Rocky Ford enterprise., 1897-03-25
THE TARIFF ON WOOL.
Wool Growers and Wool Manufacturers
Failed to Agree.

Wool Growers and Wool Manufacturers
Failed to Agree.
The conference of a committee OF
the National Association OF Wool Man
ufactures, and of committee Of the
National Wool Growers Association,
held at the Ebbitt House. Washington,
ID. O., failed to agree on tariff rates
for wool.
The committee of wool manufactur-
ers proposed as the highest rates they
would aid In securing duties as foi'
lows:
I. "On class one, woods of the value
of sixteen cents per pound or less
duty OF eight cents per pound' on
woods over sixteent cents per pound,
ten cents duty; double on washed'
treble on secured. (All the WOOL I'M.
ports would be under sixteen cents }
The rate in the Mckinley act of 1880 Is
eleven cents per pound. without any
dividing line us to value, double OIL
washed, treble on secured.
9. s'On class two, woods OF the value
of sixteen cents per pound or less, nine
cents per pound; on woods over sixteen
cents In value, eleven cents per pound
duty. (All the wool imports would pe
under sixteen cents.) But these woois
to come In at these rates washed,
treble duty II secured. The rate In the
Mckinley act was twelve cents, IN
Same way, treble II secured.
3. "On class three, woods, the ad va
loren rates of the act Of 1880. on wools
valued thirteen cents per pound or less,
thirty-two per cent, and fifty per cent.
over that value"
The committee OF wool manufactur-
ers required that all woods should be
III s,l ~ H.
nj duty.
The committee of the National Wool
Growers Association declined to agree
to these rates, and they were rejected
by unanimous vote Of the association.
Some of the wool manufacturers
have endeavored to create the impress
sion that the members OF the National
Wool Growers Association were divid-
ed In opinion on the subject. That Is
an error. The vote was MS stated,
unanimous.
After much discussion in the Ma
tional Wool Growers Association at
Its recent meeting, 1t was quite certain
that with but one exception, they were
In favor OF the wool tariff bill agreed
on by the association. December, 1875.
endorsed by the Farmers National
Congress, November. 1896, by the Ohio
State Grange, December, 1896. again
by the National Wool Growers Asso-
citation. December Al. 1906, again jan
! uary 40, 1897. and since then by the
Utah Wool Growers Association.
But in order. II possible, to secure
the cooperation OF the Wool Manufac-
turers, on motion of Hon. Calvin Cow
gill, ex-member of Congress, of Wa
bash, Indiana. the National Wool
Growers Association proposed as the
lowest rates of duty to which they
would agree, duties as follows:
1. "On woods of the first and second
class duty of twelve cents per pound.
double on washed, treble on secured.
Q. ION third class woods, sometimes
called carpet woods, but largely used In
the manufacturing Of clothing goods. n
duty of eight cents per pound, rs they
now compete with and supplant the
use of Merino and Down wools.
Double IL washed, treble II secured.
8. "An additional duty of three cents
per pound on all skirted WOOL"
This was indorsed by vote of the
National Wool Growers Association
unanimously. except one dissenting
vote.
The committee of wool manufacture
ers declined to assent to the rates of
duty proposed by the wool growers.
and the conference OF the committees
adjourned sine die.
To those not familiar, with the sub
Ject. little explanation is proper:
"Skirtlng'' consists In cutting out
the center part of the fleece for import
into the United States. 1t was n cum
ming contrivance to evade the effect of
n wool tariff. Sorting" of wool con-
sists in separating the fleece into six
or eight parts. each of different kind
of wool in the fleece. each used in max
Ing different kind OF manufacture.
"Skirting" adds to the value of the
wool because:
| /. II to large extent saves the cost
| of sorting-an expense of at least y of
n cent pound.
9. BY rejecting the skirts or infe-
rior portion of the fleece, the skirted
part to be imported into the United
especially in the case of Merino woods.
to the value thereof all of two cents
per pound. besides the saving in the
cost of sorting. in all nearly three
cents per pound.
With duty of only eight cents per
| pound. the protective benefit left to
wool growers would only be five cents
| Tho difference in the value between
skirted and unskirted wool is fully
shown by united states Consul Gener.
al Wallace to Australia in his report
| TO the State Department in 1892. and
in the quotation of wool prices.
As to MerIno wools. the manufac-
turers import almost exclusively Aus
tralian or Port Phillip wool for two
| reasons:
1. This wool, though not of as good
fiber as Ohio and similar Merino. and
not intrinsically as valuable. will sell
In Boston for about two cents pei
pound more than our Ohio Merino, be.
cause 1t makes n softer cloth of pecu
liar lustre, required by fashionable
people, but not by utility. This takes
off about two cents more of the benefit
of protective tariff. leaving only
three cents benefit to the wool grower
Then, again, skirted Australian Me-
rino-such as will be imported under
a tariff only the lightest-will shrink
in securing only about fifty per cent
while all our Merino woods will shrink
an average of sixty-six and two-thirds
per cent. or more in securing. This
gives the Australian Merino an advan.
tage also over all our American Merino
woods. and the Merino woods of South
America and South Africa.
Hence, in the year 1895 the imports
of Australian Merino were II ,627, 131
pounds, and from Argentine only TO-.
| Sop OH