The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-02-25
The Mystery OIL K.

What is K? 1t is the schedule OF
the Payne tariff under which We all
pay one daily toll to protect the wool
growers, another to protect wool
workers and third for the mainten-
arlce OF a monopoly profit of few
big woolen-or, rather, worsted-
manufacturers. X il called by Sena-
tor Aldrich 1.-THE citadel OF protection
AS such it might be expected to be in :
diligently and scientifically built by
economic experts to establish the man
ufacture Of American wool on the |
broadcast possible basis. But as a
matter of fact it was constructed, IL
seems, by a few worsted makers, ami
mated by selfish greed, to enrich them
selves at the cost of the helpless con-
sumner, and il tissue Of absurdities,
| injustices and deceits.
| This j. amply shown in illuminative
detail in an eleven-page article i'm
Everybody's Magazine for February
To begin with, duty is put on raw
wool for the alleged purpose OF rails
ing revenue for the Washington Gov
eminent, though other protectionist
nations wisely admit it free. The al
legged fact that wool can be raised
cheaper in other countries is cited to
justify q second duty to protect
American sheep growers. third
duty, called compensatory, is added
upon imported wooden goods because
foreign manufacturers use wool that
has paid no duty-because we absurd
ly impose duty o. raw wool
fourth duty il required for the alleged
reason that factory and labor costs
are lower abroad This is the pro
III Irr+ry e. INF nTJT-
manufacturers.
Such is the theory of K. In prac-
tice it il very different. * IL 50
worded and SO administered at the
custom houses that it taxes dirt;
taxes a cotton shirt with two per cent.
Of wool; taxes suit almost wholly
cotton as if wholly wool; taxes furni-
ture by the pound as 90 much wool be-
cause chairs are covered with cloth
containing wool; taxes wool-lined
rubber boots as if made wholly of
wool; taxes corn-plasters a. wearing
apparel; taxes cotton cloth with polka
dots glued on as "all WOOL" These
are roaring absurdities and injustices.
But they do not constitute the real
case against K. A good law is some
times made odious by fanatical admin
istration.
Even from the protectionist's point
of view * il Objectionable because 1t
slyly nourishes the worsted industry
while it starves the wooden industry.
Wool Ia divided into three classes
carding wool, combining wool and car
pet woods. The first Is the class of
wool used in the factories scattered
over the country. The second kind IL
used by the worsted manufacturers,
and their supply is almost wholly i'm
ported. Few i'm number, they work
together as the National Association
of Wool Manufacturers" being helped
by the great American Wooden Com
pany," or trust, which came into ex
istence under the Dingley tariff. The
carding woods may shrink from one
pound to one-third of a pound In wash
ing, while the combining wool shrinks
to four-fifths of pound, yet, unwash-
ed, they pay nearly the same tax.
Evidently the provision that washed
carding wool shall pay p cents
pound, while washed combining wool
pays II cents a pound, burdens the
country factory and enables the Wors-
ted Trust to compete" it out of bus
mess. The joker lies in the mystery
of wool grease, helped by the fiction
/ that one kind of wool always carries
as much grease and dirt as another.
| Does the tariff on raw wool protect
large and growing American sheep
raising industry ? Not at all. Though
we have had the raw wool tariff many
years, the industry is dwindling, be-
cause it does not pay to raise sheep
on our high-priced land. At the hear
ings in Washington a protectionist
confessed that an American with a
family Of four pays $7.66 year addi
tional for suits on account of the wool
tariff.
But the pitifulness, the in humanity
of it all The depriving the poor of
warm clothing, blankets and other
wear needed in our searching winter
weather. Tie poor are driven to use
clothes made almost wholly of cotton.
The pay the wooden price, but get SO
per cent. cotton. A trust gouges them
by law. Such the evil of taxing A for
BIS benefit ! Such l. *, which de-
stroys revenue by prohibitory duties
on foreign yarns, cloths, etc.; cheats
the farmer and the carding-wool man
ufacturer by the joker of false allow
ance for grease in the kind of wool
used by the trust, and cheats the con-
sumner by forcing him to wear clothes
lacking in warmth and durability
From Baltimore Sun.