The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-07
BUNC0 GAME IN THEIR BLEAT.
SHEEP RAIsERS TRYING TO PULL
WOOL OVER CONGRESS- EYES.

The Free WOOL Clause in the Will
son Act Alleged to Have PrOstrtt-
ed the business in the United
States-Judge Lawrence Proposes
IA Novel Plan to Prevent n Flood Of
Imports Before IA New Tariff Bill
Can Be Passed.
Washington. Jan. 6.--The hearing of the
wool schedule Of the tariff brought many
farmers and manufacturers to the ways
and means committee room to-day. The
first speaker was John G. Clark Of the
Washington County (Pennsylvania) Wool
Growers Association. He spoke strongly
of the effects of the free wool clause Of
the Wilson act, which he declared has
prosuated the business in the United
States.
one hour was given to Judge William
Lawrence, the president Of the National
Wool Growers Association, to present the
request of that body. The state
ment was an exhaustive review
of the wool industry under
different tariff rates during the last half
century. He said the Wilson law had
stopped one-third Of the wool growing
business, and closed one-half of the mills
in the country. The schedule asked for
by the Wool Growers Association was u
cents pound on all Merino woods, q
cents pound on washed and So cents on
secured, Australian unwashed woods to
be considered as washed. The wool grow
ers desired the "skirtng" clause Of the
present law dropped. II this were done,
it would give employment to thousands
of American wool sOrters and keep $780,
900 annually at home which went abroad.
As a plan TO prevent a flood of Imports
pending the passage of a bill, Judge Law
renee suggested that congress pass at the
present session a bill declaring that all
articles imported after the first day of the
first session of the Fifty-fifth congress, be
subject to the rates of duty Of any law
passed by that congress, when the new
rates are an advance; bonds to be given
by importers for such payments before
goods can be withdrawn.
He argued in favor of specific duties,
saying that the ad valorem system was
"the most damnable system ever propos-
ed by a set of rascals" He asked prohi-
btory duties on foreign rags and shoddy.
Theodore Justice of Philadelphia,
dealer in all grades of wool, spoke for the
consumers, who. he said, had been injured
by free wool He advocated higher and
specific duties.
G. C. Moses of Bath, Me, an importer
and manufacturer, said that if the course
ADVOCATED by Mr.. Lawrence was adopted,
it meant death to the manufacturer, and
would restrict importations. He had too
much confidence in the sense of the COM
mittee to believe that II would draft
measure of this kind He was not against
an adequate duty on WOOL but he objected
to prohibitive duty as suggested by Mr..
Lawrence. Such a tariff would close the
mil le of ID abav &c
to buy their cloth abroad. He understood
that the committee intended pacing
specific duty on wool. He hoped that this
would not be the case. AS far as wool
was concerned, a specific duty could not
be adjusted to operate fairly as the condi-
tions of wool coming from different coun-
tries differed so greatly.
Delegate Catron of New Mexico, ]. W.
Smith of Layton. Utah. wanted specific du-
ties on wool and one that would raise the
price to about Is cents.
Tomorrow the manufacturers of wool
will be heard.