The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-08
THE DECLINE OF WOOL
A STRONG PLEA FROM THE FARM
Frs FOR THE TARIFF BLESSING.
AsOciatiOn-Able Address of Pres
ident Cowgirl.


held its tenth annual meeting in Room 12o
OF the Capitol yesterday afternoon. The
programme called for meeting OF only
half day. but on account of the absence of
several of those who were to have read
papers it was found necessary to continue
the meeting till this morning. The most
important paper TO the general public yes
terday was the annual address of Presi-
dent Calvin Cowgirl. of Wabash. He dis
cussed the wool tariff and the chances for
profitable wool-growing in this country I'M
der the present schedule. which he thinks
are very slight. In introducing the tarin
question, President Cowgirl said:
with country extending from the for
ty-ninth parallel Of north latitude to with
in twenty degrees OF the equator, and from
the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific, including,
without embracing Alaska, an extent or ter
ritory OF more than 3.50o,00o square miles,
with every variety of climate and soil adapt
ed TO the raising or sheep and the produc-
ton OF wool, with a population OF more than
100000 people to be clothed. who con-
sumed last year. according to statistics,
639, 400 $50 pounds of wool-lt is true that,
Notwithstanding this enormous consumption
in our own country, such are the conditions
that face US that we have been unable to
supply more than one-half that demand al
such remunerative prices as will justify the
further maintenance of our ffocks
such have been the disbursements and
so inadequate the prices obtainable for wool
that We have been compelled to witness our
fiOcks going TO the slaughter by the hum
dreds of thousands. until to-day the sheep
that a few years ago numbered in the ag-
gregate over $1,000, go now number not 10
exceed over 39.OOo,0oo. With an increased
home consumption averaging 6a,1S9. 7Sy
pounds of wool for each year OF the last
five, Ii is estimated by reliable authority
that there has been a shrinkage In the do
nestle or home supply o in the last two ears
does this state of things prevail? How has
1t been brought about. The answer is plain.
"Inimical legislation has wrought this de-
struction. For the first time since 1916 the
American statute books contain provisions
by which it is made possible for English
and other importers to bring wool, grown
by the half-paid inhabitants Of the colonies
and dependencies of Great Britain, here TO
monopolize our markets for one of the prime
necessaries of life, without restraint OF any
kind"
Mr.. Cowgirl then showed how the wool
grower OF the West Is injured doubly. The
freight from Australia to New York on wool
is only L cent a pound, while the freight
from points west of the Mississippi river Is
to cents to the same place. It is the
market of New York that governs. and the
price in the West is the New York price,
less the freight. With tariff the same
is true of the Australian price. This would
leave difference of 2 to cents a pound in
favor OF the Australian grower. Thus, If
the New York price is % cents, the Aus
tralian grower would receive "a cents and
the Kansas man would get only 81 cents.
Mr.. Cowgirl concludes that, under these con-
ditions. wool-growing in the United States
must be abandoned.
Free wool benefits only the importer and
foreign producer" Mr. Cowgirl continued
THAT 1t cheapens the clothing to our peo-
pie when individually considered is true,
but to such small degree as to be almost i'm
perceptible 1t is at the expense, nay, the
absolute ruin Of the business of more than
| 100000 American citizens engaged in WOOL
| fit accruing to the manufacturer situated
| near the seaboard. where he can have the
| advantage of cheap ocean freghts, but that
| benefit will be only temporary. When WOOL
| growing Is abandoned in America, as il
| must be without tariff protection, he will
| be at the mercy Of the foreign producer for
| his material, and the foreigner will extort
from the manufacturer his own price, and
| there Will be no alternative but to pay it,.
| The burden will then be felt by the man
| who wears the clothes no less than by the
| man who makes them. The thousands of
wooden mills now existing, and that would
spring up through the middle and Western
states with proper protection to the pro-
| Queer and manufacturer of wool, will be
| abandoned for the reason that their wool
| supply must come from the Eastern sea-
| board. and the extra freight to their fac
| tories in the interior will give their Eastern
| competitors, with large capital and low
| freights. so much advantage as TO destroy
| justice to the great West by preventing one
| or the means of employment and diversity
or labor which is always essential to the
| welfare and prosperity of any country"
| Mr.. Cowgirl then quoted some figures on
| the market receipts of sheep to show the
| rapidity with which the focks of the coun-
| try are being depleted under the pressure
| of free wool. He spoke OF Senator Voor
| hees's claim that the removal of the duty
| on wool would enhance the value of the
| American product and said he would pass
| that subject by. merely referring his hear
| ers to the object lesson cleaned from the
| prices they have received for wool since the
| free-trade schedule went into effect He re-
called that Immediately following the re-
| moval Of the tariff the prices that had beer
paid were cut in two and the half became
the. new price. The attempt of the free
| traders to prove their theory by quoting the
prices received for wool prior to 1860 and
the prices under the Mckinley tariff, he dis
depreciation universally suffered since free
| trade has come makes it unnecessary tc
seek further for the. cause" Previous Il
1860. he said. the wool supply of the worlC
came principally from the northern hem
sphere. but since that time the production
| In the southern half of the world has in
| creased so wonderfully and freight rate.
have declined so materially that II is thes,
| causes that have brought about the grea
reduction that p 1sev four years ago oye
| southern hemisphere have increased in pro
| duction since 1860 from Us. 900. go pounds o.
wool to 1;o54 600 .oco pounds. During that pc
Rod the decline in price in the London ar
| ket was 81 per cent, while IN The American
| market supported by the tariff, it was only
ilh per cent; During the first year after
portations of shoddy and substitutes TO
wool amounted 10 l7666.563 pounds, agains
only 2lo, 4N pounds during the last year O
| that law. The tariff was such on this elias:
of goods that it could not be imported under
the Mckinley law. Commenting on this
Mr.. Cowgirl said:
Thus We are compelled to see the rag
that are gathered from the novels and filth
slums of foreign cities, reeking and begrimet
with the most repulsive filth. and not infre
quently containing the germs of con.agiou
and pestiential diseases, monopol;Zing on
home market for wool. We are RAPIDLY ad
| vancing to the time when the America
Tpeople instead OF being clothed in clean
will be clad in English snoddy gathere,
from the cutters and slums of the crowde
| cities of Europe"
Concluding Mr. Cowgirl said: And i
| addition to all this, we have to-day befor
our eyes the Illuminating spectacle of tn
only President of the United States tina
| ever recommended the removal OF all pro
lection to one of the greatest and most In
| dispensable industries of the country, there
| by surrendering revenue of millions
hawking the bonds OF the government in tn
| money markets of the world to get none
| to defray the ordinary expenses of the Ma
| ton, and his ambassador at London In
stead of maintaining the dignity and hig
| character of the government il is his dut
| to represent Is coquetting with the Britis
Queen and making free-trade speeches i
| disparagement of his own country even I
the disgust of the English themselves. Bu
a brighter day is dawning; the clouds tina
| have hung like pail over America for tg
years are lifting; sad experience has cause
people to stop and take a second sobe
J thought. Hereafter they will heed the le
sons taught by their fathers. Wool grow
ers. take courage. When the time come
tAaf hfc ,avar cl.,1r -