New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14
THE TARIFF ON WOOL,
EFFECTS OF THE CHANGES IN THE
SCHEDULE
GREAT INCREASE IN TIE IMPORTATION OF
FOREIGN WOOL AND WOOILENS-CoM-
MENTS OF DEALERS.

MENTS OF DEALERS.
-Four prominent clothing manufacturers ana Geai-
CTS il! this city recently expressed the io'io"lhS
views to Tribune reporter regarding the ehec'
% the changes in the tariff on wool ana W'oie''
cloth used in the manufacture OF garments ior ine
and boys. \ member Of the firm OF foserS' lrv'
d Co. whose three large stores are Ill NoN' 49,
5C9 and l.26O Broadway, said:
We have bought more foreign cloth man IN We
have been accustomed to buy for the spring ua n,
raason for mis- is mat We would have had 10 wait
for the imported goods Whie we cCiH I'm he
preference to domestic goods Wnem HuIHy o ii.i
price have been about eqn enete5 bT n rem"ya Of
the high duty long unsecured NuStral!l M VIZ.
pdn5d T OF clean WOOL the Manufacturer would have
10 buy several pounds OF unsecured Wool n' ne "4'
no bay be e Under these conditions American
manu- w"o bnt left it to his English rival who
took 1t a sort of job lot As the hnsnSn i" TI
be could hav@ the dirt washed ana get good
clean wool that was cheap me GltH nHvits %
has since been able to get clothing wool rs chea9PE
an sS t aJ yaor5m duty which averages about 80 per
cent according 10 the quality Of the Glota. , Inc
cents an ounce on imported wooilens. Of course.
helps the foTesn csss him M" 10 rhehpen the
quality Of his goods IN order max ne ma may ,rnri
can manufactures.
Just AS GOOD As ANY.
Manufacturers here can and do make just as
good cloth as is made abroad. There are certain
kinds Of cloth tina; our manufacturers don't mAh''
but the quantity used j. comparatively small me
process OF weaving those kinds OF cloth is slow
and involves much manipulation. ON the othef
side OF the ocean there mills ~ which those
kinds OF cloth have been made Tor many genera
tons In order 70 produce them mere on manu-.
faCturerS would nave 10 pul j. NV iI,,.ati r,,
great outlay. and eXpend much time III cl''alliB
especially a. the quantity used IS SO limited ana
American manufacturers don care 20 liouute any I
pder az itbin~s believe our manufacturers vii!
Troduce more than ever before. ola fogy woollen
manufacturers. VINO have infatuated mach!netE
which they have been using for forty or niiy NearS
relying on the Government TO guardhtee Nom "
profit. will be wiped out and he i've, Wiae2M%ke'
progressive manufacturers VIII 90 an lht worn a,
and have plenty Of it Cloth now costs rom ~
10 10 per cent less than It did ear ago but We
are paying better wages to those mo max s@i-
mems which partially offsets the reduction. ~ d
f6aG at was before the Changes in arn were
made. just how much cheaper It would De- ~ Gi
and other elements our spring trade is opening
satisfactorily and the Indications favorable for
a healthy seasons business.
USING MORE FOREIGN CLOTH
c. p. De La Vergnc. jr. Of he firm OF Smith
Gray Co., who have four fine stores-;~oi in BROOK
Ign and two in this city-was seen at the store NO.
1926 Broadway lie said:
We cut up more of the better grades Of woolens
than generally put INTO reaIN -ii'He 80 .
treater percenta,, of foreign cloths than forTnery
a ana "" v ARE the qS ae ,6 So hSrcan wooen
lecturers making better goods than ever before.
tralian wool. and they are now using II mnch more
freely than they Ola ~hcn ,ngy n'u COO no pay sin cx
tensively used. bat in the production OF me .ooIS
certain Kinds of fine cloths that Americans DO no,
try to make. especially vicuna Whch Is mace UI
soft young wool and which thouEh very popucc
lar and of fine hnsh is not 50 dur9Rr as mo-, 0l
the 1,ner k S BEEN t1g AHs,aan Wool free
OF duty their cloths compare very fayorab.y with
acted as an incentive domestic mGnu'act urers
and the marked improvement in their goods has
than formerly Ne are using any more foreign
cloth than we have been accustomed to Use. because
americans are not only making better woolens
than they made last year but are also making
these accounts / think tha, if thcre is any change
in the G OF o b mncre a FOOLS used =
less than it was before the change Of tariff. The
nheaper grades Of wooiens has been very mate
rally reduce their volume Of manufacture but
do not compete with our domestic manufacturers
in those Sraoes OF goods.
AMERICAN WORsTEDs AND CASSIMERES
American mills. with few exceptions to kinds
of cloths can turn out fine woollens are
made abroad. Those few exceptions Of kinds
of goods which are made by skilled operatives who
have been a lifetime in acquiring their proficiency.
and in the production of which atmospheric cond-
lions peculiar to England have considerable in
fuence in favor Of the foreign product Americans
are making worsteds cassimeres and cheyOts that
anything that can be brought here from the other
side Foreigners cannot land woollens here ch"aply
enough seriously compete with IN" domestic
goods now made Whether American manufactur.
ers continue TO pay their mill hands the present
wage rates IS question in my mind. but | am 70:
sufficiently posted TO express an opinion on that
query. The outcome of the tariff changes is that
people can wear better clothing for the same money
than the somewhat inferior garments cost before
the changes Profits in both the wholesale and re-
tan Clothing TRACES are not SO 1rse as they i2r o
again; The same condition. l 6elieve will prevail
IN all branches of business In future think;
suits that have heretofore existed. ] believe that
healthier conditions trade will prevail in the
future. There viii be less competition and no rad
ica changes. Credits will not be 50 cheap as they
have been. and more capital will be required to
carry on business.
IMPORTED GOODS COMING IN
Mr.. Browning. of Browning. King & Co.. No. 4os
Broome-st. and No 1.226 Third-ave.. said:
and the weight duty of 3 cents ounce woolens
practically shut out all foreign winter weights and
used in merchant tailoring. The importation OF the
,f b rd9 SSds b %a eTeTy M xT
does much of figure in the general result.
goods than we did before the weight duty was re-
moved on January l. IN anlieipa0n Of It's re-,
were here in July and August taking orders. When
,apted With The needs Of the coibin nanufact
,rers OF this country believe their goods Will be
course. natural consequence the removal OF
The weight duty is bound 10 injurc domestic manu-
How far the domestic manufacturers can get
prices down remains he They have done
much better in that direction that supposed
they could would do OF course the domestic
manufacturer has been helped by the depressed
times to the extent that they have brought about
lower wages for mill operatives. and BY the change
IN the duty wool etc Under the tariff
diagonal worsteds now only 81 -. where they
were formerly s. a yard. Another grade is now only
1870 where ii was formerly 81 ~. The larger rela-
tive reduction in the latter Is attributable TO the
difference in their relative weight. The majority
of the woOlens OF domestic production.
but they are of the best and most durable grades
hon man fac
grades are honestly made and consequently
NOT so durable as the domestic goods. Foreigners
can manipulate cotton shoddy. etc skilfuily that
they can make goods that are better looking on
their face. but equal in durability TO domestic
made goods of similar grades Spring trade Is not