The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-29
THIS STATE AT DISADVANTAGE.

Inc industries OF Inls State are SerI
ously menaced by the new Democratic
tariff. Many of the wool-growers, it is be.
lieved, will be forced to abandon the bust.
ness. and the making Of jute bags, with
the low quotation which Calcutta now
offers, will cease. Eastern wool men are
turning their attention to South America
Argentina, which has begun to displace
California in the Liverpool wheat market,
promises now to supply a good portion OF
the wool for the use of the United States
TO the great detrimeDt of the sheep-raisers
of this country. and with the advantage OF
cheaper land, cheaper labor and cheaper
freight will be one of the most active COM
petltors of California, Oregon. Montana.
Utah and Colorado in the markets of the
Eastern cities.
At the same time that American capital
is seeking Argen tina as a profitable cOun-
try in which to invest in the wool-gro wing
business, New York is striving to wrest
from Boston and Philadelphia the supre-
macy of the American market
Under the old tariff little wool was i'm
ported to this country, and Boston has
been the center of the domestic wool trade.
Under the new schedule large imports are
anticipated. McNaughtOn Brothers of
New York are the head of a scheme, in
which the old firm of Dyke Brothers is also
interested, to make New York City the
great stOrehouse and center of the wool
trade. They have planned a warehouse
with a storage capacity of 100000
pounds, and it is not unlikely that other
firms engaged in the wool trade will make
similar preparations for the storage of
woods.
at is too early to predict just what may
happen" said James P. Hulme Of Hume
Il Hart WOOL grain and general commits
sion merchants, Yesterday. 1.-THE imports
under the old tariff of woods used for
clothing were not large, ranging from
so, 000,0 600 to 100000 pounds year. The
larger portions of the imports were car
pet woods, which have averaged from
100000 to 90.000,00 pounds year. Do
nestle wool must be sold in compe-
titiOn with the foreign products, and
Eastern dealers and manufacturers are
bound to break the market with an ulti-
mate foreign supply upon which 10 draw
II the American wool-grOwers do not
come 10 their terms. just what The reduc-
ton viii be no one can say at present, but
il is safe TO say that the raising of the
cheap grades-those which bring 4 or
cents in the msrket-must cease.
South America will be the most serious
competitor, though Australia will also be
s source Of supply. The wool-grOwing
countries Of South America can lay their
wool down cheaper in the East than we
ez1. as there are lines OF vessels plyiug
between the ports. affOrding cheap
1rei<hts, which are less than the railroad
can give; and II wool were shipped from
here by way of Panama in bulk it would
have TO be broken on the iSthmus, and the
several landings of the freight would
greatly Increase the cost.
Then the countries of South America
have cheap ana vast areas of land adapted
to sheep, and cheap and abundant labor.
In addition to this the South American
countries and the Australian colonies
have felt the hard times much more Sc
Verely than this country. They need
money. Wool IS cash product and they
will be forced to sell il for what they can
. Every body in the wool trade feels sure
of what will happen, but il will have to
be demonstrated by actual experience be-
fore the country realizes tue new condition
of things.
There has been great deal OF talk
about the need Of long staple woods for
our manufactures here. That is nonsense
Our local mills do not require our choicest
woods. California and Texas are the only
States In the Union which produce the
short staple, and for the manufacture of
hannels u is preferred by our mills. To
all other States the long staple, the same
as the Australian export, is raised The
reason Of this is that in California and
Texas the climate is such that fall clip
can be had and this gives US the short
staple. There has been a good demand
for all our shOrt-staple wool. because for
some purposes 1t is more desirable"
Mr.. Hume characterized as incorrect the
assertion that the United States needed
the import of the finer woods grown abroad
declaring that this country could produce
all the fine wool that was needed, and
added that the imports have been for the
most part of the coarser varieties
ut is all question of labor" continued
Mr.. Hume. There is not another coup-
try but that can manufacture more
cheaply than we can. Unless we get our
labor as cheap, or a little cheaper. we
cannot compete. 1t seems 10 me that any
American should favor protective tariff
1t is the only thing which protects la Dor.
The business man can look out for him
self. 1t is the working man who needs
protection for his labor
TRADE in wool has come 20 a halt until
we can see under just what conditions it
can be conducted. now that the new tariff
regulates the imports" continued Mr.
Hume. There is a little slow trade going
on, and that. think, is all we shall have
this fall. Speculation has ceased en-
tirely."
Mr.. Hume declared that the manufac-
turers were al as much of a loss what to DO
as the wool-grOweTs and dealers. The
new bill imposes an ad valorem instead Of
a specific duty on manufactured wool pro-
ducts. Under the bill the importer NAV
ostensbly pay 80 per cent on goods valued
at more than 30 cents pound and 40 per
cent on goods having lesser valuation,
but false invoices are so common that the
manufacturer may have TO contend against
imports ostensibly paying the full duty,
but in reality paying much less.
California is now selling woods at the
lowest possible prices. They cannot go
lower and have profit and many of the
growers of this State will go out OF the
business" added Mr.. Hume. six weeks
or two months from now dealers can bet
ter estimate the situation. Although
ample time has been given to prepare for
the change many are not ready, for there
was strong feeling that the bill might
not pass"
Jute bags have been offered for next
years delivery at AZ cents pound by the
Calcutta manufacturers. The schedule
at the State Prison has been 81 cents and
the actual cost of manufacture has been
5h cents. AS the prison has every ad-
vantage for the production OF jute bags
and as the cost of manufacture is seven
Fights of a cent more than the Calcutta
bags can be delivered for this would
imply that the prison mill, With its expen-
sive plant for which the State has paid,
must close down and it does appear as if
the Oakland jutemill could not hereafter
compete with the Calcutta export.
Mrs. Smiths Cross Complaint.
In the suit OF Dora Scnacker against Geprge