The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-14
rEEE wool-

s<uas0f Mitchell 81 Oregon t4s y1ss
inside . speech IN the seaase a<ssass pat
ting wool on sHs fres list. where il -
plaoed by the Wilson tariff biA- TIE wool
interests Of tie United States Envosve The
welfare Of as Iess: million Of car peop's
and represent the kisa greatest Interest Of
the country. Free wool bsinys the WOOL
growers ard sheep hnsbsndasen Of the
Jnised States in dsrsc. con petition With
the cheap negro labor % South Africa.
the cheap LABOR OF South America: the
cheap labor Of China: the cheap labor OF
Australia and TIE cheap labor Of Asia
Minor, Southern Russia and Italy
The free trader who believes that wool
caa be grown a. eheapiy in this country
~ abroad and Who would have the Amsrs-
can wool grower conform to the method
Of living. wages. ETC.. Of the foreign wool
grower, ought to rea! the arss ANIMAL re-
port Of the United States commissioner 81
labor. which on page at gives the condi-
ton. wages. etc. Of shepherds in Italy, ~
follows:
Condition - Lives In hays.ack-iiks
hovei: leads o solitary life: cannot resd;
Possesses but slight degree OF inteila-
gence.
"Dsef-Breakfas.. black bread, ol.
water; dinner. black bread. OIL. water;
supper. black bread. oil. water. This mes-
ger and inonotoaous diet 10 varied at In
frequent Intervals by . very small piece Of
bacon, salt pork or macaroni. an onion or
little funnochio; on great fese days By
little wine.
Earnings Mt cents day, &35h
"Cost OF living for the year-Bread,
$i46o; oil. s. AZ; other food supplies. 81 81.
clothing. $500
Expenditures. $25.55.
Earnings, $25.S5."
The transportation on wool from oil the
foreign countries We have named costs less
to Boston than It costs q Colorado wool
grower to the Missouri river. The wool
from South America and South Africa 10
very much like the wool produced in Coll
orsdo and surrounding states and terri
tories. This WOO! has not heretofore given
the American wool grower much troubls
because its foreign producers could not
bring il here under tho Mckinley tariff
and pay IL cents duty . pound and com
pete with us. The wool growers Of Aus
traila, by sending to one market only the
hghtsss and nicsst part OF the fleece and
selling their tags and dirt In some country
where there Is no duty, have been far more
serious competitors in our market than
South America or South Africa, but with
the duty OF Australia will sell her wool,
skirts, tags, dirt and ali to as.
In South Africa and the Argentine Re-
public the climate 10 80 mild that there Il
no loss from the inclemency of the
weather: the wages OF hsrders and other
help Is not one-fourth Of that in Colorado
and New Mexico. The cost of what bread
they use is not more, If a. much, as with
us: cost OF meat nothing. and - for other
food. such IS pork. beans. dried fruit,
potatoes. coffee, sugar and syrup, etc,
which cor herders demand and get, with
them are Injuries neither known nor
cared for. To feed their help probably
costs them less than one-sixth of what ii
costs rs; to get their wool TO onr market
costs them less than Ii costs Us to get ours
there.
The South African wool grower in the
Orange FREQ State pays $500 = month to
his native herders and other help, or s36
year. The herier bought has own breech
clout and other supplies. as also the breech
ciout and other supplies for the rest of hi.
family, out OF $50
Bynum. Of Indiana. Is fond of proclaim
ing that the price of wool fell in the United
States in spite of the Mckinley tariff of IL
cents pound. The reason why the price
of wool fell was the enormous production
Of wool in Australia with cheap labor.
Shepherds could be had for IS week and
rations, so that Ausralis had 7o.ooo. 900 of
sheep when she had but 4. ooo. 600 of people.
The United States had Is, ooo, 900 of sheep
and &, COS. 900 Of people. This made too
many sheep aud too much wool for the
worlds market. The result was wool went
down in Thibei. India, Circassia, Australia
aud finally all over the world.
Cargoes were shipped from Australia and
Thibet for from TO IS cents pound. As
aeon as they paid the 10 cents duty to get
into the United States these foreign woods
were worth from IL to 3 cenis--,he price
of our wool.
The wool fell In value In the United
States on account Of the immense crop of
Wool made on cheap public lands in Aus
,ralia. tut our wool has always been 10
cents pound higher than foreign wool
The Mckinley bill has benefited our
farmers.
When the Wilson bill takes on this duty
our wool will only be worth rs much as
cheap Australian wool with the Freight
added. Free wool cannot possibly in.
crease the price Of wool in America. nor
will free wool enable our manufacturers 10
send cloth TO Europe. send woolieu goods
or carpets to Europe until we have their
low wages. The American farmer. IL the
Wilson bill becomes a law. will see his
wool competing with wool worth 10 cent.
pound less than his has been.