The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-03-17

ubBu Dottcs ON WOOL Arc wolves IN
Sleeps Clothing.
II will be q sorry day for the writer's
of tariff reform literature when the
New York Press ceases 10 publish the
tariff pictures" which have for several
years furnished amusement TO all but
protectionists At least two-thirds OF
the pictures are give Always" and sug-
gest arguments for tariff reform. il
they do not ut once supply them. Here
Is the Press tariff picture o. February
L.. 1898.
I'm 1860, at the close Of the free trade
period, this country had 22.4si .2.5
sheep. In 1898, under the Mckinley
law, the number Of sheep is placed at
E,27S. 553."
OF course this Is intended to show the
good effects OF protection to the sheep
industry. Does it do so? In 1860 our
population was 81, 443. 3.l; in 1880 il was
d2,Gs2, 80. In 1890 the number of sheep.
according 10 agricultural reports. was
A,336.s7a. Thus the number of sheep
was not quite keeping pace with popu-
lation BY 1891 the number of sheep
had declined to 43. 43i. iSG. In 1892 il
had risen TO 44,93s, 1885, II it is now 81
2'3.553 the sheep are no more than
holding their own with population,
though population is handicapped by
the heavy taxes levied upon it TO help
the sheep
But by looking back OF this tariff
picture we will discover the real cause
Of the increases that have occurred. In
the first place, heavy duties were not
put on wool until 1867. From 1861 70
1864 duties were from 5 to Is per cent.
and from 1864 to 1867 from 25 to 80 per
cent Since then they have been from
40 to 60 per cent Now the number of
sheep in 1867 had increased to 80, 3s5. $50.
Two-thirds of the total increase in
thirty-three years then occurred during
the first seven years when duties on
wool were less than half what they
have since averaged. Then from 1857
to 1877, when wool duties were higher
than they were before or have been
since. the number of sheep declined to
81, s04. 200. That is, at the end OF ten
years of extremely high protection
there were fewer sheep than at the be-
ginning.
But this is not all. There has been q
heavy decline in the number of sheep
in the eight old wool-growing states
that secured the passage of the high
duties on wools and the increases have
been confined to the ranches of the ter
ritories. In 1867 there were "a. ST., 222
sheep in Ohio, Michigan. Pennsylvania,
New York. Indiana, Wisconsin and
Tn, ,
359 sheep in these states Wonderful
protection. this!
Still another fact is necessary to the
full appreciation of the Press primer
lesson. The increase in the number of
sheep has been mainly due to the in
creasing demand for mutton Thus the
agricultural report of 1892 explains the
slight increases, in all cases but one,
by phrases like this: THE mutton
breeds are the most popular and profit
able"
OF course prices of wool have declined
rapidly under high duties A compare
tive scale of prices shows that the aver
age prices of woods mas fallen from 81
cents in 1850 and A. cents in 1896 to 81
cents in 1890. The cause was well ex-
planned in 1870 by Senator Allison rep J.
lie said
As the law now Is. the tariff upon fine
vools OF q character not produced in this coun-
try is 100 per cent in their cost Before
the tarin OF 1857. our manufacturers OF fine
goods mixed foreign fine woods with our do
nestle product. and were thus able to compete
successfully with the foreign manufacturers Of
similar woods But being prohibited from i'm
porting this class OF woods. these fine goods
cannot now be produced In this country as
cheaply as they can be imported Consequently
mills that were formerly engaged in producing
these goods have been compelled 10 abandon
business or manufacture the coarser fabrics
| II they could afford 10 manufacture these fine
| goods, they would make q market, which we do
| not now have, for fine woods 10 be mixed
| with other fine WOODS Of q Different character
| from abroad. The want OF a market as un.
derstand II is the reason why our Inc woods
now command so low price"