Huntsville gazette., 1894-10-27
FREE WOOL.
Democrats Trying to Show an Increase N
Prices Under the New Law.

Democrats frying to Show An Increase N
Prices Under the New Law.
Since the close of the second session
of the Fifty-third congress, prominent
democrats throughout the west, nota
bly, Hon. Franklin MacVeagh, Of
Chicago; Representative Bynum, Of
Indianapolis, Ind; Senator Noor-
hees, of Iadiana, and very many 9th
ers are making prominent in their
apeeches statement TO the people
that the price of wool is advancing;
that there has teen an advance all
along the line since the passage of the
Mckinley law.
At first sight it would seem impos-
sible that the price Of wool could re-
main where it was found on July /,
1894. In some of the northwestern
states it was being offered at prices
which were really less than the cost of
clipping, packing, etc, and yet with
AL there has been no advance even in
the most notable cases. 1t may be ar
gued that wool was offered as low as
six cents in Arizona and some Of the
western territories and that it il still
being offered at those prices. This
may be true as to some of the locali-
ties, but we are prepared to say, from
the most authentic sources, that there
is a general decline in the prices of
the American clip everywhere.
The circular of Justice, Bateman &
Co., wool commission merchants OF
Philadelphia, issued October /. 1894.
confirms all that is claimed concerning
the price of wool. To the following
extracts, taken from their circular,
with the following state ment and dia-
gram of prices. we challenge the oppo-
sition to confirm TO the people of this
country the absolute fact as claimed
by them, that wool is advancing while
the figures show a continual decline
in this country. We reiterate that the
average decline in the nineteen
months from March /, 1893, to October
/. 1884 is S7.08 per cent, while the az
erage decline since the passage Of the
! free wool bill in thirty-tive days is 7.24
per cent. Attention is now call ed to
the following statement:
The Bateman circular of October 1
SHOWS by diagram the course Of prices
for American wool since the advent Of
President Cleveland's administration.
The same diagram shows the Gourse Of
prices in the London market for wool
Of the same kind and quality. This
diagram takes for comparison XXX Ohio
and a good average Port Phillip
which are woods of the same kind and
quality as near as may be, although
good Port Phillip is rather the best,
and in order that 1t may not be claimed
that we have taken only one grade or
quality We also show that the decline
on all kinds Of wool since President
| Harrison left the white house has
| been over 81 per cent. The decline in
| fine or merino woods alone (which con-
stitute the bulk of the American clip
has exceeded 40 per cent. In the three
outside columns of the table is shown
the average decline which has taken
place since wool was put on the free
list, including coarse wools which
have declined very little and which
are only 25 per cent. Of the whole
American clip. But il you take fine or
merino wool, which Is rs per cent. Of
the whole American clip, you will find
that the decline has been from II to
l6 per cent. in the thirty-five days
since wool was put on the free list.
And, although woods are advancing in
Europe. American woods are still gO-
ing down at a time when our mills are
the busiest wooden mills in the world,
for they have free raw material and
the Mckinley law protection until
January !. 1895. These are unassaila-
BILE facts.