Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-06-19

woods which are offered at ii cents
per pound on board ship in New
York? This wool has increased IL
value 100 per cent. to the American
manufacturer us soon as the duty o.
IL cents per pound is paid; so that
wool costing II cents outside of tho
tariff, costs - cents us soon as II
gets inside of our custom house. Il
we had no tariff the price Of IL cents
ON board ship would be the price al
the mill instead of - cents as it is nj
present.
In our circular of May lst we quote
from some English newspapers,
showing that the wool growers oi
Great Britain are beginning to feel the
pinch of competition with South
American woods. We do not hest.
tate to say that If the Wilson tariff
law had remained unrepcaled there
would be very few woolen mills run.
ming in the United States ut this
date. Our goods would have been
coming from Europe and there would
have been absolutely no market for
American wool. 1t Is perfectly safe
to make this statement because with
no increase in the imports OF manu-.
facturs of wool since the Dingley
tariff was passed. the American
manufacturer practically has the
monopoly of the whole market. And
yet, owing to the enormous surplus
of shoddy goods and goods brought
in under the Wilson tariff law, the
American manufacturer has been
running only three-quarters time, eX'
cept during the boom of 1899; but
this has enabled him at times to pay
80 cents for secured wool, which was
the case in December, 1897, which
would not have happened ii we had
no tariff; 80 cents again in September
and October, 1898, which would not
have happened ii we had no tariff
G5 cents or 80 per cent. higher I'm Feb
ruary, 1899, (thls wool at that date
was selling in the London market for
30 cents) which would not have hap
pened II we had no tariff; 30 cents in
July, August and September of last
year. which would not have hap
pened II we had no tariff.
Any free trader who points to 40
cents secured twice as exceptionally
low, and argues from that that the
tariff is no benefit to him, is simply
blind. The only way to determine
the value OF the tariff is to take the
average price of fine territorial wool
for the period shown in the diagram
in the inclosed circular. which Is III
the neighborhood of 80 cents, and
compare that with the average price
of the same grade of wool in Eng
land during that period. which
would not have been over % cents.
There Is IL cents per secured pound
difference TO the American wool
grower during the four years since
the tariff law was passed In which he
has realized n direct benefit from the
DingIey tariff act in spite Of the enor-
nous accumulation OF free wool.
Do not lose sight OF the fact tina.
any dissatisfaction with the working
OF the present tariff act can he direct
ly traced To the evils of the free wool
period. The American wool grower
is suffering from the effects OF it even
at this late day; but II the Wilson
tariff law had remained unrepealed
there would have been no woolgrow-
ers, except those who are raising
sheep for mutton. Some woods
would have been worth so little that
no eastern house would have taken
them on consignment, unless the
freight was prepaid. Compare such
a state Of affair with an average oil
80 cents secured since July, 1881.
Very truly yours.
JUSTICE, BATEMAN < Co.