The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-08
WILSON ACT DID IT
WOOL MANUFACTURERS KNOW
What Ais THEM.

for Compensatory Duties on Wooieu
Goods and . More Moderate Tariff on
Wool Than the Growers Have Insisted
ON, Claiming That Suniciency of the
Finer Grades is Not Produced at Home
Shoddy nanufacturers.
Washington, Jan. 1.-THE wool manu-
facturers furnished an interesting day in
the tariff hearings. They did not ask for
free wool, but represented that the VIII
son law had closed half Of their mills and
had proved destructive to the country's
business generally. They wanted COM
pensatory duties on wooden goods and a
more moderate tariff than the wool grow
ers had asked.
COMPENSATING DUTIES.
Washington, Jan. THE first speak
er upon the schedule of wooden manu-
features today was S. n. D. North Of
Boston, secretary of the National Wool
facturers association, who made a
statement in behalf of the organizat ton.
The association counseled moderation in
fixing rates, requesting moderate pro-
lection, which would enable them to re-
open their mills, but not excessive du-
ties, and a promise of permanence.
Changes were only a less evil, he said,
than rates too low to permit competi-
ton with foreigners. The wool manufac-
turers had suffered more than any other
class by the tariff Of 1894 The months
preceding the tariff revision of 1894. and
the two years subsequent included the
most disastrous periods Of American
wooden manufacturers. The bulk of the
wooden and wOrsted machinery had been
wholly or partially idle. At 8 present
there was more machinery in operation
than during the summer, but the gen.
eral condition of the manufacturer was
bad. Other causes besides the tariff
contributed to business paralysis. but
the prospects of a business revival
brought no promise of industry TO this
industry Imports OF cloths in 1895 ran
up to 40,010,0 900 pounds. almost equal to
the three years, 1891, 1892 and 1893, I'M
der the Mckinley act. The largest
quantity of cloths imported in any year
before was 1925, 313, in 1892. and the in
crease in 1895 over any previous year
was 147 per cent. The total imports of
manufactures of wool in 1895 were val
ued at S60319, 000 foreign value. Duty
paid, the value was $4,000, 900, about
one-third the value of woolens made in
Tic VI olI cldtcS III SQCl q
year as 1890, and equal to about one.
half the domestic product in 1895. The
United States had enough machinery
when in operation to supply home con-
These importations at low valuations,
he said. crowded upon a sluggish mar
ket, broke down the domestic manufac-
turers, while the foreigners so overdii
the business that they, too, suffered
from the reaction. No recovery of the
market seemed possible under the ex-
listing tariff. The cause was that the
quality of goods was falling so that the
unit of value, pound Of imported
goods, fell from 80 cents in 1894 10 60
cents in 1895. The decrease in value was
due partly to the general fall in values;
also to two phases of the tariff.
First, the removal of weight duties let
down the bars to cloths practically ex-
Guided heretofore. The ad valorem ba-
sis allowed the Importation of the mean
est qualities of goods. products of Bart
ley and DeWsbury districts in England.
where the making of woolens out of
shoddy, cows hair and rubbish had
been reduced to a science. Higher
grades of American goods had been com
PEELED to compete with these cloths. at
prices fixed by the poor qualities. Con-
American manufacturers were
being driven to use shoddy, to COM
pete.
Second, the systematic consignment Of
goods at prices less than the cost of
abroad and their sales in
his country at less than the cost of
here, so that the domestic
compelled to calculate his
costs six months in advance, had been
Unable TO know what condition he might
nave to meet.
It was believed of wool manufactures
hat while the law specified, nominally, |
iuties of 40 and 30 per cent, the protec-
ion because of under valuation, did not |
exceed % or So per cent. The manufac- |
urer did not complain of the present |
'ates, but of the form in which they |
we're assessed and the manner collected, |
Ind to the dividing dimes in the levying |
If an ad valorem duty, and particularly |
o the dividing line. at so cents a |
pound, which tempted importers to save |
0 cents in duty by differentiation of |
or cents pound. The manufacturers |
desired a law reducing differentiation |
o a minimum and operating with GER |
ainty and equity.
A special committee Of the Rate As |
ociation of Wool Manufacturers. after l
years investigation, had concluded to |
10 away with the ad valorem principle |
because of variations in weave, texture. |
materials and finish which distinguish,
vooiens from other textures. Therefore |,
he compensatory duty was the vital |
'art OF the schedule. 1t was the misfor- |
une of the industry that it was the only
ne upon whose raw materials the pro-
ective policy required a duty to be plac-
d which correspondingly increased its
ost. Other duties on raw materials did
OF affect the cost of finished product.
,hio wool had dropped in value from
8 cents in 1892 TO IS Is cents in 1896.
he 1892 price was 81 cents above the
coured price of the London pound Of
ne corresponding grade of Australian
Tool, while the 1896 price was below
he London price. The purpose Of the
duty was to place the
american manufacture in the same
osition as though he had his goods du-
Y free. The compensatory duty had
ever before accomplished this.
Mr.. North discussed in detail the the
~ OF the compensatory duty and esti-
,ated the manufacturer loss on wool
: an average Of 50 per cent. As hereto !
pre- assessed. the duty bore no relation
, the value of the material Il nigh,
q equivalent 10 20 per cent or $50 per
ant ad valorem. according 70 shTinkage.
nd was tax on every pound OF dir
nd grease imported with the wool The
duty was based on
nrinkage of SO per cent. The tariff on
eoured wool. three times as high as oD1
reasy. fixed by me growers. establish
/ in tire law a uniformed shTinkage OF
2-S per cent, but compelled the man.
facturer TO import greasy WOODS. The
duty piled up the duty on
pods TO a point far above The necessary
" protective purposes. every cent add
! 10 the duty on wool. making neces-
ary the addition Of cents on WOODEN
pods.
The disadvantages 70 the manufacture
OF the wool. from the duty. were:
l. restricted him 20 the narrowest lin
s in the selection Of foreign WOODS, tx