Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-06-27


The IntcIlioeRcer has run across
svpousis Of the special wool and wool
ems statistics prepared by the late
statistIcian, s. G. BROCK, which bring
the totals down to date" The fact
that the Republican wool tariffs since
1867 have made the production of cheap
and coarse territorial woods profitable
AZ the expense Of the finer article pro-
duced east of the Mississippi, chiefly in
Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia and
Western Pennsylvania, appears to be
made a subject for congratulatlon by the
Fateuioencer, which either has no knowl-
edge OF the history of our wool indus
try or else deliberately attempts to de-
eeive its readers in quoting Mr.. Brooks
statistics and rejoicing because they
show that the total number Of sheep in
the United States have actually In
creased $50 per cent. in the past thirty
years!
What a remarkable confession Is
Col. HARr's remarkable argument. lie
is astonished and delighted that the
total number of sheep in all this broad
land has increased in thirty years
SEQ per cent, while during that time
the natural growth Of almost all other
industries, despite the handicap of q
high tariff wall, ranges between the
hundreds aud thousands in percentage
of increase!
The sheep-raislng industry, which is
specially protected" or, rather, speci-
ally inflicted, with a high tariff, has in
creased only $50 per cent, or in other
words, has practically stood still! In
deed east OF the Mississippi it has retro
graded, and taking the farmers profit
as q basis, it has steadily refrigerated,
both east and west of the Mississippi.
Since the first Republican wool tariff
was enacted the price Of wool has
steadily fallen from so cents to 20 cents
or lowerl
When the Colonel delves in statistics
he should DO careful that they suit his
argument. In this instance he has got
hold OF the wrong data. There Is moth
ing so treaoherous as figures handled
with undue haste or ignorance. In this
case they trip the Colonel up and prove
just exactly the opposite of what, at
first blush, he evidently thought they
proved.
He argues that the sheep-raising in
dustry has increased and prospered I'M
der protection, but the figures ne
bases the assumption on show conclus-
lively that it has stood practically still,
or has gone down hill.
Thanks are due Col. HART for the
unimpeachable tariff reform testimony
he has Observation-Disclosures that is
direct and conclusive enough to satisfy
any intelligent wool grower, that after
thirty years Of gradual decline in that
industry under high protection, it is
high time to try return to free wool,
under which the wool industry enjoyed
rapid growth and the wool grower high
prices for his product.
In section of the report of Statisti-
clan BROCK, which Col. HART was care
full not to quote, the opinion is express
cd that the limit Of production in wool
has been reached in the leading wool
countries, such as Australasia and the
Argentine Republic, and that in the
near future supply will hardly keep
pace with the demand, with the result
Of an improvement in prices.
This is further aud new testimony
that the American wool grower has
nothing to fear from foreign competi-
ton, even on the false Mckinley theory
that American and foreign woods COM
pete in quality in the market.
H., rrv,,,.r,I sG,coonsi, ~ba world IN fts