Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-29
WOOL GROWERS NOT HURT
state Department Issues statement on
the Argentine Reciprocity
FRENZY.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-The following
official statement of facts respecting the
Argentine convention is given out for public
Information and to correct Misrepresentation
as to the effect Of the treaty on the wool
interests:
The Argentine tariff system involves not
only a fixed and high rate of duties on i'm
ports, but also provides for an aforo, or
valuation, which is to be fixed from time
to time by executive authority. BY this sys-
TEN duties are often effectually Increased
without any now legislation and at the will
of executive officers.
The object of the United States was
therefore to obtain reductions of the tariff
on our exports as far as possible and to
reduce the aforo, or else to establish a val
uation beyond which they could not go as
the basis for assessing duties. The conven-
ton, for example, not only secures to United
States exporters a reduction on Oregon pine
lumber and southern lumber, in fact all
kinds of undressed lumber, but fixes the
aforo and on Oregon and yellow pine re-
duces it over 40 per cent. The duty on cot
tonseed OIL is reduced about so per cent.
The duty on bacon and many food products
is reduced by 20 per cent. On parafine wax
largely in demand there) the charges were
plbllDlllNt IL NLS uubg % " "a Nv
per cent, the aforo reduced by 6215 per cent,
On canned salmon and other canned goods
the reduction OF duty Is so per cent and the
aforo is reduced by varying percentages
from 80 to 60 per cent. On windmills Oargely
used) there is a reduction of duty of 80 per
cent, and Of afOro 90 per cent. On dried or
evaporated fruits (appleS, etc.) the duty is
reduced 80 per cent. On cotton ducking,
white or colored, the aforo is reduced SO Ia
per cent. On sisal twine and cotton rope the
duty is reduced 20 per cent and the aforc
331a per cent.
Amount of Wool Imports.
"On the other hand, the Argentine gov
eminent demanded reciprocal concessions or
the few articles it sends to this market
Dealers in wool and American wool growers
nave expressed the belief that this would
work injustice to the domestic product, The
demand for woods for 1899 from all coun,
tries was rs, 1863, 900 pounds. OF this from the
Argentine came only 1871, 900 pounds, which
is a very small portion Of our aggregate
importation. 1t appears that our wooden fac,
tories require, Notwithstanding high duties
IA certain amount of foreign wool to supple,
ment the domestic product. There is no pro.
posal for any reduction of wool duties il
favor of any other foreign country. 1t il
evident that the proposed reduction fo
Argentine wCols alone can have no effect Oh
our market prices. The majority of the WOO
is of the coarsost classes for carpets) o
which but little is supplied by this coun
try. If other countries imposed the sam,
duties as ourselves on raw woods imported
for manufacture, this reduction Of dut!
would turn the tide of wool supply to tn,
United States. But other nations havl
adopted the policy of free admission of wool
Consequently the Argentine wool seeks tn
European flee markets. France, Germany
Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, etc, and vii
continue to do so,
THE statistics for eleven months of 1898
show that during that period Argentine eX
ported 46l ISL bales of wool, OF this owe
$50, 600 bales went to the free ports of Eu
rope. In addition to the absence OF dutie
in the wool manufacturing countries of Eu
rope Argentine woods tend thither becaus
freights are cheaper there than to the Unite
States by about 30 per cent, Early in No
vembeT, 1899, the price of unwashed WOO
(class u in London was 11h pence, or sa
% cents per pound. In New York on tn
same date, with duty added, it was % cents
That is to say the price of class l Argentin
wool atloat in London was % cents, agains
a cents afoat in New York, which show
abundant reason Tor the WOOL seeking IN
British market rather than the American
1t also indicates how little danger there /
of the small reduction made by this treat
in our protective duty on woods producin
any reduction Of prices in our market q
any increase over present importations.
is estimated at the Treasury departmer
that so per cent, or our whole importation
is on coarse, or Cordoba, wool, which We d
not produce TO any extent.
This concession on Argentine wool wa
made, not because Of its effect on our amour
OF Importation. for that will he no,hin
against the free markets OF Europe, but be
cause It was one of the only three article
OF Argentine export on which reciprocal re
ductions could be made and one withol
which that republic would not consent TO III
convention"