Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-10-06
FREE WOOL.
Who Will Profit by It?-The Effect of
Threatened Free Tradc-A
False Economy.
The American Grower Pays Twelve
Times More Than the Foreign
Dealer to Get His Wool
to Market.

MOI per cent OF the WOODEN mauulac-
turers in this country desire free wool;
the agricultural interests surely do not
ask for it, and the consumer has no sound
reason for demanding it in view of the
fact that big duties have always been fol-
lowed by lower prices. Wool is cheaper
at this moment than it has been for gem
erations.
The manufacturer does not want free
wool, because he knows that a large
domestic supply contributes to his in
terest and this supply is dependent for
its existence upon protection. More
over, he recognizes the fact that the wool
is as much entitled to protection as he is.
and that free wool now means free cloth
after awhile. The consumer who is we'll
informed is aware that when this country
grows half the wool it uses prices must
be lower than when it grows none at all.
and that the lower price of flesh food in
this country because millions of sheep are
maintained here, has probably more than
covered all the duties ever collected from
wool. 1t is doubtful if the wool duties
have cost the American people dollar.
That the duties have been no burden is
demonstrated by the fact that while this
country contains not moro than one
twentieth of the population of the globe,
the people consume about one-third of
the worlds wool clip.
If we shall have continued and sufficient
protection, no reason can be imagined
why we should not produce at home all
the wool that we require. There is in the
southern states alone enough poor land,
fit only for sheep, to permit the doubling
of our present wool clip. The climate in
that region is peculiarly suitable for the
business, and the industry, properly con-
Quoted, would help to enrich the people.
In favoring the withdrawal of the wool
duties the south is trying to exclude it.
self from great opportunity. Wool is an
indispensable necessity of human e1is-
tence in this latitude. More than this, it
is munition of war. No nation that may
have its ports blockaded should permit it.
self to be dependent upon foreign coun-
tries for it's supplies of this material.
The experience of the south in the civil
war should have taught it this lesson, if
no other.
That the wool product is greatly in
huenced by the tariff is certain. We had
no high duty upon wool until 1867. In
1868 American sheep numbered 80, 100000.
Under protection these increased to ST.
100000 in 1884. Then the duties we're de-
creased, and in 1891 the number fell to 49,
100000. As soon as the Mckinley tariff
took effect the fiocks began to enlarge.
When Mr.. Cleveland's election was as
sured the slaughter of sheep again began.
Why the American farmer can not hold
his own without the duty is plain enough.
The cost of moving wool, say from New
Mexico to the Atlantic seaboard, is 3
cents a pound. The cost of carrying it
across the ocean from London is 4 of a
cent pound. Thus the American grow
er has to pay twelve times as much as the
London dealer to put tine staple IN the
American market. The cost of move
ment from wool-growing regions east of
the Mississippi river is from two to four
times that of transporting it across the
Atlantic. 1t is not possible for the Ameri-
can to compete with his foreign rivals I'M
der such conditions unless he has a pro-
tective duty. Withdraw the protection
and he must kill his sheep. This is in
evitable. When the deed is done an I'M
portant American commodity will disap-
pear, that much wealth production will
cease, the farmers will be poorer and the
price of flesh food will advance. The
mere threat of free wool has even now
mt the Drices of wool down to the free
trade basis, and the far western flock
owners this year have made no profit OF
any kind on their operations. No duty
ever yet laid on wool has operated to
add 50 to the price of an ordinary
suit of clothes. The duties under the Nc
Kinley law represent something less than
81 upon a suit of moderate value. Tho
American people have to consider wheth-
er the saving made by freeing wool will
not be dearly made at the sacrifice of the
interests to which allusion has been made
in this article.-New York Press.