El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-24

-outlast every other fabric, and ii seems
that our government has discovered the
peculiar quality Of mohair goods, hay-
ing recently contracted for cloth for
soldiers uniforms. in the weaving of
which over ], 000,eO0 pounds of mohair
will be used this fall. The competi-
tors of; the mohair producers Of the
United States are the producers of mo-
hair in Asia Minor and South Africa,
where the flecks average 6 ard 4
pounds per head per annum, while in
the United States the flocks only av-
erage 21s to pounds per head each
year. In the two foreign countries
named the pay Of labor is about one
fifth Of the wages the American grow
ers pay. and all other expenses are in
the same ratio. In Texas IT costs
about 81 per head per annum to pro-
duce mohair and care for goats. Now.
the only duty the goat raisers Of Texas
ask placed upon mohair is an amount
that viii equal the difference of the
cost of producing mohair. in this eoup-
try and that of foreign. countries where
pauper labor is procured. Tt will he
remembered that freight rates are
cheaper from Asia Minor and South
Africa by Y to cent a pound to Bos-
ton than from Texas TO Boston.
United States it is gone for all time
to come. Turkey prohibits with death
the expectation of goats to other coun-
tries. and South Africa levies an ex-
port tax OF $500 per head-absolutely
prohibitive- The business cannot sur
vive in Texas If the present tariff is
removed. Give the sheepmen and goat
men sufficient duty on imports to equal
the cost of production in this country
and abroad, let the tariff be unchang
ing and guaranteed. and more and
better land will be used. 1t has been
argued that sheep cannot be raised
upon high priced land. and the de-
crease was occasiened by land being
too valuable for sheep production. AS
a refutation of this charge we cite you
to the census report. wherein Missouri
in the last 10 years increased her
sheep stock from 1000 900 to 1900. 900.
If the sheep producers knew exactly
what the tariff would be and that ii
was adequate the United States would
double, or more than double. in num-
bers, which would supply the wool re-
quirements of the American people.
For instance, during the period from
1854 to 1884, 20 years. the wool clip
Of the country increased nearly two
and one-half times. or from 1890, 900
TO 3UO.UUO,UOU. During InaI time. now
ever. the people and congress were not
after schedule K with an axe. but all
supported it as necessary to our
growth and development. Now, it GER
tainly occurs to the wool growers OF
Texas that action should be deferred
upon revision Of schedule K until the
tariff commission makes it's report in
October. Then congress would have
something tangible and certain on
which to base a revision. If action
by congress is deferred until after the
commissions report is made and a re-
vision of the tariff is based upon that
report. the sheepmen of Texas do not
fear the result in the least. The pres
ent speaker Of the house. the Hon
Champ Clark, as quoted in Leslie's
Weekly. made the following wise ut
terance:
The Democrats constitute one-haf
of the American peoples They are en-
gagged in every species Of legitimate