Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-11-26
PER CENT. INCREASE SINCE

JV.'ss......G l.00 EU,JS 200
1885,. ......... So q 1858 PATS
1871. ........9 1859 91.10 40 %
Thus, while the value OF cotton man
ufactGres has more than kept pace
with our growing population, since
1880, and has almost kept pace, since
1870, the value of our wooden manufac-
lures 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 1880 or 1890, and is
% per cent, less than in 1870, the de-
cline being from SELF per capita, in
1870, to $3.50, in 1900.
Could there be a more whitening crit
icism 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 o. in blight
ing the industry that was to be pro-
tected and built up; ca in preventing
the people from wearing warm, sub
stantial clothing; and (3) in forcing
them to wear shoddy and cotton
| clothes.
The doctors and undertakers VINO
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
upon the prices of wool, or upon the
wool growers. According to the cen
sus report, the average cost Of secured
wool declined from 1886 cents per
pound, in 1880, to 45.46, in 1890, and to
37.71, in 1900. This same report tells
us that the per capita consumption Of
wool declined from $50 pounds, in
1880, and S.75, in 1890, to 5.97, in 1900.
All 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. Practically,
then, 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 has
occurred in spite of the great increase
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 the Mason and Dixon's line,
which included the fine wool section
when high protection was first ap-
piled, is now less than one-half what
it was in 1867, and their value is prob
ably only one-fourth what it was then.
The fundamental facts in the wooden
industry are ID that many varieties
of woods must be mixed to produce
substantial, well-finished and market
able goods, and (2) that no one coun-
try produces all varieties Of wool.
These facts are recognized by nearly
all governments except ours, which is
the only one that taxes raw wool.
Protection having proven a fiat fail
ure, both as to the wool-grower and
as to the wooden manufacturer, the
republicans of the agricultural de-
partment at Washington are now ad-
yising the farmers to try to raise An
CORA goats as a substitute for sheep.
They are telling New England farmers
that these goats are just the things to
reclaim the many abandoned farms in
their territory. The republicans have
already begun to call the hair of this
goat (mohair) wool, and to include it
with the genuine article in their sta
tistics. But for this statistical fic-
ton our wool figures would make a
worse showing than they now do.
Will calling a goat a sheep make it
one? How much longer can the re-
publicans fool the farmers?
RvR0N w IInTsT