The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-04-25

inclement weather adds enormously
to the primary cost In the year end
ing March, 1907, with it's unusually
severe winter, no less than 1871 900
sheep died from disease, cold, and
other unavoidable causes. In the
same period the loss from the like ills
all through the United States averaged
6 per cent of all the flocks. In this
and in other important particulars the
sheep-farming industry in this coun-
try labors under disadvantages which
can only be compensated for through
duties
Continuing the Montana representa-
tive said that although the sheep in
duNry of Montana had yielded a
profit OF $l,3S5000 in 1907, it suffered
a loss of $365,0O for 1908, bringing it's
total net earnings for the two years
to $1,000, 900.
Pleading for the protection Of those
working in the industry, Mr.. Pray
gave an Illuminating mass of statistics
comparing the wages in Montana
with those in Australia, New Zealand,
Argentina and Cape Colony. Whether
wages of those on the Montana sheep
ranches are higher than anywhere n
the world" he said. Shearers aver
age 50 day; herders $40 a month and
board; ranch help, $35 a month and
board; cooks, $50 month and board,
all including lodging. He thought
it doubtful if there was any
other industry that could make
a better showing in behalf of
its employees" on the other
hand in Australia and New Zea-
land wages averaged SIT d month for
herders; s cents "a head for shcariny,
against cents in Montana; Sc cents
the cost of running d head of snecp
year, as against sl.31 in Montana. In
Argentina Mr.. Prey said tn harders
received SIS monthly wages; il cost
cents to shear one sheep and 80
cents year to run one sheep II year.
In Cape Colony the wages wer, about
the same and the cost per head per
year So cents, because of IN ,ceascd
land values. Mr.. Prey SAID the C st
of tending to one sheep year in this
country, which averaged $l4O, did not
include the cost of winter feed,
which he estimated to be from 81 to
$3.50 additional per head.
Mr.. Pray then branched off into
lengthy discussion Of the effect of
recent tariffs on the sheep industry
Of the country, showing that under
the act of 1883, wool production had
fallen off II per cent and the number
of sheep Is per cent. Under the
courts decision that broken tops
could be admitted as waste which he
declared were really first class wool,
Mr.. Pray said that these imports I'M
der the 1889 act had increased from
$564,694 to $3,447,20 McKinleys tar
iff had increased the home production
of wool to the extent of 10000 900 lbs,
and 1S0000,000 sheep, from 1890 to 1894.
Then came the Wilson tariff with dis
astrous results because it cut down
the duty to nothing. AS a result wool
production decreased 100000 pounds
in this country and the number of
sheep 11741O,0OO. while wool imports
ran up to S,119,OOO pounds of first
class WOOL 59,371 900 pounds of second
class and 4O45,O 900 pounds of third
class. total of S15,535 900 pounds
The Dingley law had brought imports
down and home production up, from
all of which Mr.. Pray deduced that
with protection the wool industry Is
while without it the in
dustry will languish.
Mr.. Pray depored the reduction of
the wool duties by the ways and
means committee from the present
rate of 30 cents a pound. 1t would
result in the importation of broken
tops or slubbin waste, dextrously
mixed and handled in with frst-class
wool, to the disadvantage of the
Montana industry. 1t would prove an
appreciable loss to the domestic
grower who was already Handicapped
in foreign competition because of ma
tural conditions. Were the "skirting
clause removed from the bill ut
would be something like fair deal"
for the Americans, even with the re-
duced duties, declared Mr.. Pray.
Mr.. Pray saw no reason for placing
hides on the free list. saying the pres
ent duty of Is cents was a deserved
protection to the industry of this
country. Shoe, harness and leather
goods manufacturers and tanners
would be the beneficiares of the re-
duced duties, all of which have pro-
lection in the bill ranging from 5 to
so cents, and he considered it ample
justice to the cattle raisers that
they should have some degree of pro-
lection.
The Saoata continued r,oa,un