New-York tribune., 1896-04-14
THE WOOL QUESTION.

The official returns OF imports In February and
for eight months Of the fiscal year have Just been
printed. From these and previous returns 1t ap-
pears that the imports OF wool during twelve
months ending with February amounted to 2i3,-
g23. $50 pounds quantity materially greater than
has ever been imported In any previous year ana
probably exceeding the actual production OF
American wool this year This Is pertinent
question for States which are about 10 elect dele
gates from the far West to the Republican Ma
tlonal Convention. Dispatches say that In
Idaho for example. there Is a sharp struggle be-
tween the supporters of Senator Shoup who rep
resents the wool growers and believes In protec-
ton. and the supporters Of Senator Dubois who
Was one Of the boilers. and helped TO defeat Re-
publican protective measure two months ago In
the empty notion that the interests OF silver miners
could thereby he promoted. Idaho is not q mere
mining camp. Its tilers OF the soil and wool
growers ought TO have some voice IN the proceed
Ings
II does not often happen that the effects OF a
vicious law are fully disclosed withD the first
year Of It's operation as were the results OF the
ree-wool enactment In 1894 The figures just
published show that not only about 274.ooo.Ooo
pounds OF wool were imported during the twelve
months ending with February. but also ls.s6o.5I7
pounds OF wool waste free Of duty. making the
equivalent Of 2s2. .7si. l67 pounds wool imported 10
take the place OF the American product The
number Of sheep. according To the statement Of
the Agricultural Department. was last January
1895 per cent smaller than In 1898. and II there
had been n corresponding decrease In the produc-
ton OF wool. the clip this year would be only
272. .2e0.6H pounds. II was probably somewhat
larger owing to the great number OF sheep killed
because 1t Is found Improbable to keep them.
but In any case. the production In this country
does not appear az large as the importations OF
wool and waste within the year ending with
February Justice. Bateman Co.. the Phila-
dephia wool dealers showed In their circular OF
last July that the American clip had been cornered
by heavy purchases. that the price was put
higher than the wool then worth. either here
or abroad, and they now estimate that about
i92. 900 900 pounds OF wool remain on hand from
the total supply In excess OF the quantity carried
In previous years This enormous excess Is in
deed by no means encouraging to the wool grow
ers with a supply about go the market.
The official statement further shows that the
value OF woollen goods imported the same twelve
months was $5S. 595. and the average import
price OF woollcn cloths for the twelve months
was only 6O.3 cents. and OF dress goods only "A
cents per pound. These prices so low that
II may be presumed the importatons include
large quantities OF goods not made OF wool alone.
But even In previous years the estimates OF ex-
pc rts have allowed about 81 pounds Of Paw wool
to every dollars worth Of woollen goods import
ed, az the quantity OF domestic wool displaced
by mportations Of goods At that rate the i'm
portatons within the last twelve months would
take the place OF 2l0.576.6O1 pounds Of raw wool.
which. added TO the wool and waste actually i'm
ported. would make supply amounting to 5O3,
360. 76s pounds for the year. The total require
ments OF the country are estimated by experts
at the equivalent OF 5S6 000 900 pounds. including
the equivalent Of goods imported Hence It
would appear that something like S26OO,O0O
pounds Of American wool might have found
market, less than one-third II all the foreign
supply had been consumed, and II the American
demand for goods had been fully up to the
usual standard.
But II IL well known that the demand has not
been as large as usual At this time II Is be-
lieved by the most competent experts that not
half the woollen machinery IL In operation, and
while the proportion much greater during
a large part Of the last year, II Is extremely
improbable that more than 80 per cent OF the
full consumption has been realized, domestic
and foreign goods taken together. But even
II the consumption were only 10 per cent less
than the full quantity per capita. Of 527,000,000
pounds. II would result at something like 249. .000
900 pounds Of foreign. and domestic wool must
remain unconsumed. to be carried over to the
next year. either In the form OF wool or In the
form Of goods unsold.
1t is no longer strange that the price has
dropped LIZ cents from February to April !.
involving to wool-Growers throughout the coun.