St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-18
WOOL PRICES AND TARIFFS.

Wool ostenSibly, woolens really,
has been for many years the object
of the tender, solicitous care of the
Republican protectiOniStS. The poor
farmer" has been successfully bun
coed into supporting that party be-
cause it was guarding so zealously
his f1ocks. When he complained that
the price of wool was steadily de-
Ginning year by year. it was admit
ted-only because it could not be
denied-but he was warned that it
would be much lower were it not
for the tariff. Meantime, he was be-
ing clothed with shoddy, made from
wooden rags pressed into a cotton
warp. and paying the manufacturer
"all-wool" prices for it. In the face
Of the general acceptance by the
farmers of this delusion and of the
universal wall of ruin thai would
surely follow. twas one of the plucky
and wise acts of the Fifty-third con-
gresS that it put wool on the free
list.
After Aug. IS, 1894. imports OF wool
were untaNed. Up to that date, it
must not be forgotten, the price of
wool was fixed, as far as prices can
be so fixed, by the tax on imports
OF the Mckinley act. Since that date
the price has been fixed by COMPETE
ton of thewool growers OF the world
We have had years experience
nearly of the new method. The law
took effect while the clip of "a was
still in process Of marketing, and the
prices now are modified by the
spring clip of this year. Some things
are clearer than they We're, under
the operation of this experiment.
The predictions of the protectionists
are wholly unverified, and the rea-
soning and arguments of the free
traders are sustained. The ruin to
, our sheep industry that was to fol-
low has not come. The prices that
were to sink under the strain of for
eign competition have not sunk. On
the contrary, now, at the most UNI
favorable season, when the new clip
is being sold, the prices are advanc-
ing.
That this brings discontinue to
the Republican organs of protection
is evident enough from the tenor of
their comments. They shift to every
eXpedient to break the force of the
demonstration. If prices have adj
Yanced, they assert, they are not
half what they were under McKin-
leyism; and the advance, anyway,
is due to the general slaughter of
| their fiocks by the farmers, thus de-
creasing the supply and giving to
the foreigner the advantage of the
| increase. One paper, a recognized
| organ Of the protectionists, has the
| temerity to fix the number of sheep
| thus sent to the shambles at sixty
millions, ignorant of or Indifferent
to the fact that this exceeds by
nearly twenty millions the entire
number of sheep in the country.
Sheep numbered the highest in 1884
at 50,626,626, decreasing to 1858, O42
in 1889, reaching 47,273,553 in 1898,
and receding to 45,O4S,O17 in 1894. If
the recession last year from 1898 was
due to the apprehension of untaxed
| wool 70.
crease stimulated by McKinley's tax.
leaving unaccounted for the de-
crease after 1884, when wool was
protected by a tax Of from 10 to Il
cents a pound.
Nor does comparison of prices
bear out the assertion that thew
are less than half what they were
under the influence of Mckinley.
ism. That influence, as stated, LASTED
until Aug. rs, last year. In 1860, the
last year prior to 1894 of free wool
the price of Xxx Ohio was so cents {
pound. In July, 1891, it was 1888
1892, 2S-30; 1893, 1926; 1894, 20, ant
1895, II cents a pound. Michigan
and Wisconsin Xxx, that was 1913
in 1890, was 29-30 in 1891; 27-2S il
1892; 1925 in 1898; 2O-22 in 1894, ant
1920 in 1895. Montana unwashet
was 1921 cents in 1891, fell to 14-16 il
1898. and is 20 cents now. The low
est point reached was in May of thi
year, since when there has been
recovery all along the line, ranginy
from to cents pound. The Bos
ton wool market report last weel
was that with an active wool mar
ket and with strong prices, TIL
dealers here are looking forward t
another advance of 1 cent a poun,
! all round" The demand was main