Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-06-19
OFFICIAL PAPER OF FERGUS COUNTY.
THE IARiFF AND WOOL pRlCrs.

Elsewhere in this issue will be found
two letters received by Philip l.. Mouie
from Justice. Batcman s. Co. Of lhila-
delphia. relative 10 wool price, and the
tariff. embracing the period from l-91
to May of this year. II viii be- seen
that this reliable authority takes the
ground that growers ere sill suffering
from the iniquit'pG, CoglnaH-Wil-ou
bill through the 'ovcr supply Of free
wool" The writer shows that just
after the thrill act was passed in he
eember, l,g7, there were practically
500. 0go,ooo pound, az free wool in the
United States, ora two years supply for
the consumption of that period. "Hnd
while manufacturers were using mp tie
free wool American wool was showed
aside until much Of 1t became 81 moth
eaten hat it had 10 be- sold rcgarllcs,
of its tariff value" The writer calls
attention 10 two speculative periods
which operated TO the advantage Of the
growers, but says that prices could not
be kept up owing to the excessive free
wool importations.
The worldwide slump in the market
in 1909 had IA depressing effect upon
prices and tumblcd them down To 40.
cents secured. But this, the writer
says, was from causes entirely outside
and independent Of tariff influence.
However. the decline abroad wa, great
or than in the United States. Then the
writer goes ou o. ,t,'r what would
have been the prohal.y grirr of domc>-
tic wool had We not had thr tgriI, and
the facts 1edactyd will be- worthy Of
careful prruSal.
The following cyaWplc the benefits
of the operation Of the torif,o 700 plain
for contradiction:
''lf There H. any man who does mot be-
licvc that thc tariG doc uot protect,
what has he rut to say about South
American crossbrcd skirtcd woods
which are offered at.li rrn.>pcr pound
on board ship In New York. Thi, wool
is Increased in value iou per ccat 60 the
American manufacturer as soon rs The
duty of II cent, per pound is paid; so.
that wool costing II cents outside The
tariff costs - cent, as Don rs II gets
inside our custom house. II we bad nu
tariff the price of cents On board slip
would be the price al The mill instead
of % cents as 1t is at present.
The above statement is only one Of q
number rs strongly put and we believe
all are based upon indisputablc facts;
facts gathered from long experience in
buying and selling wool and being in "A
position to watch not only the domestic
market but the markets of the world.
and 70 study cause and effect. Both
letters. one Of May 18th and the other
of the 10Th. will hr f"uHd of interest,
especially to woolgrowcrs, who, while
they have not lost any Of their faith ia
the benefits Of the tar''. E0yc been too
busy 20 study the reasons carefully for
the present low prices Of wool. and
have not fuunl time to combat The
chattcring free trader who knows all
about everything in the universe.
The table given shows that Gnc scour-
ed territory wool has averaged i9'.
cents in Philadelphia under the Ding
ley tariff. while secured Cape in free
wool London has sold for 23A cents. u
difference of l5i cent, a pound, or ~
percent. higher than in London. And
the latter is finer and more valuable
than the former,