New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-29
EVILS OF THE WOOLSCHEDULE
A BOSTON EXPERTS OPINION.
LIKELY TO WORK COMPLETE TRANsFoRMA-
TIoN IN THE INDUSTRY AND PROVE A STAG
GERING BLOW TO MANUFACTURERS
ITS INCONSISTENCIES POINTED OUT.
Icy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRiBrxh.

LEY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBrxkl
Washington Nov 2S-In response to the request
of q Tribune correspondent. $. n. ID. North. OF
Boston, whose knowledge Of the subject Is uni
versally understood and highly respected has pre-
pared statement In which he SAYS the wooiieh
schedule VIII be startling shock to every one
engaged in that manufacture. Free wool was OF
course looked for and Is much regretted. but free
wool means a complete transformation OF the in
dustry the relearnng of the whole business. and
the re-equpment OF mills Before the domestic
manufacturers adjust themselves to these new
conditions under these proposed rates OF duty the
foreigners will have had opportunity TO possess
themselves Of the domestic market. There VIII be
an interval Of year or two In which they VIII
have things all their own way in this market and
in the meanwhile l anticipate that a considerable
percentage of existing machinery will retire per-
manently from business In despair at the future
prospects.
1.-THE complete wiping out of the specific duties
is. Of course the most deporabIe feature of the
schedule 1t Is the more striking In Its discrimina
ton because Of the general retention OF specihc
duties in the cotton schedule The total reduction
In the woollen schedule on this account Is much
greater than appears the face. and cannot be
measured even approximately in figures. But 1t Is
safe to say that 1t will equal 60 per cent upon the
total importations Of the fiscal year 1882 which
would mean loss Of revenue on woolien goods
and not counting the 100000 OF revenue from
wool duties Of so 500 900 the same volume OF Inn
portations. But NJ course the imports under such
schedule would jump at once greatly. even
without revival of general prosperity. and
probably to an extent IN the first year which would
mean a loss of revenue fully 100000 greater than
above calculated or s2S0oO,Ooo. The woollen sched-
ule Is not as good for the manufacturer as was
the Mills BILL with It's uniform duty Of 40 per cent
but it is in some particulars an improvement over
the Springer BILL and In others II Is decidedly
worse. 1t Is especially hard on the carpet manu-
facturers reducing the duty on all but the very
highpriced carpets to q per cent This looks Ike
a special drive at Philadelphia, which will suffer
ncalcuable loss II such rates of duty ever become
law.
Another branch Of the industry especially singled
out for slaughter Is the manufacture Of paper
makers felts. which put under duty which
runs from Is to IS per cent, and VIII not average
over 30 per cent. The knit-goods industry Is also
struck blow that will stagger It, The bill makes
the extraordinary bunder Of introducing dividing
lines Of value in the yarn and blanket and flannel
paragraphs. Why this should have been deemed
necessary in a tariff that Is wholly ad vaorem In
It's duties cannot be explained. 1t puts a premium
upon under.valuatons and will be the source Of
incalculable mischief. The duty yarns valued
at 40 cents pound is IS per cent. while the
duty all cloths made from those yarns is only
40 per cent. American manufacturers will be aghast
at these figures. The weaver is obliged to take all
the risks of business to incur all the losses arising
from defective workmanship and yet he is allowed
margin OF only per cent over the yarn manu-
facturer who encounters hone of these risks. The
woven at q profit The trainers Of iiWsre evidently
and it is amazing that Mr.. Stevens. who is a prac-
sal should eyer have given his
"Fortunately the DUTY on all cloths Is made uni
hS has as Of IN s r. nd On s
the Mills bill 1t Is q figure which means ruin to
IN sood
the masses foreign makes Of which have been sx.
facturers. while. on the contrary they will have
no and "f" the Wastes 20
BY the English manufacturers in the production Of
%sna o free ". ' material ss
these Cloths at Considerably less than cnehaf the
cost to make them here AS has been proved be-
tionally large proportion Of the difference in cost
as between these and nc fine goods Is in labor al
the utilization of rags and revamped nbres which
If viii ess y TO to be a
here under such tarff. there must be an imme-
s. per from the prc~sed f's
ago Manufacturers fear that such great reduc-
s Sn in to wages sSup viii he %ans ssi %
il s certain that the goods which will nS.d hs
be- OF vastly inferior quality as compared with
the product OF American mills now worn by the
masses OF people.
1.-THE worst section Of the woollcn schedule Is 2s0,
covering blankets hats fannels, etc, and contain
Ing three rates OF duty 2 80 and % per cent ad
valorem. This Is a close approach to the free-trade
tariff Of 1857 which was particularly disastrous I'm
its effects upon the flannel and blanket manufact-
ure. The percentage Of labor cost In the manu-
value Is quite large in the more costly grades.
the difference in prices being almost wholly due
to the use OF more expensive stock. The only OBJ
ject and effect of this discrimination appears to be
to make It peculiarly difficult TO continue the man.
ufacture of the cheaper grades Of annels and ban-
kets. / have great respect for Mr. Stevens and
cannot explain his action In approving bill which
makes duty on the particular class OF fannes
which he manufactures-thoseu used for dress goods
higher than upon other fannels. and equal 10 the