .pu.nI.r.I hv attpnntpf
notifications of HE wooden tariff, never
until by the act of 1880, in the interest o
u larger development of that industry
Whatever depression has marked the in
dustry in the immediate past has heeI
largely due to This cause. So long as thu
agitation continues similar depression
must nc ssarily recur.
Measures contemplating repeal OF tn
duties on raw material must in the natu'
of things be accompanied by rea gust
ments Of the duties on woo'en goods
Whatever advantages, if any, might accru
to our manufactures from free raw natei
ial would be offset In the first instance, b
the necessity of adjusting business to thes
new rates of duty on goods
We prefer the exist ( law TO the haZar
! of new and untried conditions; nor doe
the experience of the pat furnish an
guarantee that lower prices to consumer
Of wooden clothing would result from tn
removal of the wool dut es.
Y A committee was appointed to tax
y charge of the wool exhibit at the World
Fair. 1t consists of eleven members, Il
follows: Hon. Charles A. colt, Lowell
l Mass Theodore G.. Search, Philadelphia
D John N. Carpenter, New Brunswick, N. j.
Bobert Dorman, Philadelphia; Lyman
G If, Pawtucket, r. L.; George Slke
Rockville, Conn; Lewis Anderson, Skov
e hogan, Me ; George c. Kunhardt, Law
= renee; Henry G. kittredge, Boston
George p. Ladd, Spencer, Mass ; O t
0 Rathburn. Woomsockef, K. |.