Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-02-20
INTERESTING STATISTICS.
On the Live Stock of the Country
Their VaIue-Some Tariff
Reflections.

A gricultural Department, just
issued, the value of the country's s
live stock on the first of January,
1896, was, in round figures, as
follows; Horses, $500, 14O, 900;
mules, S1O3, 100000; mich COWS,
1864, 100000; oxen and other CAT
tie, S5o8, 600, 900; swine, 1886, 900,
900; and sheep S66.0O0,O0O. I5 is
seen that the value Of domestic
sheep is altogether out Of pros
portion to the tremendous bleat
ing made by Congress. The
value of the country's hogs,
which do little grunting only,
is almost three times as great as
that of the sheep. AS for the
quiet cattle, their value is thir-
teen times as great as the value
of all the sheep that wag their
tails in the lands. Even the pa
tient mules, which are asking no
protection of Congress. have
nearly doubled the value of the
sheep.
1t appears from this report
that the total decline in the value
of the live stock of the country
last year was sol, $4,000. This is
less than the cost Of 500, 900, 900
which the calamity hoWlers and
pseudo-maniacs assert that the
Wilson German tariff has in
ficted upon sheep alone. One of
them, Senator Warren, of Wyom =
ing, recently declared in a speech
in Congress, on the alleged au
thority of the Agricultural De-
partment, that the value of live
stock had declined upward Of
5000, 100000 in the last two
years by reason of the new tariff.
One half of this loss $500, 900, =
OOO) is to be assigned to the year
before the tariff was passed, and
the other half to the year that it
has been in operation. The mems
tai arithmetic taught children in
the schools is a feeble invention
compared with the mental sta-
tistics Of the tariff calamity howl
ers.
The Agricultural Departments
report gives the decline in the
value Of liye stock in 1885, as
follows:
Horses, 13 3 per cent; mules,
z per cent; sheep, 2.3 per cent. :
and swine, Is per cent. In the
same period the value of cattle
was increased 5 per cent. AL
most the entire loss in the value
of live stock has been in horses,
mules and swine; and the loudest
of calamity howlers will prooa-
bly, concede that trolley cars,
bicycles and automators have
had the principal share in the de-
cline in the price of horse flesh.
After all the clamor over the
ruin" Of the sheep industry,
the decline in value of SHEEP
during 16o5~96 was a little
over 81, 500, ,000-all on alleged
account of free wool! Against
this terrible loss the farmers of
the country can we'll afford to set
eff the gains in the cheapness,
comfort and purity Of the cloth
ing of themselves, their wives
and their children. This gain
has been so great and inestima-
BILE that it cannot be co imputed in
authentic figures. But in its
mere monetary aspects, aside
from the more important consid-
erations of health and comfort
there is no question that the gair
in cheapness of clothing
to the American people from free
wool greatly exceeds all the
losses in the value of swine, will
which the tariff has nothing tt
do.
It is estimated in the Agricul
tural Departments report tina
the total domestic wool produc
of 1895 amounted to 800 900, OO|
pounds. This is nearly as larg'
domestic product as in an,
year OF the Mckinley tariff. I
it be true that this increase il
wool production has been due t.
some extent to the slaughter o
focks in fear of the new tar
if, so much the worse for th
credulous sheep growers VIII
have listened to the panic mong
ers! They will never again re
peat such an act of folly for th
sole benefit of the mutton butch
ers.
But the dom estic production o
wool last year and the foreig
importations, making a tota
supply of nearly 100000
pounds, indicate an extraordi
nary Industrial revolution in tn
brief space of twelve months
In quantity. quality and value c
/ the materials there is nothin
comparable to this in the histor
of the woolen manufactures c
the country. It should be born
in mind that while the domesti
supply of wool is no worse. th
Imports consist mainly Of th
| fine qualities of wool that wei
prohibited by the McKinle
tariff. Instead of being store
4 in warehouses. this immens
supply of wool, foreign and dc
nestle, mas gone in the mills
make better and cheaper clotl