The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-08

wAsHNGroN, D. C., Jan. 7.-The
arzt spsalser upon the schedule Of WOOL
on manufacturers to-day was S. N. b.
North, OF Boston, secretary OF the ma
tlonal wool manufacturers association
who made O statement IN behalf OF the
organization. The association COUNSEL
ed moderation in fixing rates, request
ing moderate protection, which would
enable them to reopen their nilll' but
no, excessive duties. and a promise OF
nermanence. Changes were only a less
evjI he said. than rates too low to per-
mn competition with foreigners. The
wool manufacturers had suffered more
than any other class by the tariff OF
1891 The months preceding the tariff
revision OF 1894 and the two years sub
seouent included the most disastrous
period to American woolen manufactur-
ers. The bulk of the woolen and wors-
ted machinery had been wholly or par
,laly idle. AT present there was more
machinery In operation than during the
summer, hut the general condition OF
the manufacturer was bad. Other
causes besides the tariff contributed to
business paralysis, but the prospect OF
a business revival brought no promise
OF Improvement 20 this industry.
Imports OF cloths In 1895 run up TO
4UOT, 600 pounds, almost equal to the
three years, 1891. 1892 and 1898, under
the Mckinley act The largest quantl-
~ OF cloths imported In any year before
was l6. .e4S. .al3 in 1892, and the lncraese In
1895 over the larges. previous year was
l47 per cent. The total imports OF mani
Ilractures OF wool in 1895 were valued at
$40 5000 foreign value. The duty paid
value was S9O.0OO. 600; about one-thlrd
the value OF wOOlens made in the mills
Ot the United States In such year as
1890. and equal 70 about one-halt the DO
nestle product IN 1895. The United
States has enough machinery wnen IN
operation TO supply home consumption.
These Imp0rtatinos at low valuations,
he said, crowded upon a sluggish mar
ket broke down the domestic manufac.
iurers, while the foreigners so Overdld
tue business that they too suffered from
the 4NactiOn. No recovery OF the mar
ket seemed possible under the existing
tariff The cause was that the quality
OF goods was falling SO that the unit OF
value. a pound Of imported goods, tell
from 30 cents In 1894 10 90 cents in 1895.
The decrease in value Was due partly
10 the general fall In values; also TO
two phases OF the tariff,
Effect q Advalorem DuiIes.
First, the removal OF weight duties
lei down tho bars to cloths practically
excluded heretofore. The ad valorem
basis allowed the importation Of the
mesAest qualities OF goods. the products
OF Bailey and Dewsbury districts In
England. where The making OF wooleHs
out OF shoddy, cows hais and rubbish
has been reduced to a scienca Higher
grades Of American goods had been
compelled 10 compete with these cloths
at prices fixed by tho poorer qualities.
Consequently American manufacturers
were being driven 20 use shodd-- to com>
pete
Second the Systematic consignment
OF goods at prices less than the cost OF
manufacture abroad and their sale In
this country a. less than the cost OF
manufacture here, 80 that the domestic
manufacturer, compelled to calculate
his costs six months in advance has been
might have 10 meet
II was the BELIEF Of wool m9nufactur-
erS that while the law nominally allows
duties II 20 20 30 per cent the protection
because ~ undervaluati0ns did not eN-
ccel - 20 % per cent The manufacture
cr did not complain Of the present rates.
Int Of the form IN which they were as
sessed snd the manner collected. and TO
the dividing lines In the leyying Of an
ad valorem duty, and particularly 20
the dividing line at 20 cents pound.
which tempted Importers to save 10 per
cont in duties By undervaluatlons OF
or cents a pound. The manufacturers
desired law reducing undervaluations
10 minimum and operating with cer-
talnty and equity.
A special committee Of the rate asso-
clatlon OF wool manufacturers, after
years's Investigation, had concluded
That II was impossible 10 do away with
the ad valorem principle because OF
variations In weave. texture. materials
and finish. which distinguish wOOlens
from other textures. Therefore the
Compensatory duty was the vital part
OF the wool schedule n was the mis-
fortune Of the industry that It was the
only one upon Whose rlw materials the
protective policy required. a duty 20 be
placed which cosrcspUndingly Increased
tts cost
Other duties on raw materials did not
eject tho cost OF the finished product.
. Ohio wool had dropped In value from %
cents IN 1922 TO Is l-3 cents In 1896.
The lS02 price was 81 cent? above the
occurred pounu Of the London price or the
. corresponding grade OF Australian wool,
Whilc the 1895 price was below the Lol-
d0n price The purpose OF the r)mpeu-
fltnry duty was 80 place tho American
manufacture IN the same position as
though he had hts goods duty free. The
compensation duty had never before ac-
compllshed tils
Mr. North discussed In detall the the
org Of the compensatory duty. and csti-
mated the manufacturing lbss on wool
NJ s.a average OF % per cent As hereto
fore assessed the duty bore no relation
10 the value % the material, lt mlgh; be
equivalent to - per cent or 10 1iO Der
cent nd vaiorem. according In ahrlnlt1Ee
and WAS q tax On every pound VI dirt
nnd grease imported with ,he wool The
compensatdry duty WAS based ON
shrInhlg, OF co per cent Fh- turiH on
occurred wool three times high as IN
greasy nXcd by the gr0werr, aStlbl!gh-
cd IN the Jaw uniform Shrlnka-c OF
GG 20 pcr cent but compelled tha man.
ufluurT 10 import gre1.3y SI9lf The
compensatory duty piled up th" duty
on gb4da 20 poin. FAR above thl, nee.
ofsary for protective purposes. every
cent added 10 the duty on wool mnkius
necessary the addition Of four cents on
wDllen p1odG.
10 Not Wnut Free Wool,
The d.sidvantnges 10 the manufac-
turcr Of the wool duty were;
!. II restricted hln to The narrowest
Itt.ft, H.. ,f. ..fss.tft, ~ r.r..t5.a .,..,IIr