People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-05-13
URGE MODERATION.
Wooden Manufacturers Oppose Hish
Duties on Wool.

Duties on Wool.
Some of the severest criticisms not
only Of special duties and clauses, but
Of the whole accursed protective sys-
TEN, come from the protected manuflc-
turers themselves in their struggle with
opposing interests. Mr.. S. n. D. North,
secretary of the Wooden Manufacturers
association, is now and always has been
a stanch protectionist. AS such he be-
lieyes that the 100000 consumers Of
this country are legitimate subjects for
plumber and that the manufacturers
are the proper persons TO enjoy the pro-
lection plumber.
The free wool experiment which we
have been trying for three years, be-
sides being an object lesson in the way
of cheap woolens, has taught the
wooden manufacturers that they can
make as much or more profit with free
wool and moderate protection, which
permits people of moderate means to
wear real wooden goods, than with high
duties on both wool and woolens which
restrict the use OF v'oolens to peo-
pie in good circumstances. The manu-
facturers therefore display more than
their usual modesty and patriotism in
the advice which they are giving to
congress. Mr.. North is in Washington
to voice the manufacturers patriotism
Here is part Of his advice as taken from
the Washington correspondence of the
Dry Goods Economist:
| EN- free to say the bin Is far from satis-
factory to the wooden manufacturers The
chief fault is to be found with the raw
wool duties, which are so high that our
manufacturers will find themselves sorely
embarrassed. Ii is true the committee has
provided compensatory duties which are
probably sufficient to Offset the duties on
raw wool, but the difficulty will be, in my
opinion, that the very considerable in
crease In price which must be made 10
cover the additional cost Of raw material
will have the effect of cutting down con-
sumption to an extent that will be dlsas-
trous to the manufacturers. do not con-
tend that the rates on wooden manufac-
lures in the bill are not sufficient TO protect
us against too severe foreign competition,
but the limit Of the consumers purchas-
ng power must control him in buying
wooden manufactures, and fear the rates
Of the new bill will very materially restrict
consumption.
This Is practically saying TO Dingley,
Aldrich and the other servants of the
protected manufacturers at Washing.
ton:
go slow with your high duties and
don't try to protect too many. II you
let everybody into the protection ring,
there will be nobody outside to prey
upon and We will have to prey upon
each other. Don't make the mistake
Of taxing raw material too high. We
wouldn't mind it if we could sell our
goods and charge the tax over to the
consumer. But when the tax is so high
that we have to make our prices almost
out of sight we have found that we can
not sell 50 many goods because the peo-
pie can't afford to wear clothes-that
is, wooden clothes, which are the only
cnes worth considering. because they
are the only ones which we manufac-
ture. Our solicitude for the dear Amer
lean consumer Is such that we do not
wish to compel him to clothe himself il