The record-union., 1897-01-07
TARIFF HEARINGS.
RAW WOOL THE SCHEDULE UN=
DER CONSIDERATION.
Necessity of Protection Presented Be-
fore the Ways and neans
Committee.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The tariff
Committee We're continued to-day, raw
WOOL being the schedule under consid-
! Grafton.
| John q. Clark Of Washington County,
| Pennsylvania, a member OF the National
| Wool Growers Association, opened the
session. The necessity for protection
he sad, was apparent, the experiment
OF free wool having brought bankruptcy
ana distress upon many engaged in the
WOOL growing business. The free wool
clause Of the Wilson bill he character
| lied as a crime.
William Lawrence of Ohio, President
of the National Wool Growers Associa-
ton, hoped that the next 'Congress
would give the wool growers protec-
| tion equal to that given to the most ia
vored industries. This country had the
requisite climate, soil and lands to pro-
duce the O,OO0,O 900 pounds of wool of
all kinds used yearly by the American
| mills. With adequate protection the
sheep flock of the United States could
| be increased SO as to yield all the wool
consumed here within four years Some
SlO,OOO,OO0 was now being paid abroad
each year for wool. Adequate protection
would give American farmers this sum
| annually for labor. He referred to the
Wilson-Gorman law as the most dis
astrouS measure ever aimed at the wool
industry. He suggested that Australi-
an unwashed wool, which was equal to
any other washed wool, be classified as
washed WOOL so as to put it on the same
footing with other woods of the world
He would place a tariff of II cents on
all merino woods except Australian, on
which a rate of "a cents was desired be-
cause of it's ''shrinkage" qualities
Asked If a law of the kind he pro-
posed would keep Australian wool out
of the country, he replied that if it
should it would prove very beneficial
In case it did we could take wool from
South America and build up a trade
with those countries, which in return
| would take our products. Australia
| never took anything from us. He ar
gued in favor of specific duties, saying
that the ad valorum system was "the
| most damnable system ever proposed by
set of rascals.'
Theodore Justice of Philadelphia.
dealer in all grades Of wool, spoke for
the consumers, who he said had been
injured by free wool. In one year there
was loss by this schedule alone to
the American people of S462 600, 900.
The loss to mill hands and laborers by
free wool had been about SS5 900, 600
during the last year. The wool growers
of New York. he said, had lost on an
average of S430 per annum, while saw
ing in clothing about So.
CT. C. Moses of Bath, Me-, an importer
and manufacturer said that if the
course advocated by Mr.. Lawrence was
adopted it meant death TO the manu-
facturer, and would restrict importa-
tions.
Delegate Catron of New Mexico said
that under the Mckinley law his Ter
ritory had produced some 10000, 00O0
pounds of wool per year. Under the
present law the production had de-
creased, as had the price. The decrease
in the latter, he said was about II cents
per pound.
c. NJ. Hogg of Ohio, a manufactures
and wool dealer, advocated a conserva-
tive bill
The committee adjourned until to-mor-
row. when the manufacturers of wool
will be heard.