The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-10-09

WOOL HIT THE TOBOCCAN SLIDE WHEN
PLACED ON DEMOCRATIC fREEllY \
The losses to the sheep and wool producers Of the country through \
the wlsonGorman tarin Law, which placed wool on the tree list, are \
well remembered in general terms but the actual ngures regarding =
the fall in the value q sheep and the reduction IN the number Of =
sheep and the wool produced are such 40 to Justify presentation. The 4
figures Of the department q agriculture show that the number OF sheep =
in the United states on January y 1893, tNo months after the cleo =
ton Of President Cleveland. was 4727s65s.and their value 125.so9254 =
The same authority, the department Of agriculture, operating under q Y
Of President Clevelands term, s6s1s'4s sheep in the United States :
and their value $67O20s942. Here II aSdecrease Of more than 10OO0000 \
OF nearly 25 per cent In the number q sheep and = decrease II 45s. \
100000. or nearly 90 per emf in their value during President eleve-
lands term, under which wool was placed on the free lst. BY Jan. I, =
1908, the number Of sheep had reached 63s64,s76, and the value $16s; \
s1575o, ar increase OF practically - per4cen In the number 4 $50 :
per cent in the value of the sheep in the country. This, however, is :
value Of sheep alone. There was also ! great loss in wool. The '
quantity Of wool produced in 1893 was so3oooooo pounds :
and by 1895 had fallen to 2osooooo0 pounds and did not again reach :
y the 800 100000 line until 1901, when III was so20oo0oo and IL 1902. \
\ s1eoooyooo. Here was q reduction Of practically onethird ii ne !
this does not measure the loss, since the value per pound Of the :
reduced production vas far below that u prior years, Wool price :
= Of wool which sold at IS cents per pounds In 1881 had fallen to -
! cent per pound il 1896 and ny 1901 were again above the price ot g
= cents pc pound. A careful estimate Of the value Of the wool product
\ of the United States made by an eminent authority on the subject
i puts the total value Of the wool product Of the country il 1892 at Z
5 ;7sooo,ooo, and in 1895 at 3s2.5ooooo, 4 loss Of ;s,5oooco. Adding
: this loss in wool to the $5soooe0o loss in value OF sheep. above
= sheep and wool Of over $1ooOooOoo dollars for = single year for
: which this calculation ts made, = approximately s4oooo 10000 Tor me
\ was estimated by experts at $7soooooo, 9 two and onehalf times
\ that Of 1896.
) Effect ., Protection and Free Trade In Regard TO Sheer.
= The official reports Of the United States government upon the sub
\ jet q sheep raising and sheep values teach = wonderful y lesson.
= From 1878 to 1882, the Morrill, tariff (protectono was IN force. ana
: the number of sheep throughout the country increased by over 1000,
y 900 during this period.
: The tarin Of 1883 was in force from 1883 to 1889, inclusive: The
! duties imnosed by this tarin upon raw wool amounted to n o more than
= a revenue tarin on yarns and some other goods produced from WOOL;
y consequently the result Of this tarin as q whole was not protective
y Upon its operation the number OF sheep throughout TN United states
\ decreased by about 100000 -
= The Mckinley tarin, passed in 1890, was a scientific tariff IS applied
y to wool growing. with the result that the number Of sheep throughout
= the country increased by nearly 100000 before the freetrade election
\ Of 1892.
! The Wilson tarin, with free trade in wool practically went into
\ effect when Mr.. Cleveland was elected, and Immediately the locks
\ throughout the country began to decrease, and from 1888 to 1885
\ decreased by about 90o0OO0.
y The Ddnghy tann reimposed the scientific schedules Of the Mckinley
y tariff, and with the promise OF proaecuon enrousn. IN sps .e%o.. =
= industry Immediately began to prosper. From 1896 to and including
\ creased .1Asoooooo.
= The effect Of protection and free trade in regard to the number OF
! sheep owned throughout the country is not more impressive than ~
= erect as to value; Under the Morrill, tarfh the lowest price pei neao
: was ;2os and the highest 1856 Under the tariff Of 1883 the lowest
= price per head ws $I91 and the highest price was $227. Under ~
= Mckinley tariff the lowest price was $24s and the highest price
= 1896. Under free trade the lowest price was sl6s and me highest
= nrice Il a. Under the Dingley tariff the lowest price val 1888 per
: head, and now the value has advanced to 1895 per head, the highest
= average price in the history Of the nation.
\ These are average figures and therefore, lncnoe 'e n"er sraoe'
The Ohio WOO, grower made relatively more money of Of his sheep
= and WOOL " reason OF the fact that he was closer to the market.
: shipment rates were less-and hence his price vas higher Y ths
\ section, transportation cuts a tremendous figure IN COST u COST
4 in any event is charged against the shipper, by giving MN that mncn
= less for his product
In Montana wool dropped to s cents per pound under the Wilson
! bill and sheep sold down to 81 per head-you could buy hocks Of them
\ at that price. In some instances transfers we're made ct 60 cents
y a head. #8
y The effect of the Wilson bill will be remembered IN n1ana
\ indeed 1t lie quite impossible to forget It.
y The man who owned sheep at that time had g Rt rs thinking 70 g.
y He walked the floors onights. Many failed.
The Montana sheep man was hit between the eyes-and nit hard.
: And simultaneously with the drop in the price Ct WOOL there wa
= . fall in the price Of pretty nearly everything else in this state.
y The Democrats tell you that the vote of the wool man does OF
: count anyway-that they do not care for It. While that Is undoubt
: eddy so-and no one disputes fit is 9 fact that the wool man does
: not care for the Democratic tariff, or the party either.
\ Eyeryon who was in business in eastern Montana 1t Ia I'M VIII
: tell you that when the price Of wool dropped. business declined
y the wool man lacked the money, and when he did not nav IN 81
- amount to spend, the difference was felt by the communication tn
! wool maj unlike the miner, spends his money at home. SO I'll lines
y al business fell on, and business was reduced more than onehalfs
j. Eastern Montana is prosperous now. To cut the business IN Two
p wonld be q serious blow to the development OF the state. Wool is
= the keystone to success.
y indeed. te Montana sheep man has only to be told that the Demo
) Gratis propose to place wool on the free list to bring before him the
= vision Of the hard times that followed a n identical act when the
4 Wilson bill was in effect.
! y ) y j. = j. y = \ y \ \ \ \ y y = = =