Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-10-31

Thus, while the value of cotton man
ufactures has more than kept pace
with our growing population since
1880 and has almost kept pace since
1870 the value of our wooden manu-
features has not half kept pace with
our population since 1890 or 1880 and
has barely half kept pace since 1870.
This means that the per capita value
of wooden goods produced in this coun-
try is declining from year to year. is
less now than in 1890 or 1880 and is
% per cent less than in 1870, the de-
cline being from S5.17 per capita in
1870 to $3.50 in 1900.
Could there be more whitening
criticism of our protective system than
is shown by the sad results of this in
dustry? The attempt to compel the
people to pay nearly twice the normal
price for woolens has resulted ~ in
blighting the industry that was to be
protected and built up; (2) in prevent
ing the people from wearing warm,
substantial clothing; co in forcing them
to wear shoddy and cotton clothes.
The doctors and undertakers who
treat or bury the victims of improper
clothing are the real beneficiaries of
taxed wool and woolens.
Nor do we get better results if we
consider the effects of protection" up-
on the prices of wool or upon the wool
growers. According to the census re-
port, the average cost of secured wool
declined from $685. cents per pound in
1880 to 1886 cents in 1890 and to 37.71
cents in 1900. This same report tells us
that the per capita consumption of
wool declined from $50 pounds in 1880
and SIS pounds in 1890 to 5.97 pounds
in 1900. And this decline has occurred
in spite of the fact that we imported
more than three times as many pounds
of raw wool in 1900 as in 1870 Practi-
cally all of the reduction in consump-
ton is due to the reduced production of
domestic woods. And here again the
reduction in the home supply of wool
has occurred in spite of the great in
crease in the amount and proportion of
coarse woods and of mohair Included
with wool in the 1900 census) to the
fine woods produced. AS a matter of
fact, the number of sheep east of the
Mississippi river and north of Mason
and Dixon's line, which included the
fine wool section when high protection
was first applied, is now less than one
half what it was in 1867, and their val
ue is probably only one-fourth what it
was then.
The following extracts from the 1900
census, compiled by Republicans and
protectionists, tell a part of the sad
tale of this tariff demoralized industry:
''The year 1900 was an unfortunate
one for an official investigation of the
wool manufacture. The ma
chinery in many mills was only in par
tial operation or run on part time
Like the preceding year, it
was marked by unusual conditions
both as to the chief raw material and
manufactured products. The
sudden changes in wool prices and the
strenuous competition for business led
to the failure of many large and until
then prosperous concerns.
1.-The quantity of wool consumed in
wooden mills in 1900 was only nine
tenths Of the quantity consumed in
1890 and was about 100000 pounds
less than was used in 1880.
The quantity of shoddy used in these
mills was 66,S55, los pounds. The pro-
portions Of clean shoddy and clean wool
used were respectively 31.5 and 49,
per cent Of the raw material consumed
In the card wool manufactures.
= The use of shoddY has made possi-