The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-12-20
WOOL S1HIElyL
SUBMITTED 40 CONGRESS
TARIFF BOARD DECLARES THAT.
MANY ARTICLES INCLUDED IN
PAYNE ALDRicH LAW PUTS
THEM IN PRoHlBlTivE CLASS.

(By tinItc.i PrcSS)
WASHINGTON. Dec. 2O.-In mes.
sage transmitting the report OF the
tariff board President Taft said In
part: II now herewith submit the re.
port of the tariff board on schedule X.
The board is unanimous in It's find.
ings. On the basis OF these findings |
now recommend that congress pro.
coed to consideration of the sched.
ule with a view to Its revision and
general reduction OF It's rates.
"The report shows the present
method OF assessing raw wool and
this by n specific rate on The gross
pound: that is unsecured operates
and exclude wools OF high shrInkage
In securing but fine quality from
American market thereby lesses the
range OF woods available to domestic
manufacturer ard that duty on
secured wool OF 81 cents a pound Is
prohibitory and opeiales TO exclude
the importation OF clean low priced
foreign wools OF inferior grades which
nevertheless are valuable for manu-,
factufIng."
Declaring many of the schedules in
the Payne.Aldrich tariff TO be "prohlb.
tive" the report'of the tariff board on
wool was submitted to congress today
by President Taft.
As 10 the differences In cost of pro.
duction at home and abroad 1t sets
forth that in nearly every woolen
product from the dirty fleece up to
the finished worsted cloth, 1t costs
much more 10 produce wool and wool.
en- goods In America than in any 9TH
er country on earth.
II costs 10 cents TO raise a pound Of
wool In Ohio and IN Australia consld.
cradle less than four cents. These dif.
fereEces continue throughout the
WOODEN Industry. While American Ia.
bor is much higher paid than in Eu.
rope, the board finds that 1t is not as
efficient as that IN European mills.
About one dollar IN every four paid
to the retailer OF mems clothing goes
to the manufacture OF. the cloth. A
suit retailing for $23 IS sold at whole
sale by manufacturers for $16.5O. It
costs him s14.S2. Thus in general, the
manufacturer OF cloth and clothing is
absolved by the board from the great.
er part OF profit in the high cost Of
clothing. and 1t is attributed TO the
retailer.
The board states. however. that the
high duties on wool have not resulted
in retail prices as n.sa as might be ex'
pccted. Competition has kept prices
down. This competition was stimu-
lated when the high duties made wool.
en- manufacture very profitable. Then
foreign capital came In and built
mills. For all woolen cptrles, the
board recommends specific duties IN
stead of the present methods of as.
sessin advalorem rates, The all
valorem system naacS GutIes high
when prices are high and the consum.
er mVst needs relief. although the pro-
ducer Is best able TO bear competi
tlon. When prices are low and the
consumer has need cf foreign compe
titlon, then under the advalorem sys.
TEN duties are low anu the foreign
competition comes In.
The board advocates Specific du
ties" rs the best and easiest way tc
off set the differences In cost OF pro
ductIon here and abroad. Because o
the difficulty In classifying fabrics
however, the board recommends
combination specific and advalorem
duty OIL @Uo;on cloths. low ad Va
loren rate on cheap goods, increas
ing 10 the highest TO the highest rat,
Of expensive goods. Exactly the re
verse of the policy adopted by fran
ers of the Payne.Aldrlch tariff.
Experts for the board studied wool
growing in Australia. South America
South Africa. Great Britain and othe
European countries and In lT3 coun
ties in is States In this country.
The report reads:
The result OF the raw wool inyesti
CATION establishes the fact that /
costs more TO grow wool in the Uni
ted States than in any other country
that the Merino woods required ii
such great volume. by our mills are
the most expensive OF all wools pro
duced: that the highest average cost
OF production OF such wool In the
world is in the State of Ohio and con
tiguous territory; and that the low
est average cost on similar wool Is III
Australia"
Deductlng the proceeds from the
sales OF lambs and mutton, whicl
usually balances the expense OF the
flock. the average cost of fine Merinc
wool in the United States is 12 cents
per pound. The entire wool crop fint
and coarse wools-costs nine and one
half cents Il pound TO produce. Ii
South America the cost is between
four and five cents, THE Australian
costs are considerably below the soutl
American.
The report says: eThe present dut