Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-02-09
THE STATISTICS OF WOOL.
How Changes In Prices have Follows
Changes In Tarifl.

nv" manages In fricoe have Followed
Changes In Tarin.
John P. Robertson, of Marion county.
Oregon, a successful farmer and wool
grower and sheep raiser, writes:
From the foundation Of this govern
ment-l7s9 70 l8l8--wool was free. In
that year there was laid tariff OF Is Der
cent, which on . pound OF wool worth
80 cents at the port of shipment would
be y cents per pound. This remained
unchanged until July lat, 1924, when the
rate was raised to 20 per cent. I'D valo.
rum, or 8 cents.
That 10 the fret year for which we
have official reports Of wool prices. All
prices l quote are official for a pound OF
fine washed clothing fleece wool for the
month OF January for each year named
The duty is reckoned on pound Of wool
worth 80 cents at port Of shipment.
January, 1924, the first year we have
official prices Of wool, the duty was Is
per cent. ad valorem or Az cents per
pound. And pound of fine washed
clothing fleeced wool was worth So cents.
The next January the duty was increased
to 20 per cent. or from AN to cents per
pound, and the price fell from SO to 90
cents per pound. During the succeeding
nine years of increasing protective du,
tics on wool, from 1924 to 1888, the duty
was raised Elk times. The price fell four
times and roee but twice. The duty WAS
raised from AZ to 10 cents, and the price
fell from So to 90 cents. The duty WAS
raised ~ cents and the price declined
l3 cents. Here protection on wool
reaches its xepith. and under Mr.. Clay's
compromise act began slowly to decline.
With what result will unimpeached
official figures tell For the two years
1834-S5 the duty was reduced from 10 to
Is cents and the price rose to 20 and SO
cents, an average Of 66h cents, this was
an increase of IL y cen ., on dec lining
tariff. In 1S36-37 the duty was again
lowered to Is 4-10 cents, and the price
was IS and 70 cents, an average Of 681e
cents another advance Of cents not
withstanding q reduction Of duties.
During the nine succeeding years, 1887
to l848, the duty was lowered four times,
and the price fell with the duty three
times and rose once, closing the period
(lS46) with the duty at IL cents (716
cents higher and the price 40 cents (2S
cents lower) than in 1924, when the
policy Of protecting the wool indirectly
was inaugurated.
The next period Of II years, 1S47-57,
the duty was again reduced to 80 per
cent. or to 8 cents per pound. The price
gradually rose from As to 90 cents at the
close Of the period. The average for the
whole period was AZ cents. For the pext
period, three years, 1858-60, the duty
was again lowered to 7 2-l0 cents, and
the average price was $50. scoring an
other rise Of price under a decreasing
tax.
Taking this whole period Of declining
tariff from 1884 to 1860, period Of q
wears, we see the duty reduced eight
times. The price fell three times with
the duties, and rose five times. The
duty was reduced from 10 cents in 1888
to 2-l0 cents in 1860, and the price
went from So to so cents. Though the
duty was yet 7-10 cents higher than in
1874, the price was cents less. From
all this conclude that a high duty on
wool, does not necessarily bring a good
price.
This brings us up to the war period
when all values went up, and from the
same cause.
The ideal protective wool tariff wat
perfected and passed in March 1867
This law was designed. framed anC
passed, to especially protect, preserve
and promote the wool and sheep indus
try. Let us 500 what preceded, anC
what followed the enactment Of thi
much eulogized law.
The January preceding the passage o
this law, the price of the same kind o
wool was SO cents, just what it was il
1924, when the former policy OF stimulat
ing the wool industry was fairly inaugur
ated. By April after the passage Of tn,
law the ice had fallen to 90 cents, Jul,
10 90, and by October to AS, loss in To,
fret nine months Of 20 cents ON q pound
The succeeding five years, 1868 ~, tn
price was 40, 80, 48, AZ and 20 cents
The average 81 SIS, q loss Of over Is cent
per pound. The three following year
the duty was lowered 10 per cent, an,
the price rose TO an average OF u cent
an advance Of 8 cents.
For the next eight years from 1868
the duty Of the law Of 1867, 1872 cents pc
pound. was restored. And the pric
again fell from an average Of 81 cent
under the lower duty to AN cents, a los
OF 1874 cents. This period closed on
declining market at 40 cents, loss OF
cents from the price of 1857 before th
law for the promotion Of the wool indus
try was passed. The law Of 1883 agai
lowered the rate OF duties ,mewhat an
vet left 10 cents pound on wool wort
80 cents or less, and on woods worth owe
80 cents, IL cents. Notwithetandin
this high protection, wool continued wit
all other products to decline in euccessiv
years, being 40 centa in 1884, "a cents i
1885, So cents in 1885, 80 in 1887. 81 Il
1888, 81 in 1889 and SO In 1890, a loss {
35 cents from the price OF 1867. In thi
wear Of 1890 the Mckinley law nearly re
stored the rate of duty of 1867. Blu
wool still continued to decline, even dul
ing 1891. With this law still In force tn
price OF wool as we'll 40 other farm proc
ucts ranges lower than during any year {
the present century.
Having thus from the official recor
, traced the wonderful and surprising d.
3 cline OF the price OF wool after the pal
sage Of the law of 1867, let us now tur
z to see what followed in the wake of thet
] declining prices, and how it all affecte
a the value OF sheep and the sheep indu
8 try. quote from the report Of the con
r missioner Of agriculture, for the yes
1871, page 40, who four years after Ii
D passage of that law thus graphical
describes what followed its enactment.
"Our wool growers, who had becou
e elated with the unaccustomed prospect,
!, OF the recent past, at once succumbed
q dependency, sold their flocks, some Il
9 migration across the Missouri, others 4
the city markets, and large numbers Il
4 indiscrimiuste slaughter for pelts ar
tallow. This destruction commenced
the autumn of 1868 and resulted in Il
diminution of the aggregate number |
at least 100000 during the winte
Y Thau n orc killed for MALTA and fallO