The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-03-15
WOOL AND PROSPERITY,
The 1ndustry that Has Suffered SO Much
Will be RsltOTcd.

The Industry that Has Suffered 80 M"eh
VIII be ReltorSd.
New York Mail and Express: No SIN
gle branch OF American industry has
suffered more severely the pernIclons
effects vi the Democratic tdrin Jaw thnh
the manufacture Of wOOlens. Equally
disastrous has been the influence OF TINS
law upon the wo0i.ErOwers. The looms
and the agricultural interest may mai
with Joy the announcement that the
new tarIit bin viii contain what Is
practically u restoration OF the Mckln-
ley rates Of duty on wool and woOlehs'
There has been some Disagreement NA
to these rates between tho mAnuInctur-
erS OF woUlens and growers or WOOL
but the decision by tho Republican
members Of the ways md means COM
mlttee to adopt the Mckinley schedule
of 1890 practically means n taTln when
Ia u compromise between these TWO IN
terests-or rRther these two phnses or
a single Interest-and OF u nature which
may be reasonably permanent.
This schedule, II It be enacted into
law, will so further toward restoring
prosperity to the American people than
the average citizen may comprehend.
The late General Walker, OF Massachu"
sets, who commanded the highest re.
RpeCt AZ Qu economic writer. estimated
the annual loss to the people lof the
United States caused by free Wool ana
the wooden schedule Of the present
customs law at $N2,5OO,OOO. That Is an
astonishing fgure, but It may be ac-
Cepted as moderate, since the estimates
of other experts are even greater. The
process by whicht his appalling yearly
loss is tOtull9ed IL both simple and In
terestluS, During the fiscal year cud-
ing June 30, 1892, when the Mckinley
law was In full operation. and before
the election OF Cleveland and Demo-
cratic Congress. American farmers pro-
duccd liOOOO,0O0 pounds OF clean. scour-
ed wool. At an average value Of 90 cents
u pound. In 1895 free wool had lowered
the price OF the domestic product to 80
cents pound. and cut down its guam
ttty TO tl6.O 600 pounds The value OF
the home product In 1899 was 81 .OO0,-
900, in 1896 {34. 600, 900: loss to the wool
grower from free wool lp money, So
600,
TO this must I've added the loss in
wages earned by the workers in wooden
mills. which the census OT 1880 placed Mt
$50. 900 900. In 1896 the wooden mills OF
this country were running at less than
half time; and this, assuming the same
rate OF wages to be maintained. shows
an annual loss to the mill workers OF
$40, 100000 This makes the combined
annual loss of the woOl-grOwcrs and
the workers In wooden mills OF So, 5OO.-
COO. II is a rule OF political economy
that money earned by wOrkinEmen cir
Culates ten times year. aud money re-
UciVed by farmers CirCulates Ave times
a year Ia the comblRed less al $S2 500
900 gives a total loss to the farmers and
waEe-earncTs OF the country OF Al2-
6OO. 600. This means a loss Of 81 each to
every man. woman and child In the
United States. Assuming that the
CheupeninE or wool by Is cents pound
means saving in the cost Of clothing,
that saving amounts to only 80 cents
per capita, or S65, 100000. to Offset loss
Of sac, 500 600.
Under the Mckinley law both wool
growers and wooden manufacturers
were prosperous The number Of sheep
in one year increased g.33S,lsS; under
Wilson's free wool they have decreased
In three years l5,2j0OO0. Under the Nc.
Kinicy law the manufacturers used all
the domestic clip and increased their
imports; now half the mill are closed.
Welcome. mills ot New England, OF
New York, New Jersey and PennsylYa.
mia. the coming humminE OF the looms!
Welcome, farmers OF New England. of
the Middle States, OF the Central West
and Of the lofty uplands beyond the
Mississippi valley. the multiplication OF
your grazing fioCks!!