Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-12-21
ABILENE KANSAS THURSDAY MORNING DECEMBER a. 1871

pound. That would make the duty
on the hundred pounds $11. The
merchantable part Of the wool thus
imported Is the weight Of the wool
of this hundred pounds after scour'
ing. II the wool shrinks so per cent,
as some woods do, then the duty In
such case would amount to $l1 to
20 pounds of secured wool. This, Of
course, would be prohibitory. If the
wool shrinks only so per cent, 1t
would be 81 on so pounds of wool,
and this is near the average of the
great bulk Of woods that are i'm.
ported from Australia, which is the
principal source of our imported
wool. These Determinations could
be overcome by assessing a duty IN
ad valorem terms but this method is
open to the objection first, that IL
increases administrative difficulties
and tends to decrease revenue
through under valuation; and, sec
ond, that as prices advance, the ad
yalorem rate increases the duty per
pound at the time when the consumer
most needs relief and the producer
can best stand competition; while II
prices decline the duty. is decreased
at the time when the consumer Is
least burdened by the price and the
producer most needs protection.
Another method of meeting the diff
ficulty of taxing the grease pound is
to assess a specific duty on grease
wool in terms of secured content
This obivates that chief evil OF the
present system namely. the discrima'
ton due to different shrinkage and
thereby tends to really equalize the
duty, the board reports that this meth
cd is feasible in practice and could
be administered without great ex-
pense. The secured content OF wool
is the basis on which users of wool
make their calculations, and duty
of this kind would Tit the usages OF
trade. One effect oil this method OF
assessment would be that regardless
OF rate OF duty, there would be an in
crease in the supply and variety OF
wool by making available to American
market WOODS of both low and fine
quality now excluded.
The report shows in detail the diff
ficGlities involved i'm attempting to
state In categorical terms the cost
AZ wool production and the great diff
fercnces In cost ,hetween different re-
Ksons and different types Of wool.
1t Is found, however that, taking all
yarities an account, the average cost
of production for the whole American
clip lis higher than the cost OF any
competing country by an amount
somewhat less than the present duty.
The report shows that the duties
on noila, wool wastes and shoddy'
which are adjusted to the rate OF ~
CENTS ON secured wool are prohlDl-
tory in the same measure that the
duty ON secured wool is prohibitory.
In general, they ARE assessed at rates
as high las, tnr higher than, the duties
maid on clean content OF WOODS
actually imported. They should be
raduced and so adjusted to the rate
an wool as ito bear their proper por-
nOrtion to the real rate levied on
actual wool imports.
The duties ION many classes OF wool
manufactured are ,prohibitory and
greatly in EXCESS of difference in cost
Of nrnduction here and. abroad. This is
true of tops, af yarns with exception
of worsted warns of a very heavy
Rrade) and of low and medium grade
cloth of heavy weight.
On tops up b 81 cents a pound In
value, and on MAINS of ,65 cents In
value, Ehe rate As 100 per cent, with
eorrespnndingly higher rates for lower
values. On cheap and medium grade
cloths, the existing rate frequently
run to I50 per cant and on some
cheap goods to over 200 per cent.
This is largely due to that part of duty
which Is levied ostansibly to com
penaate the manufacturers for the en-
HANGED cost of his NV material due
to the duty on wool IS a matter Of
fact. this compensatory duty, for MIN
erous CLASSES of goods. is much in
excess OF the amount needed for strict
compensation.
ON the other hand, ode findings
show that the duties waseh nun to
such high ad yaaOrem equivalents are
prohlbitoTy, sinOe the goods Ape not
imported, bnt that the prices 81 90
nestle fabrics ars not raises BY the
full amount Of dNfy. On . 81 81
one-yard samples Of I6 English fabrics
which are completely excluded y Tie
present tariff rates. II b found thad the
total foreign value was S4i.s4; the
duties which would have been assess,
ed had these fabrics been importeS
$3.50; the foreign ValHe plus The
amount Of duty s1lS.74 or a normal
duty Of 1873 per cent. in fact however.
identical frabrics Of domes-
tie make sold at the time at s6s.75,
showing an enhanced price over the
foreign market value Of but 81 per
cent.
Although these duties do not In
crease prices Of domestic goods By