The herald., 1897-01-08
TIE WOOL MANUFACTURERS
Present Their Case at the Tariff
Hearing
DON'T ASK FOR FREE WOOL
But Think the Growers Are Asking to
Much
The State Tariff Association Meets at
San Francisco to Prepare Argu-
ments for the Committee
Associated Press Special Wire

l.
WASHINGTON, Jan. THE wool
manufacturers furnished an interesting
day in the tariff hearings. They did not
ask for free wool, but represented that
the Wilson law had closed half of their
mills and had proved destructive to the
country's busiress generally. They
wanted compensatory duties on wooden
goods and more moderate tariff than
the wool growers had asked.
The first speaker was S n. D. North
of Boston, secretary of the National
Wool Manufacturers association. The
association, he said counseled moder-
alton in fixing rates. requesting mod
crate protection, which would enable
them to reopen the mills and with the
promise of permanence. Changes were
only a less evil than rates too low for
permanent competition with foreigners
Wool manufacturers suffered more than
other classes by the tariff of 1894 and
two years subsequent including the
most disastrous period to American wool
manufacturers, the bulk of the wooden
and worsted machinery had been wholly
or partly idle. At present there was more
machinery in operation than during the
summer, but the general condition Of
the manufacturer was bad. Imports Of
cloths in 1895 ran up 40,070,000 pounds.
almost equal to three years under the
Mckinley act. The total imports of
manufacturers wool in 1895 were valued
at $50, ,319 900 foreign value. The duty
value was 10000. 900, about one-third Of
the value of woolens made by the mills
of the United States in such a year as
$780, and equal to about half the domes-
tic product of 1895. The United States
had enough machinery when in opera
ton to supply home consumption. I'm
portation at low valuations, he said
crowded upon a sluggish market and
broke down domestic manufacturers,
while foreigners SO over-did the business
that they, too, suffered from the reac-
tion. The cause was that the quality Of
goods was falling so that unit value
of a pound of imported goods fell to 60
cents In 1895.
CALIFORNIA; NEEDS
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. AT the
first session of the State Tariff associa-
tion held today representatives were
present of the wool and lumber in
dustries, with many fruit and wine pro-
ducers. A committee of five was ap-
pointed to hear suggestions regarding
changes in the tariff from the various
indus tries and to formulate tariff regu-
ldIloIIS, WIlCIi, WHSIl approved Dy the
association, Will be forwarded to the
ways and means committee at Washing
ton. The following resolution was
adopted:
Resolved. That in arranging a new
tariff the California delegation in con-
gress is respectfully urged to procure
the free entry or taking out of bond
all materials actually used for construc-
ton, repairs, equipment or subsistence
Of American built ships in the foreign
trade.
The plan adopted for carrying out the
purpose of the conference was gen.
eral discussion of the entire subject be-
fore the entire body. with the presenta-
tion of such resolutions, memorials and
minutes on particular phases or touch
ing particular interests as might be Of
fered. with limited debate thereon. Fol-
lowing this a committee of five was ap-
pointed to receive further communica-
tions of the kind, to give industrial in
terests more detailed hearing, and to
formulate a schedule and report on the
entire subject to be presented to gen.
eral meeting Of the conference OF Sat
urday.
The session Of the general conference
lasted nearly two hours, during which
resolutions setting forth the needs of
the wine, fruit, lumber and other in
terests were presented and discussed
which hearings were given to the fruit
ard nut industries, the burlap and grain
bag manufacturing industry and par
tial hearings to the wool and lumber
industries.
The committee will meet again tomor-
row. The lumber industry will be heard
in conclusion at that hour. Imme diately
following it the chemical industry will
be given hearing, and following that
the coal, beet sugar, wool and other in-
dustries. The committee requests that
every interest desiring to be heard will
notify it as early as possible, so that
time can be fixed for hearing. 1t also re-
quests that arguments and testimony
be compressed as much as possible, the
necessity of reporting to the general
conference requiring the utmost dis
patch consistent with fullness and fair
ness.
The manufacturers did not resist the
restoration of wool duties; they agreed
to a protection on wool equal to the pro-
lection they expected on their own
goods, but they resisted any return to the
extreme characteristics of previous
schedules.
The use of foreign woods had become
indispensable. The supply of fine woods
grown here was decreasing because the
farmer found greater profit in mutton
sheep. Notwithstanding the high du-
ties on wool from 1861 to 1894, there never
was time when the home supply was 50
insufficient
There had been no year before 1898
when the requirements Of the domestic
manufacturers had not exceeded the do
mestic wool supply and the manufac-
turer, under a proper tariff. would prom
Use the woolgrower quick market for
all his raw material.
The same subject was handled by Sig
mund Muhlhauser of Cleveland, O., the
head of the largest establishment Of it's
character in the country, employing 700
hands Mr.. Muhlhauser deprecated the
prevailing impression that shoddy was
! a fraud 1t was made from remnants of
pure wool and manufacturers bought it
to mix with new wools.
| When the witness declared that all the
leading manufacturers of the country
We're his customers, there was an out
cry from the assembled manufacturers.
The principal witness said the shoddy
business had flourished better under
the Mckinley law than the Wilson law.
| The witness wanted higher duties.
| Mr.. Mcmillan asked him: Would
you have any objection to filing with the