West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-11-19
zGW00D PRESTON COUNTY woa

cost are desired. and consequently the
people are better clad than before these
combinations were devised
In discussing the hosiery and knit
goods industry the census report says:
The quantity OF wool used has dc,
creased 3.6S5. 4s6 pounds. The
use OF cotton and cotton yarns has In
creased greatly. aud In consequence
the whole character OF the industry has
altered. In 1890 S2,4S2.6l pounds Of
cotton and 32.2iS.S40 pounds Of cotton
yarn were used I'm this industry. In
1900 the demand for cotton goods had
30 increased that 44.45l, ,30l pounds OF
raw cotton aud 131. $40 06S pounds OF
cotton yarn were necessary. which
would require approximately 100000
ooe pounds OF cotton for Its production.
making the total quantity OF cotton
used In this manufacture 100000. 900
pounds, costing 25.7o6.510. compared
with 17.ao3.901 pounds OF wool used,
which cost $o.262. .135."
In our underwear we now have only
two-thirds as much wool as In 1900,
and the average underwear. contains
eight times as much cotton as wool.
The paragraph from the census ex-
tolling the virtues OF shoddy (old rags
ground up) displays the happy temper.
ament and optimistic mind OF the pro-
tectionIst when his party Is in power
and his wonderful skill in transform
Ing adversely TO prosperity on paper.
He puts his protection glasses before
the shiyering shoddy victim. and I'm
mediately the poor fellow begins to
feel moderate warmth" He is then.
supposedly. ready to give thanks to
the Republican party, which, having
made It impossible for him 10 wear
real woolen clothes, did not compel him
to 20 stark naked. but kindly and hu-
namely permitted him to wear "soft.
light weight and loyScost' shoddy and
cotton clothes. Well may we feel
proud OF our sanguIne census makers
for their ability by inserting these side
remarks to give warmth and color 10
what would otherwise be cold and
gloomy statistics OF adversity. We can
have nothing but prosperity while the
party OF protection and shoddy is on
deck.
The greatest prosperity experienced
by the woolcn industry I'm many years
was during the three years OF free
wool and low duties ON woolens In
1895, $500 and 1897. More wool was
consumed, both domestic and foreign,
and more yards OF wooden goods pro-
duced than before or since. During
these three years the per capita con-
sumption Of wool averaged 900 pounds.
During the Ave years since Il has aver
aged only 5.05 pounds. Thus during
the three Wilson bill years we con-
snmcd far more wool than in any four
years since and almost ms much az
during the whole five years since.
Deprived OF wool by high tariff du-
ties, the, people have taken TO wear
Ing shoddy and cotton. Ours Is the
only important country that taxes raw
wool. All other countries recognize
that no one country produces alI kinds
OF wool and that msny varieties OF
wool must be mixed to produce sub
stantial, well finished and marketable
goods. As Mr.. William Lloyd GarrI-
son says:
ITO expect 10 make the United Stntee
supply all grades OF wool by passing
congressional edIct is as vain as 10
declare by statute that Massachusetts
shall have the climate OF Italy or South
Carolina TINT OF Russia. II follows OF
necessity that CUR manufacturers must
either import The wooIs not grown I'm
this country or limit the range and
quality OF their product"
Free wool, then. does not mean less-
ened demand for home grown wools
nor does It mean lower prices for them.
In fact, IL is difficult to detect any ef.
feet upon prices of domestic woods OF
high or low duties on wool.
Protection having proved fiat fail
ure both as TO the wool grower and
the wooIen manufactures, the Repub-
licans Of the agricultural department.
at Washington are now advising the
farmers to try TO raise Angora goats as
substitute for sheep They are tell
ing New England farmers that these
goats nre just the thing TO reclaim the
many abandoned farms in their terri
tory. The Republicans have already
begun to call the hair Of this goat (rDo-
hair wool and 10 include It with the
genuine article In their statistics. But
for this statisticsh fiction our wool fig
ures would make a more sorry spec
tacle than they now do.
VIII calling n goat sheep make IT
one2 VIII the farmers bite at this
goat bait? How much longer can the
Republicans fool the farmerg These
are Vital questions
BRYoN w. HOLT.