The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-24
THE WOOL RATE HEARING.


The wool rate hearing which has been
going on in this city before Comis.
sioner Ward Prouty in behalf of the
Interstate Commerce Commission j.
one OF the most important hearings
that has ever been held here. 1t was,
of course. confined TO the single ques'
,ion of the application Of freight rates
respecting wool shipments. very
great deal OF practical information. ac-
tual transportation facts and figures,
and conditions of the wool industry and
of wool shipments were brought out in
this hearing. Mr.. Prouty Will have n
very substantial mass of valuable testi-
mony 10 report to the Interstate Com
merce Commission as the result of this
hearing.
II appears from the testimony of the
wool men. of Utah that the wool in
dustry is not flourishing here. even un-
der the high tariff which the Dingley
bill imposed, and which the bunko tariff
law of 1909 continued. The question
naturally arises, therefore, what could
be done for the wool industry that
would cause it to revive and flourish
Increased tariff rates are out of the
question. The wool tariff is now so
high that it causes Il revolt in the heav.
lily peopled districts of the United
States, by reason of the great amounts
which 1t adds 90 the cost of wooden
goods. There is first tariff on wool,
then there is a stiff tariff on manufac-
the manufacturers must have protcc-
ton on their goods as manufactured if
they have to pay increased prices for
wool by reason of the tariff. If they
could go into the markets of the world
and buy wool in those markets at rates
always n good deal below the rate that
they must pay for American wool as
protected by the tariff, then they
would he in condition TO fight for the
American markets for manufactures Of
wool on even terms with the wooden
manufacturers of the world. Even a
small tariff on manufactures of wool
might be imposed that would not be
heavily felt by the great populations
of the East. But, when there is first n
heavy tariff on wool, and then manu-
facturers tariff which is compensatory
for the tariff on wool, and another
tariff above that is added for the pro-
lection of the wooden manufacturer
against foreign rivalry, then the prices
of wooleu stuffs necessarily have 10 be
very largely increased above the gen
eral market price OF the world. This
is what makes the great opposition
among the people Of the East to Schcd-
ule *, which covers all items in the
wooden tariff This is what made
Bryan so fierce against Underwood
when the Democratic House Committee
on Ways and Means agreed to retain a
tariff on wool. Bryan contendjng that
the chief trouble is primarily on the
wool tariff, and that the American
woolen manufacturers. if they were
freed from that, could compete with
the world without any tariff at all
The situation is keen one; il al
most might be said to be critical so
far as the wool industry OF this region
is concerned, if, indeed, it is true that
there is no money in raising wool AT
present prices. For, with these prices
stimulated By the tariff duty and the
prospect which appears TO be impend-
ing of action by Congress which will
reduce the tariff on wool,
ii is clearly up to the wool growers
of this region to suggest what can be
done that will help them. if, indeed,
any help is practicable. But no relief,
in fact, appears TO be in sight; and
if the representations made TO Mr..
Prouty are correct, the prospect for
wool raising in Utah Is gloomy indeed.