Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-06


pose, worth more tha&n new secured
WOOL Here is a wide loophole for a
fraud. So also is there a loophole for
fraud in admitting what is called bro
ken tops at a duty of 20 cents. They
are worth more. than secured wool.
The Mckinley act o 1890 imposed 80
cents a pound duty on special wool
wastes. The new law reduces the duty
to 20 cents. This will admit millions
of pounds at low duty to injure wool
growers.
80, The Mckinley act put duty
of u cents per pound upon goat hair,
largely used as fraudulent adulter-
ant with wool in making cheap car
pets. The new law admits all goat
hair free except Angora mohair-a very
valuable fiber-and the law is so in
geniously worded that the importers
viii claim that all mohair on the
skin shall come in free.
Il. The Mckinley act imposed the
same duty on wool on the skin as on
other wool. The new law reduces the
duty one cent. This is ingeniously
put in to admit imports of the million
OF sheep slaughtered in Australia to
save the wool and pelts. as the sheep
there are perishing from the drought.
80. The worst feature of the new
law is the low duty it imposes on what
are called 'third-class' wools-the
common coarse woods. The duty is
four cents on woods valued at y cents
or less, and seven cents if over that
value. all admitted secured at this
rate, unless containing not more than
s per cent. Of dirt, when the duty is
trebled. The imports will nearly all
be at four cents secured, at an aver
age import price of about eight cents
per pound. But each pound Will be
so clean as TO be equal to clean wool
of at least two and one-half pounds OF
average American merino, bringing
only 81 per cent.
THE PROTECTIVE BENEFIT
OF the duty of four cents will be in
effect less than two cents, and that is
ruinOus to the wool industry. In the
fiscal years 1892, 1893 and 1895. the
36S, 245971 pounds, equal in clean wool
imports of these coarse woods were
on merino to 736, 491, 942 pounds, while
the imports Of all other wools-me
rino and long woods of the mutton
breeds-were only 207 1928 pounds.
Nearly One-half Of all the coarse wool
is used in making clothing goods, and
the residue in making carpets. The
low duty on the mighty avalanches Of
those woods will be ruinOus to the wool
industry.
When Mckinley introduced his bill
in 1890, he proposed a duty Of eight |
cents on the better grades Of these |
woods. The rate asked for by the
wool growers was eight cents on all, |
double on washed and treble on |
Theodore Justice, an eminent wool !
dealer and wool importer, describes the !
advantages which the carpet manufac |
turers gained over the wool growers /
IL an interview published in the Phil
ldelphia Record, July 81, 1897, as fol-
lows:
"'The carpet manufacturers under
this act will be able to import their
woods secured clean at three cents per
pound less than if the wool growers
had succeeded in their demand that
luties on secured wool should be three
lines those applied to unwashed wool.
The new law makes no provision for
higher duty on secured wool of the
bird class. that contains more than s
ger cent. Of dirt or other foreign sub
stances, than the duty provided for
lnwashed woods.
THE RESULT WILL BE
hat woods can be imported in a scour-
emf 20 of dirt and iRiRg 4g. Or 1 9eR6r
.tances. at a cost of three cents less
rben secured clean than If imported
so that the carpet manufac-
urer on a basis Of London prices, Sc
,ures his secured wool at three cents
nor Mound less than if he imported IL
N the grease, to say notnlng Ol .ne
saving of so per cent OF MS FORMER
pecan transportation charges. OhueI
he Dingley act third-class WOODS Coiue
here cleaner than under any other
-ariff law. which will be a great gam
-o CARPET manufacturers. Under the
act the average value OF IN
washed carpet wool was about elghC
cents therefore the carpet manutac-
tuners receive benefits from the pres
emit act that they never had before.
"T think it about time the wool grow
ers were receiving benefits equal to |
those given the manufacturers; yet
Cen. Grosvenor, in a Congressional |
speech upon the Dingley bill, recon- !
mended Theodore Justice for his ana /
to the Committee on Ways ana
Means"
Judge. you have spoken of the duty
on third-ciass wools-how is 1t as TO
the merirp woods and the woods Of the
mutton breeds of Sheep was asked.
"MERINO WOOL is CALLED,
IN the law. first class. replied the
.Uldge. The law permits second class
voolens h be imported, washed, at
nominal duty Of II cents per pound
when washed they will be so nearly
clean that a pound will yield more
clean wool than two pounds OF aver
ace unwashed American wool. That
the nominal duty of II cents only gives
a protective benefit to merino, in com
petition with it of cents that is who'll
" Inadequate for the second class
woods and is ruinous to merino, when
includes 90 per cent. of all the woods