Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1911-03-11
THE GREAT WOOL INDUSTRY.


Either in person or by proxy, the
wool growers of the nation during
the month of January met at Port
land. This meeting of 1911 marked
the most important convention yet
held by the National Wool Growers
Association. Action at this meeting
makes it incumbent upon the associa-
ton to begin what promises to be
the most widespread campaign for
the education of the nation of real
izatlon of the urgent necessity of a
protective tariff ON wool and wooden
goods in order to save from alleged
wreck and ruin, the sheep and wool
Industries, SO closely allied that the
kllllng OF one means the inevitable
destruction OF the other. 1t was ex-
planned by the various speakers that
with the duty free, wool from Austral.
ia, Asia, Africa, South America or
any other foreign country, the sheep
industry would soon dwindle to moth
Ing, a condition that would not only
prove disastrous to the wool-growers
themselves, but would deprive the
American people of one of the most
important sources of food supply,
one that Will increase i'm importance
at a greater ratio than the increase
in the population. 1t was pointed out
that the actual cost of wool i'm the
average suit is SO small as to be AL
most insignificant and that therefore
the duty protecting these two indus
tries and those closely related there
to lis therefore of such little moment
to the consumer that III the facts were
understood by the people at large,
the sheep and woolgrowers need nev-
er fear abolition of the duty or even
a reduction of it.
The wool industry comprises in dts
investment 57,216, 900 head of sheep,
valued in the report of the secretary
of agriculture at $4O8 a head. The
farm value of the whole investment
is $233, 3,604,O 900. In the group of wool
growing Western states, the number
of sheep is 35,287 900, with am aver
age value of 1896, and an average
farm value of $139,673 900. Among
these the holdings by states are as
follows: Wyoming, 1860 600 head
Montana, 5,74S,00O; New Mexico
4, ,729, 900; and Idaho, 24S,OOO; Ore
gon comes next, with 1851 900 head
Of an average price of 1870 and a to.
tai value on the farm of SO $50, 900; and
then California, with 2,372,0 head, |
and Washington with $4,000 head
The aggregate production of VOC |
i'm the United States, washed and I'M
washed, tn 1909, was 1923. 110,794
pounds. Australia was the largest
producer, with grand total of 1861
$40, 1863. Argentina was second with
IN aggregate of 328,731 900 The IT,
nited States is third.
The aggregate of wool imported into
The United States for the fiscal year
,ndlng i'm 1909, according to the
Worlds Almanac, was only $4,000, 900
pounds less than the production of
he country for the same year, which
act gives our friends. the National
Wool Growers, knotty problem in
determining to what extent they were
,eneflted by the wool tariff. Any
way, they declare they must have
he tariff sustained.
Oregon won the first prize In the
ong wool competition at the National
Show, Portland, against
he royal prize winners of England,
md thus added 100000 to her wealth
md everlasting fame in the sleep
At least that Is the opin-
on of DR., James WithyC ombe, of the
oregon Agricultural College at Ger
'allis. He said 1t proves that Oregon
la5 the best Climate I'M the world for
ong wool, and he is certain, that tt.,
.sttnction is worth at 4ID. 500 0,0
o Oregon