The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-22
FREE WOOL.


will place wool on the free list. Since the
inauguration OF Cleveland ii is estimated
that the wool growers have lost on the
contraction of values over SO, 10000. 1t
Is reported from all over the West that
sheep are being slaughtered because the
wool growing industry cannot be con-
Quoted except with q loss.
AT the mass meeting held by the wool
growers AZ the Worlds fair II was stated
that at present the number of sheep in
this country Is 5000, 600. 1t is estimated
that with adequate protection this num-
Der would be increased by 81, 00o. goo, max
ing in all ioo, 00o. eco. The appeal says:
with adequate protection and under
normal conditions this increase would add
SIS, 1000. 900 TO the value of our hocks,
and add more than s70000,0o0 annu-
ally TO the income of farmers by the
sale OF additional wool, besides adding
$jo.np,ou0 or more annually by the sale
OF additional mutton sheep. This would
add To the taxable wealth of the country
and aid IN relieving the present burden of
taxation. This increase Of sheep would
make an increased demand for IL 000. 600
acres additional pasture land of the aver
age productive capacity of our chief agri-
cultural states. and would make a market
for 20, 100000 additional tons of hay, be-
sides 10000 900 bushels OF corn and 90
CO., coo bushels of oats. and by the
price of all these and open the way Cor in
creased crops, especially in our new
states. and thus increase the value Of
land in all the states. These conditions
would enable the Americans TO utilize in
sheep husbandry 1900. 600 of the 80. 9i6 s97
acres now annually producing 10000 900
bushels OF surplus or overproduction of
wheat, to be sold at ruinously low prices
in foreign markets, in competition with
the cheap labor of the East Indies, Russia
and elsewhere, thus depressing the Amer
lean farm price. as now, to 90 cents per
bushel farm value"
This appeal of the wool growers of the
United States ought TO be needed by the
present free trade" majority in congress.
Our seventh largest agricultural industry,
producing annually SEC. co., 900 worth of
wool and representing an investment of
500, 900, 600 in sheep, will be destroyed by
placing wool on the free list.
In this great industry at least 5, 000, 900
of people are directly and indirectly inter-
ested. The cost of raising wool in the
in actual outlay greater than the cost of
raising the same class of wool in Austria
liza, or the Argentine Republic, and the
Mckinley tariff law places the duty of IL
cents per pound on imported unwashed
wool TO put the American wool grower on
The latter has advantages of cheap land,
and in climatic condition and cheaper
freight, which to him is full equivalent to
IL cents per pound.
Since the enormous increase in the
worlds supply In Australia and the Ar
gentine Republic, prices of merino wool
throughout the world have fallen and
there is not a flock of merino sheep in
England today. The only sheep left in
that country are the coarse wool or NUT
ton sheep mainly produced for the meat.
Under the severity of free trade COMPETE
ton with Australia. England today pro-
dnces only lSo ooo. 600 pounds of wool, as
against 100000 pounds in 1875, when
Australia only produced three-ffths of its
present supply.
During the three seasons ended June 30
lsgs, the shipments of wool from Aus
traiia increased by no less than $4,000
bales, or 80 per cent. of the total quantity.
During the year ended June 80. isss. there
was an increase of 51,ooo bales additional.
making the total increase in the Australian
wool clip nearly 10000 bales within four
years.
The consequence of this enormous
growth in the Australian production has
been drop OF 80 per cent in prices, aud
protection alone has saved the American
wool growers from being compelled to sell
their wool FOR the same money.