Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-12-29
Advocates Reduction of Rates.

tariff board on schedule X. The board Is
unanimous in it's findings. On the basis
Of these findings | now recommend that
the congress proceed to a consideration
of this schedule with view to it's revi
sion and a general reduction of its rates.
The report shows that the present
method of assessing the duty on raw
wool-this is by, the specific rate on the
grease pound, i. e., ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to
exclude woods of high shrinkage in
securing but fine quality, from the
American market and thereby lessons the
range Of woods available to the domestic
manufacturer; that the duty on unsecured
wool of SO cents per pound is proh1bltory
and operates to exclude the importation
Of clean iow-priced foreign woods OF in
rerior grades, which are nevertheless val
liable material for manufacturing, and
which cannot be imported in the grease
because of their heavy shrinkage Such
woods. if imported, might be used to dis
place the cheap substitutes now in use.
To make the preceding paragraph lit
tie palmer, take the instance of a nun
dred pounds of first-class wool imported
under the present duty, which is IL cents
q pound That would make the duty on
tho hundred pounds Sill The merchan-
disc part of the wool thus imported is
the weight of the wool of this hundred
pounds after securing. Ii the wool
shrinks so per cent, as some wool does,
then the duty in such case would
amount to Sill on 20 pounds or secured
wool This of course, would be prohlDl-
tory. If the wool shrinks only 90 per
cent. it would be S11 on 90 pounds OF
wool and this is near to the average OF
the great bulk of woods that are imported
from Australia. which is the principal
source of our imported wool.
These determinations could be over
come bv assessing a duty in ad valorem
ic n h.
lection. first, that it increases administla-
five difficulties and tends to decrease
revenue through undervaluation and.
second that as prices advance, the ao
valorem rate increases the duty per pouhu
at the time when the consumer most
needs relief and the producer can best
stand competition; while IL prices de-
cline the duty is decreased at the time
when the consumer is least burdened by
the price and the producer most needs
protection.
Method That Meets Difficulty.
Another method of meeting the diff
,ulty Of taxing the grease pound is to as
cess a specific duty on grease wool in
terms of it's secured content. This obyi-
ates the chief evil of the present system.
namely, the discrimination due to differ
ent shrinkages, and thereby tends great
~ to equalize the duty The board re-
ports that this method is feasible in prac-
tice and could be administered without
great expense.
The report shows in detail the difficult
ties involved in attempting to state in
categorical terms the cost of wool pro-
duction and the great differences in cost
as between different regions and different
types of wool. 1t is found. however. that.
taking all varieties in account. the aver
age cost of production for the whole
American clip is higher than the cost in
The chief competing country by an
amount somewhat less than the present
duty.
The report shows that the duties on
rolls, wool wastes, and shoddy. which are