The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-07-20
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1910.
WOOL GATHERING.

Inc exlgeocles OF poTtfe 80snlp
sometimes cause newspapers and poll
tical orators embarrassment, and they
stultify themselves BY advancing the
most absurd theories and making the
most foolish stasemects In defense OF
their so.calied party principles. In
matters that have GO connection with
politics these newspapers exhibit evil
dence of observation-disclosures and good
common sense that makes their par.
tisan stuuts more surprising and
ridiculous.
An illustr alton of thts peculiar
phase of political discussion appeared
in q recent Issue OF the Great Fslls
Tribune, . newspaper that usually
makes fair and sensible editorial com.
ment upon matters not relsted to poll
tics, but whose vision is obscured by
partissnship when II refers to subjects
regarding which the two great politi.
cal parties disagree. 1t ventured an
opinion q few days ago as to the cause
OF lower wool prices, compared with
those of last year, ia which 1t present.
ed this stupid and erroneous PROPOSE.
ton:
st is apparent at any rate that the
w~ool.growing industry cannot flourish
unless the wool manufacturing industry
Aourishes; and it ought to be clear that
the wool manufacturing industry would
do better II it had reader Geese to
mixing woods and ii the people OF the
United States were privileged thereby
to buy good wooden goods at q price
within their reach instead OF having
to put up with the rag and cotton mix.
lures now forced upon them at high
prices and in such q state of shabby
construction that they pull to pieces
under the slightest strain"
This is the same grey.headed old
fraud that wasIpresented to the public
by democraticlorato rs and newspapers
about twenty.four years ago. when
the Mills bill was being discussed in
congress. They urged that larger i'm.
portations Of foreign woods for mix.
ing purposes" would enable the mills
to do a larger business and cause q
stronger demand for American wool
a. higher prices. This theory was
given practical test by the terms Of the
Wilson bill, enacted by a democratic
congress in 1894. and the disastrous
effect of the experiment should suggest
the abandonment Of the ''wool mix
ing theory by newspapers and others
who formerly entertained it.
Further reference to the subject of
wool was recently made by our con.
temporary in editorial remarks upon q
Boston dispatch which said large
quantities Of wool were being export
ed from that city to Europe. 1t calls
upon wool tariff advocates to explain
this phenomenon, assuming that 1t in.
dicates q higher range of prices In
foreign markets than prevails in Bos.
ton and otherlAmerican:.wool centers.
There is no mystery about these
exporte when the Investigator discoy.
els that they consist OF foreign wool
in bond. Large quantities Of foreign
wool we're bought by American specu.
lators several months ago, and upon
arrival at American ports these pur.
chases we're stored in bonded ware.
houses, the duty to be paid when the
wool was sold in Boston or other
American markets. In the meantime,
there was q lively demand for wool liz
Europe, and large quantities Of this
foreign stuff were re.shipped across
the Atlantic ocean at a nominal cost
the owners probably making a small
profit on the trans action.
The Tribune, like most Of its demo
cratic contemporaries, is disposed t.
woolg gathering, when it ventures
political discussion of matters per
tanning to an important Montana in
Anct~v