The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-08-31
PROTECTION AxlOMS.
Chespns~~ = Car~e-I.reign Trade . Mis-
take Wool Article in American Econo-
usi~t Di>.~stsd.

Economist ~ July 18th. IN "A two ana .
half page article entitled Cheap sheep
Raising
The object ~ the writer i 10 explain
why il j. that wool j. produced more
cheaply in Australia than in this coun-
try. lie takes il for granted that IL.
because of natural ana artificial advan-
tage>. wool can be produced cheaper
there than here. il becomes the duty of
all sensible Americans 20 shut them
selves of. by a high tariff. from the
cheap wool in order u force themselves
To clothe themselves in the dear wool
grown in this country.
The aAioms on which the argument
rests are: l. 1heapne>s j. "A curse. :.
Nothing should be purchased from
abroad, no matter AZ what little cost.
which we can produce. no matter at
il follows that all commerce and trade
across the boundary lines between
countries j. mistake. because we
never purchase foreign articles except
when they are cheaper than those pro-
duced at home. and because we can.
by lighthouses or other artificial means.
produce any article az home. But few
protcctionists are consistent enough to
follow their logic 10 this conclusion.
although some of their apostles con-
denim all International trade and one
were walls Of fire.
There can be- no doubt about the
conclusion. If eheapne>s. in Itself. is
a curse and protective duties. a origi-
nally conceived. are blessings then it
must follow that foreign trade j. harm
full. IL il be bad policy for Us TO pur-
chase wool in Australia where il can
be grown at say 10 per cent. less cost
than here. then il j. also bad policy to
purchase tea in China or coffee in Java
where they can BE- produced for say 80
per cent less than here In either ease
the theory and the argument are the
same: they differ only in degree. The
free traders say all trade j. beneficial
To both parties and both countries par
ticipating in il. The protectioni>t. il
he be consistent. laments the fact that
there are ocean freight steamers.
That there may be no mi>representa-
from this article in the American
Economist:
The chief characteristic Of sheep
raising in Australia j. its eheapne~s.
Cheap land. cheap labor and cheap
methods can be found in every branch
~ the Antipodean wool production
The shea.er i cheap man: the shep-
herd j. cheap man. one such man
would care for a many a. 500 or To-
900 sheep in a single field. His pay i
five dollars per week and rations.'
which consist Of small quantity of
-four. sugar. tea and meat.
Ills duties. though tedious. perhaps.
are not onerous. No food has To be
provided for the Australian sheep.
They feed themselves on the native
grasses. Another element of cheap
ness consists in the land itself. which
| is valued at only s.. per acre II it will
not carry one sheep; Mt $40, il carrying
one sheep: at SIS. if carrying one and a
half sheep. and SO per acre il the land
carries two or more sheep In one OF
| the large Australian colonies there are
800. 900 acres of land. held by over III
persons. or 81. 300 acres to each person.
| The cheap land i not taxed at all until
its value reaches Si2 500. when il j. sub
ject To- tax of one and a qparter per
cent above that amount But the end
/ i not yet. There j. more cheapness.
The sheep are shorn BY machinery.
The time occupied in clipping a sheep
varies from five 10 nine minutes. The
machine-shorn sheep yield now over
six ounces more wool than the hand
>horn sheep. One kind Of machine is
used in a many a 45O different sheds
and has been used upon upward IF .0.'
O0o.OD sheep. Six ounces Of wool
from each one Of these sheep means
almost 10000 bales more wool caused
l BY the use Of this one machine. The
climate Of Australia certainly favor-
\ the sheep industry. because the sheep
remain out Of doors without any cover.
ing year in and year ont. thus con>ti'
tuting another element Of chcapne>s.
/ Can the American wool grower com
ple.e with such wool raised ut such lit.
tie cost. The only element lacking 70
successful competition On the part Of
the American sheep farmer i the
American aversion 70 chcapness. cx
cept on the part Of the democratic free
traders. who would cheaper everything
that we produce by cheapcning the
value of the labor that produces il
The article. however. j. not entirely
consistent with itself. close exam
nation Of the statements reveals thu
fact that Australian is cheaper than
American wool. not 20 much because
wages are lower there (which is doubt
full nor because the climate j. more
favorable (which j. also doubtful a
compared with that of Texas and Cali
formal. but because the wool growers
are more enterprising and have adopted
more scientific means and methods
The writer tells Us that the grca'
curse Of the country l. drought. which
has eau ~ed the loss Of tens Of thousand
~ sheep and cattle in single season
To overcome this ravback dams u>es
10 be built Ia store water: but since
iss5 artesian wells have bean drilled a
great cost ON one sheep station
alone. Thuralvoona. a~ much a. si50,
vpo was spent in sinking three wells
One Of these wells yields 3.ooo0p gal
Ions Of water every twenty-four hours
another one yields a.5Oo.o0o gallons
n