The record-union., 1896-10-15
THE TRUTH ABOUT WOOL.

There is a great deal of fiat lying by
the opposition concerning wool indus
tries. No other term will properly de-
scribe the mendacity with which facts
concerning wool and the tariff are
treated by the free traders.
The truth is that the wool clip in 1893
operated upon by the old or Mckinley
tariff was 34S, 800, 900 pounds, and the
value was $52,000,000. Statements that
assume to make other showing are not
worthy of credit, The National Asso-
citation Of Manufacturers, figuring not
for political, but for trade purposes,
places the probable clip Of 1896 at 27O,-
100000 and the value at S20, 100000. 1t
is easy to see, therefore, how the Will
son anti-protective tariff bill has af-
fected wool interests.
But the effect upon wool manufact-
pres is far more significant. Under the
first year of the Wilson bill foreign i'm
ports of the manufactures of wool rep
resented S90O00,000, standing for about
one-third of all the woolen goods made
in the United States in 1890. But in 1895
the output Of the American mills had
been reduced by a percentage larger
than that of the increase of imports. So
while we have capacity to manufacture
all wooden goods needed by our people,
we are now importing just about one
half of all the woolens we need. Thus, in
1895, the record of imports from the
treasury tables shows that the wooden
imports were nearly equal to the entire
volume of wooden imports in the years
1891, 1892 and 1893 aggregated.
1t is to be borne In mind in consider
ing the teaching Of these figures that
the Mckinley tariff was not prohibitory
upon woolens, for in the last year under
that schedule the imports Of woolens
amounted to 16,24S.313 for cloths
alone, and were the largest in quantity
that had been made up to that date.
The Bradford Observer" published
in the heart of the English worsted
manufacturing interests, said at the
close of 1896 that the Bradford exports
for that year were smaller than usual
to other countries except to the United
States. The total Of shipments to US
had reached the highest figure ever
known, S21, ,145, o91, or an increase of 81
per cent over the value Of exports
thence Of the largest previous output
namely in 1889, when the value was
SD, So, ,591.
At that time, 1895 men and women
skilled in woolen working went begging
for work in the United States, while in
England the labor of the country
fiocked TO the wool manufactures in
such number that even the housemaids
left service to take places at the looms,
leaving hundreds of households in the
Bradford section stranded for want Of
help" while in America the mills were
closed down or running on short hours
and short pay.
In 1892 we had mills enough in the
United States devoted to the wool in
dustry to give employment to 100000
persons, and wages were rising in that
industry, having advanced nearly 20
per cent. under the Mckinley law. Now
so per cent. of the mills are idle or
barely moving. Let the opponents of
the Republican party cite all the statis-
tics they can muster. but let them be
figures that are supported by truth.
The Republican party has nothing to
advocate that stands on any other
basis. Assuredly it does not fear to meet
any facts, and assuredly its candidate
does not stand regarding wool and wool
manufactures where Mr.. Bryan stood In
January, 1894, when he said in Con-
gress:
Speaking for myself, it is immaterial,
In my judgment, whether the sheep
grower receives any benefit from the
tariff or not Whether he does or does
not, i am for free wool--in order that
our wooden manufacturers, unburdened
by a tax upon foreign wool and unbur-
dened by q like tax upon home grown