Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-03-10
n WOOL TARIFF.
Hon. w. A. Hedges Defends the Rates De-
manded by the National WooIgrowers
Association.
YALE, Mont. Feb. 9th, 1897.

latter. And claims that the wool
producers ask too much" We can
hardly believe that so staunch a Re-
publican paper takes this position
advisedly. There are many, appar-
entity, who seem to feel as does the
Gazette" But we believe such
opinions are more from n real lack oil
proper investigation OF the demands
of the woolgrowers. And it is a
noticeble fact that while they make
the assertion of selfish greed against
us, they do not produce their argu-
ments to controvert those advanced
by Judge Lawrence, the president of
the National Woolgrowers Associa-
ton. This leads us to the belief that
they do not know, or study the rea-
sons advanced by Judge Lawrence,
on behalf of w~oolgrowers in their
demands for protective duties. at the
rates they suggest.
We do not wish to be accused of
making demands beyond the pale OF
common sense, and our business eX-
perience. Our opponents claim that
the rates we ask are actually pro
hibitive." Judge Lawrence claims
that the bill he advocates will pro-
iuce so, 900 900 revenue. Our critics
claim we ask too much" when we
ask for II cents duty on unwashed
Nerino and Down woods, and $ cents
on other unwashed wool. Now
u.hat t. Snnnn nf fhR fArfS .Innpp
Lawrence advances to prove that
these rates are only just. See his
address to Ohio woolgrowers' con-
vention of Jan. 18th last. The wool
tariff act Of 81 gave u duty of IL
cents per pound on
Merino; NJ cents on washed; 80 cents
on secured. The act of NJ made the
rates 10, - and 30 cents. The act Of
80 made the rates IL, "a, and 33 cents.
1t must be borne in mind that all
wool for manufacturing purposes is
bought ON IA secured basis" Wool
growers must figure ON how much
wool as it comes from the sheep IT
will require to make a secured
pound" IND also what it costs
TO actually raise Il pound in the
natural state. Judge Lawrence
gives the London price OF Port
Phillip good secured wool at 2Scents.
Boston price by or 30 cents, last
seasons clip. This wool shrinks 30
per cent in securing; that is, it takes
> pounds of the natural wool to
make l OF the secured; while it takes
3 pounds OF, say Ohio, to make |
secured pound. Hon. Geo. ii. Wal
lace an experienced American wool
raiser and L. >. consul to Melbourne
shows that this Australian wool
can be placed on ship board in its
natural state for II cents per pound:
in Boston for - to IA cents. His
pounds of natural wool equal to ]
secured pound, he a lay down
n make a profit IN ii for 30 cents
secured pound. A western raiser
has got to pay an average of about
cents per pound, including freight,
insurance, commissions, etc, on Z
pounds, or . cents on what will be
IitttsSdIN " hlaht lie SCouTeu DOuuu,
Deducting this from from his 80 cents
Boston price of Ii secured Austria
lian," leaves him u cents to be di
vided between 3 pounds of the
natural wool as he raised it, or the
munificent price of I cents per pound
Judge Lawrence figures the averag,
cost per pound of wool raised west
of the Missouri river at 10 cents pei
pound; east of the Missouri river al
20 cents perpound farm value. WheI
cents per pound, and according to
Democratic doctrine competition
brings the price down to cents, In,
ought tn take and kiss the hand thai
smote him; give up the little balanc,
he is out of pocket OF q y to Il
cents for the good of Democracy, tn,
manufacturers and incidentally
cheaper clothing for his fellow citi
zens. II he asks for II II cent duty
to help make up the deficiency in hi.
own pocket he is kindly told he ha,
lost all semblance to true patriot,
manhood and belongs To the porcin'
species. II he declines to have tn,
manufacturers name the rates q
duties on the product which h,
raises and they have nothing to d,
with, he is downright impertinent.
believe that if one will read tn,
address of Judge Lawrence he viii
find that il is a fair demand iron
the growers which has been endorsed
by our state association. to treat al
our foreign competitors alike ant
all competing woods alike on ,
secured basis" And to remov,
Ia possibility of evading the pay
ment OF proper duties by 'skirting'
and bringing into our country tn,
fraudulent entries, which defeated
the protective element intended il
the former protective tariff schedule
We fail [ osee any valid reason why
we should have to agree with tn,
manufacturers on rates of our wool
They, by a powerful lobby, got
protective duty of p to 10 per cent
on manufactured goods coming into
competition with their products
while we got free wool, in competi
ton with our product. While many
of them were declaring Dividends
the people of the country Were com
planning that they were not realizing
the promised benefits OF cheap cloth
ing and as a matter of TACT we wer,
really paying those dividends tn,
manufacturers were jingling in theil
pockets. The manufacturers hav,