The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-01-06
FACTS ON WOOL.
Low Prices Under Many Years
I of High Protection.
Truths From the -Greatest Wool
County East Of the Mississippi.

We summarize a few nuggets OF
truth, which bear directly on the i'm
portant question whether protection
in the past has been of any benefit to
the American wool grower. In the
first place it is to be considered that
from 1916 to 1868 We had low duties
on wool, and for a great part of the
time virtual free trade. From 1865
to the present time it has been per
iod of high protection, eliminating in
the Mckinley law.
For the Fl years ending with 1857
the average price of medium quality
Ohio wool In the Boston market was
As cents pound. This was under Q
low tariff
For the p years ending with 1885
the average price Of the same quality
of wool in Boston was ~ cents. Thi:
was under period Of high protection,
Wool under low tariff for 2l years
commanded cents pound more.
Since 1883 wool has been going down
| from the 42t cents it then command
ed, and has reached the lowest price
known in this country under the Nc
Kinley law of 1885, 1t commenced
falling in 1890, Immediately after that
4 law passed congress.
In 1857, at the end of the low tariff
period on WOOL the number OF sheer
in the states east of the Mississippi
and Missouri rivers was, 81, 6S5, 900.
In 1891, after "a years Of hight pro
lection, sheep in these states had
fallen to IS, 576, 900. In Pennsylvania
the number of sheep fell from | 800.
900 in 1859 TO go, 900 in 1892.
In the same period, that is from
1860 to 1891, the number Of sheep il
the states and territories west Of the
Mississippi and Missouri rivers in
creased from 3, 200, 521 to "a, 954, 1856
That shows where the benefits of the
wool tariff go, provided there are an,
benefits to it. 1t is question O
cheap lands, however.
Under the high tariffs one industr,
has prospered, and that is the shodd,
! industry. The value Of the shodd,
product Of the shoddy mills in the
United States in 1890 was 50, 29s, oil
having increased in the 20 years of tn,
high tariff era from 1870 more thar
! five fold. In 1890, in the manufac
ture of wooden goods of all kinds il
this country, according to the censu,
statistics, there were used 124, 900, 00l
pounds of pure or secured wool ant
1874, 600, 900 pounds of cotton, shodd,
and other adulterants. In 1S90ther,
were produced in the United State
81, 626, 900 pounds of shoddy. Thi
production Of shoddy was equal to the
secured wood product of 29,605, 00'
! sheep.
The Mckinley law was passed Il
promote wool growing, increase tn,
price Of wool and stop the importation
of foreign woods. How has it accom-
| plished these purposes?
Wool under its operations has falleI
to lower price than ever before known
and commenced to fall as soon as til,
Mckinley law was passed.
The number of sheep in Pennsylva
mia has decreased nearly one-half from
| the number in the low tariff era.
Instead of checking the imports 0
wool from foreign countries the i'm
ports have increased since the McKin
ley bill became law.
To show how the Mckinley Law
taxes the wooden wear of the people, i
can be said that last year there wer
imported woods and woolens of tn
value of $35, 700,0 goo, on which Their
were paid Mckinley taxes aggregatin,
$34, 240, 000 This was at the rate o
95 per cent on every dollars worth 0
wooden goods imported.
David A. Wells said: ''The exper
fence of quarter of a century of higl
protective tariffs on wool and woolei
goods has proved the policy to be dis
astrous to the wool grower, disastroul
to the wool manufactures and disas
| trous to the American consumer"