New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-27
rur BRADFORD TRADE.
p,o,rs MORALS BASED UPON A
VIZ ,,,rr THAT IS GOOD FOR ENGLAND.


1"'' Bradford. April IA.
uooIlen district Of Yorkshire, OF
Inc enw.d,ord IS the centre, prohted heavily
Shich ,rou the change Of tariff in the United
pa yea n,h.re was an improvement in business
Sales md abroad in consequence of gen.
81 nome ,,on AGAINST commercial depression In
sra 's1 of the world, but the largest gain
every q"" a-,can trade The exports from
sss ,,..a hogan to rise as soon as the wilson
bau .s..ne a law In 1894, but slowly at nrst'
Dill " ,he contracts made with American I'M
ps'a. reouired from four to six months TOT
po'e's lecture Of goods ordered The first
"s ~ 1895 disclosed the effect OF tariii re-
~a In an increase of $5,6SS,72o in the exports
va Goods. worsted coatings wooiien gooos
-,n,,ar fabrics to the United States. his
@ ' in trade continued without aoa'e-
|p a. the end of the year the aggregate gam
pe' ~. bradford district alone being Sls'oz''S-'
hV' ro. exclusive of corresponding increases
TINS .,,orts from rhe adjacent woollen dis
ID -. II Huddersield and Leeds
"N' .as never better In this woollen centre
IT, os last wear Every factory was rum
M'" =, nll time Every loom and frame was
D"e ..on Worsted mills which had been cioseo
A' a.cade resumed operations. There was no
o.. NJ wages, but there was occupation on
hcred'' averv class of Industrial workers.
"" ..,xs were abnormally low In America
~. Colonies and as home trade was ex-
' .,.uv good prices were sent up IN all
ep :, woollen manufacture. With rising
w. ...e, with fresh orders pouring In from every
~ ,,ar and with full employment Tor men,
..r and children. The times were prosperous
WA IN the West Riding OF Yorkshire. III
.ur, vote could have been taken on
- ~ foreign industrial policy, there
r ,,,a have been close approach to unanimous
'0u'1 =, the new woollen schedule of thu
Wilson tariff
looks LIKE REACTION.
Tho srst quarter Of 1896 reveals something IKE
, 4, trade with the United States.
:, January there was an increase OF sooS'S" over
-. same month of 1898 but during February ana
."N ,,ors vas a decline of 81. l52, 045 from the
s.u. months of last year. This contraction IN
,r.de leads experienced merchants TO appre-
hsnd a pern,anent setback which VIII lhVoiNe
r.suced purchases of wool and woollens In the
limited. States during the present year. Inc
nod. NJ comparison upon which these forecasts
ara founded Is the abnormal record or last year.
rhan American stocks were depleted and every
yorhshire factory was working under pressure
n all orders The record Of exports for the hrst
ouarter Of 1896 is only ss4s615 behind that OF the
nrevious year but 1t is s4.s9OOGO in advance or
the same period Of 1894. 1t is at least premature
IN assume that the export trade OF BRADFORD
with the United States will be permanently AZ
fscted by renewal OF commercial depression
there Meanwhile there are compensations for
this shrinkage in American trade from the In
Aated returns of lest year. Home trade in the
limited Kingdom continues to improve In con-
sequence Of unwonted conditions Of prosperity;
and there Is an increased demand for Bradford
goods from the Continent and from the Colonies
There Is no cessation OF activity in the factories
few worsted mills largely employed In manu-
featuring goods for the American market may
have temporarily reduced their force In conse-
Quence Of contraction Of trade in that quarter,
but other factories are pressed with orders for
the home market and are compelled TO hire ad-
di!ionaI hands.
The woolen schedule of the Wilson tariff has
been In operation long enough to Justify several
general conclusions. One Of these is that even
With the decline in trade last month the I'M
mediate effect OF free wool and lower duties on
vcolens has been a tremendous gain for Brad
supplying more than 60 per cent of mems wool
lens needed in America have been placed abroad.
There has also been a vast increase in the i'm
p,rtation of stuff goods for womens dresses and
Innings. The merchant tailors and the ready
made clothers In the United States have drawn
the bulk Of their supplies from England, France
and Germany. and left more than one-half of the
woollen machinery a. home idle. There has
49, t. CHI
whatever may have happened In the wooen
districts Of the United States.
THE FREE RAW MATERIAL FALLACY.
The theory on which the woollen schedule was
based was that the American manufacture was
parayzed by duties on wool, machinery and
chemicals and that 1t would be reinvigorated by
tree raw material. During a portion Of last
year there was considerable increase not only
In the export OF wool from England to the
United States. but also Of worsted. mOhair and
nh yarn. Machinery of various kinds also went
over especially during July and August. and
mere were slight Increases in the export Of chem
Nas used In dye-vats. Bradford experts re-
erred complacently nine months ago TO these
Gts as practical evidence that American manu-
Gturers had not gone out of business, but were
mding 1t practicable to continue the production
goods for their own market. and even to I'M
prove their facilities for making higher grades OF
"ooilens than ever before. They seem to have
oeen quickly discouraged The export Of wool,
machinery and chemicals from Bedford has de-
chhed There Is no longer any warrant in the
consular returns for the assumption that Ameri-
can manufacturers have found their position ma
'sris'ly Improved by free raw material.
."eh .nere was another theory upon which
.he ~ooiien schedule was grounded. This was
ne assumption that the price Of American wool
"ouio rise and the home producer have bet
market During portion Of last year wool
msner IN consequence OF the largely in
N. ", uen"ano Tor manufactured goods. but
~. rise was followed by a decline. American
owers apparently have suffered severely
m.'. from the largely diminished require
h..s nome manufacturers. Their wool has
AN cheap that they have been trying TO