The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1902-01-09
WOOL AND The TARIFFS.
With Respect to WooIeua We Foot
the List of CiviIised Nations.

the List of CiviIised Nations.
In an article on "The Rake's Prog
ress In Tariff Legislation" in January
Forum Jacob Schoenhof says:
That the people do not resent these
impositions for the benefit of favored
few IL due to the fact that the dealers
have endeavored to maintain the prices
established under the Wilson tariff.
The immense importations Of wool and
of wooden fabrics which anticipated
the passage of the Dingley tariff In
1897 made 1t possible at first to re-
spond to the public refusal to pay the
prices resulting from the new act. In
response to this public refusal the
shoddy and cotton substitutes have be-
come such active factors In the market
that they have crowded out ull wool
goods, so much so that but few of
these appear now In the peoples cloth
ing. Issacher is not an expert Judge Of
goods, or at best he cannot help him
self. He has to buy what his purse can
afford. That his clothes bag at the
knees and elbows, wear white at the
seams and edges and require renewal
tiwce as fast us good, sound all wool
clothes, the wear of his weather
brethren, cannot be helped by him and
is certainly too triaing an Incident to
concern the lawmaker.
The effect on the wool raisers has
been as disheartening as on the manu-
factures of all wool goods. They are
far from reaping the full harvest for
which they made such ample prepara-
tions. With respect to woolens we are
now the worst provided people among
civilized nations. The consumption OF
| wool per capita, exclusive of carpet
woods, averaged 7.55 pounds from 1884
to 1886 and only 6.3 pounds under the
higher rates of the Mckinley tariff.
Under the Wilson tariff the ratio was
| So pounds, while the average from
| 1897 to 1900 sank to SO pounds. In the
year 1900 the consumption was Az
pounds only. 1t was shown at the
same time and on the same basis of
computation that Germany's consump-
ton, which in 1885 was $50 pounds
only per capita, had arisen by 1893 to
ESQ pounds.
The year 1901 shows a further de-
cline. While our wool production has
been but slightly increased, importa-
tions of clothing and combing wool
have fallen off, and so has the impor-
tation of manufactured wool. The rate
of present consumption is but 4.5
pounds. To this allowance every in
habitant of the United States has been
reduced under the Dingley tariff,
while under the Wilson free wool tar
III it was 80 pounds, which may be
accepted as the normal ratio Of con-
sumption when wool is free from tax
alton. In this light tax on wool
can safely be called tax on health.
1t is unnecessary to say much about
the excessive rates on other merchan-
disc. When the labor cost Of turning
raw materials into articles of use has
become SO cheapened by the employ
ment OF well fed and we'll conditioned
working people and the introduction
of labor saving machinery that the
manufacturing nations of the old
world begin to organize in self de.
Tense against our cheap products,
words fail to express adequately the
wantonness of the excessive burdens
which are maintained under the hypo'
critical cry of protection for labor.