The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1893-06-29
THE DROP IN Wool.
Pittsburg Post.l

Wool, like other staple commod-
tiles Of the farm-wheat and cot
ton, for instance is down in price,
and the Republicans are telling the
farmers it is because of the appre-
hension that wool will 60 OH the
free list. But this drop in wool, is
not taking place under free wool as
the heavy Mckinley tax is still in
operation. The tax of 25 cents a
bushel on wheat has not prevented
that article from reaching the low
est price it has ill rs years. This
is an era of low prices for farm pro-
ducts all over the world, and big
book would not contain all the theo-
ries advanced III explanation. That
the tariff has any thing to do with
1t is disproyed by the fact that wool
since the high tariff craze on wool
in 1867, has not commanded as high
prices as it did under virtual free
trade in wool, provided for by the
revenue tariffs of 1S46-57. No
sooner was the Mckinley bill pass
ed than wool began to decline in
from what it had been nnder the
lower tariff Of 1883. For the lower
prices in wool, cotton, wheat, ETC.,
some other cause must be sought
than the existing high tariff or its
threatened reduction. An active
and intelligent merchant of Lawer-
ence county writes the Post as fol-
lows: ''Wool buyers. are offering
is cents to the s'poor farmer" for
his wool, and in the same breath
telling him it is on account of the
Democratic party being IN power
and going TO take the ta.liff off of
wool, etc. We are paying 5 cents
a yard more for carpets than We
did when wool was 81 cents. All
prices on hannels, blankets, etc,
for this coming season are the same
as last year when the farmer got %
to 81 cents for his wool"
We are asked if there is not some
thing wrong il this. Certainly
there is. The excessive duties on
woolen fabrics imposed by the Nc
Kinley tariff should be reduced, and
this will be done at the approach
ing session of cocgress.
Last year on S36, 200, 900 of wool
en- goods imported, the people of the
of the United States were taxed by
Saint Mckinley s34, 800, 900, or an
average rate of nearly 96 per cent.
A large part of this tax was "com
pensatory," so called, to make up
to American manufacturers the
heavy tax imposed on raw wool. The
Democratic tariff bill should put
raw wool on the free list, and re-
duce the tariff on manufactured |
woolens to an average of 35 or 40
per cent. The latter was the rate
by the Mills bill. That
will give our manufacturers cheaper
and past experience shows
that it will not reduce the pllces of
American homegrown wool.
As we pointed out the other day,
Of all the absurdities ever poked in
to a tariff legislation, the Mckinley
tax on carpet woods is the baldest
idiocy. We produce none in this
1t was imposed to force
carpet weavers to use the higher
priced American woods for a pur-
pose for which they are too costly
ind for which they arc unsuited.
1t failed, of course. For eleven
of the current fiscal year We
nave imported 100000, 900 pounds
IF these carpet woods. On this
arge importation-larser than be-
'ore the Mckinley bill passed.
NcKinleyism put tax of 30 per
cent. Even clsthe theory of the
1t was absolutely nee
essary. because we produce 10 car
,et wools, and American farmers
ire too smart to start in to grow
WOOL that only brings 0 cents a
pound, when with small labor an,
N the same land they can grow
WOOL that Is worth from 25 to 80
;enls in ordinary times.
The increased price Of carpets of
which our correspondent speaks, is
lHc to this totally unnecessary tax {
IN carpet woods and to the high
luty cn carpets which encouraged /
he manufacturers to create trust j
II combination to maintain or al
.ance prices. Give them free wool
nd cut down the tariff on the man.
lfactured article anl carpets will
ail Il prioe.