Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-12-21
7 AR|FF BOARDS
REPORT ON WOOL
General Revision Of Duties and
Many Reductions in Rates
Suggested.

Washington Dec. n.-1ne tarlH hOarb |
report on schedule *. sent 10 Congress
to-day by President Taft, suggests
general revision of the duties on wool
and woolens and many individual reduc-
tlons in the rates. The board makes no /
recommendations but points OUT what !
changes are desirable. In nearly all |
classes of the schedule. tho boards OK
ports report the majority Of the rates Ct
duty prohibitory and condemn tho sys-
tens OF levying them
The report points the way to two great |
changes in the present system of le,Ying T,
duties upon raw wool and finished cloth. |
1t would assess duty on scrubbed wool
not wool and grease combined; and sug-
Rests a graduated scale OF ad valorem
rate on cloth.
The report Is divided into sections. viz;
Raw wool yarn and cloth They are taken
up In the order in which they come in
production and manufacture.
On raw wool. tho board finds the present
system of levYing duty bad. and the
duties higher than the difference in cost
of production in the United States az
compared with the cost abroad. The
method of levying duty IS condemned be
cause 1t charges for grease as well as
TINS
country tn" heavy shrinking woolens.
PROHiBlTORY DUTY on TOPS.
ON tops. from which yarn Is made.
the present rate of duty is found to BE
prohibitory. 1t costs 50 per cent more in
the United states to convert tops into
yarn than it does anywhere else. On
yarn. from which cloth is woven, the
present rate of duty is found 10 be pro.
hihitory because II keeps out all except
! the finer grades.
ON cloth, the present rate Of duty Is
/ pronounced prohihitory on heavyweight
| cheap ana medium grade cloths, princi-
pally beoausf of the specific compensa-
J tory duty watch fixes certain charge
7 per pound before the ad valorem rate be-
/ gins. II costs 100 per cent. more TO make
cloth from yarn in the United States
than it does IN England or France. The
present system Of fixing the same al
valorem rates of duty on different grade.
Of fabric is condemned as unfair
! The board holds that a fair solution
would he the adoption of a graduated
scale under which the ad vaorem rat,
properly assessed on goods of low value
should then increase progressively &C.
corning 10 Sis"l NcreincHtS OF value, uI
to Whatever maximum rate should be
, fixed
The board hSures would seem to sho"
that the 'prohlhitorE duties do not aHec1
the American consumer so much az would
he inferred by the use OF these words
for while the duties on 16 sam
pies of foreign cloth selected rs
the board averages lA per cent.
the actual excess or the domestic
price over tho foreign price was found tC
he % per cent: a. the result of domestic
| competition.
COST or eI-IT or, CLOTHES
~ inc Pr'Se"' 'iii'e the 'nuuS.'9 II
genera Is on " competitive 'aS'S' S"SS
nv r'P"'''
49,. ,,a,l. - n,ar :.
comuuted in the report. and the profit.
which accrue in the process are treated tC
their sources. For purposes of computa
,ion the hoard takes a suit OF clothes re
taiIinr al soa and wholasaling at Sic 50
This is said to represent fairly the sui
NJ clo,bos worn bv the average American
The farmer receives for the wool !,
such a suit % and his pro0- is 6S cents
,b, r,nriifact,,rer Of cloth rece,ves for nj
nrolict s4-> and his nroit is % cents: tn
, wholesale cIothinp dealer receives for hi
,,,luct SIG ~ and his nroat is IL. IN
, retail c,oth,ng dealer receives s23 and hi
. ,r.a. t. x-5o 1ho fsrras arc ae,,,re,,a..
Z Extracts from the renort follow:
.,rro rosll, Of rho raw.wool invostir,
,iop establishes the fact that II COST
. NOR. To grow wool in .he I-nitod state