Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-04-19
WOOL AND PROTECTION.
Gystem by Which the Farmer Ii
Fleeced to Help the
Trusts Along.

1t is rather singular that about all
the products Of the farm that have no
real tariff protection are advancing in
price very materially, but wool, the
one product that is protected to the
verge Of prohibition, is standing STILL
fa oesn s hss even assning in
than the average price the farmer and
sheep ranch men are getting for wool.
There is no tariff on cotton, no protec-
ton fosters it's growth, while the tariff
on wool is II cents pound. How can
our protection enthusiasts explain this
anomaly which, according to their
theory, shows that the duty on wool
is still too low? Why don't they
amend the tariff and give the farmer
more protection instead Of standing
pat? The imports of foreign wool are
increasing. The last report of COM
merce and finance, issued by the de-
partment of commerce and labor, gives
the imports of wool for the II months
ending November for 1901 in pounds
as III, 74s,49O; 1902, 161 ,631,31S; 1903,
163, 27S,392. Thus for the same period
foreign wool has been coming in the
past year at the rate of over 50,OO0,000
pounds more than in 1901.
What Is the reason for this increased
competition of the foreign wool grow
ers with our home product? In spite
of nearly 100 per cent. protection the
sheep industry is not so prosperous as
1t was when we had free wool under
the tariff of 1894. The price of wooden
goods is declining from the inability
Of the great majority of our people
to buy wool clothing. Cotton and
shoddy have largely taken the place
of wool from the sheer necessity Of
the family with limited incomes to
meet the increased cost Of living. The
importation of foreign wool is princi-
pally of the coarse grades, used in the
manufacture of carpets. That class of
wool our wool growers cannot supply
In sufficient quantity to supply the de-
mand, and the high tariff only adds
to the cost Of the articles made from
1t. The farmer, when he buys car
pet, or other product made of coarse
wool, pays a big tax on it, with not
even the compromising advantage OF
an increased profit on the wool he him
self raises. Those farmers who do
not raise sheep are practically unpro-
tected by the tariff, although nearly
all agricultural products are included
In schedule G, of the tariff law; yet
the surplus of agricultural products
raised above what this country can
consume, when sold abroad, must
compete in the worlds markets, and
the price is fixed by the foreign buy
ers. The price paid in the home mar
ket is controlled by the price the sur
plus brings, SO in that case protection
( does not protect the farmer. There
are few exceptions to this rule, in
Guiding those who raise sugar cane,
rice and wrapper tobacco, but the
trusts that control the market for
those products get the largest slice
Of the profits. Some farmers who live
near the Canadian border may be
slightly protected by the lack of COM
petition on eggs and vegetables from
their Canadian neighbors, but this ad-
vantage, if any, is more than over
come by the increased price of what
they purchase.
The farmer that votes to continue
the protection tariff votes to protect
and foster the trusts, aud not only
pays the tariff tax to the government
but much greater tax on about all
he buys to the favored corporations.
There is reason to suspect that
Senator Foraker isn't such an ardent
Roosevelt man Of heayt now. -..Atlants
Constitution