The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-26
FIXING 1T UT WITH THE wooLLEN
PEOPLE.


Tariff Board will do with the tariff,
and particularly with the woollen
achedule. that 'indefensible" feature of
the present Payne-Aldrich law. as 1t
has been characterized by the Presi-
dent. The Washington correspondent
of the Worcester Evening Post wrote
to his paper last Friday that n con-
ference had recently been held between
members Of the Tariff Board and New
England worsted manufacturers, at
which the wool duty was discussed and
the present intentions of the Board
partly disclosed, these intentions in
Holving a plan to defeat the movement
Cor an honest revision of the tariff. In
the opinion of the correspondent, who
has talked freely with many persons
on the subject, the only way in which
the alleged purpose OF the Board can
be defeated is by publicity. II the
members of the Board, who are said
to be in the confidence of the manu-
facturers, are allowed to perfect their
plans, and If the President shall be
governed by them there will be only
sham revision OF the Ubiquitous tariff
on wool and the schedule be so con-
FUSED that no remedial legislation can
be secured before lue new Congress
meets in 1918. thus giving 1.-The special
interests two moro years to plumber
the public under tariff framed in
1861"
Under the present law the wool
futy is IL cents a pound, regardless OF
SITS value. If wool is worth 10 cents
q pound the duty is IL cents pound,
or ITO per cent. If 1t is worth 40 cents
n pound. the duty is IL cents a pound.
or only 81 l-e per cent. 1t is this sys-
TEN of wool duties by weight that
places worry heavy tax on the low
priced wool used for moderate-priccd
clothing worn by the poor. and a very
light tax on the high-priced wool used
rich. The remedy is either free wool,
on, If wool is TO be taxed, then a duty
based OH the market value of the wool,
which is called an ad valorem duty"
The Underwood -LaFollette bill passed
at the extraordinary session of Con
gress, and vetoed by the President on
tho ground that 1t had not been con-
sidercd with due regard to the manu-
featuring interests of the country, and
because he preferred TO wait for the
report of the Tariff Board, provided
Tor ad valorem duties. and this plan
and will Seek to defeat with tho as
sistancc OF the Tariff Board when Con-
Gress meets in December. The plan
contemplated ~ tile -.1nanufacturers
and their allies on the Tariff Board is
somewhat complicated. and all the
more insidious and dangerous because
OF this fact. Practically all the wool
now imported is greasy wool; that is.
wool that has not been secured after
II has been taken from the sheep. The
manufacturers propose to retain the
1utS by the pound, hui to have it col
lected on the secured weight, upon a
sliding scale based on the shrinkapo
III weight after the wool has been
cleaned. The correspondent of the
Worcester paper explains how tho
thing would work as follows:
Wool that yields 80 pounds 10 the
nnhdfed VIII bear duty OF 0 cents
s. pound. For every increase of 5 nor
cent. in the yield the duty Is Increased
cent pound above. the cents. For
every decrease of per cent. in the
yield the duty is decreased / cent per
pound. Stated in its simplest terms
us nave given II, the scheme appears
complicated. and when examined close
]y IL is seen 10 be even more comnIex
and confusing. For example, the ulan
discussed by the worstcd manufact-
urcrs and the members OF the board
PROVIDED tnat WOOL yielding more than
20 per cent. and less than 80 per cent
should bear duty of 5 cents a pound.
IL u yielas 80 per cent the duty Is
10 be increased to cents a. pound
suppose a manufacturer imports 900
ou0 pounds of wool and the test shows
Yield Of 20 $40 per cent, then the
duty on the lot would be $4,000 If Tho
yield is 80 per cent. then the dutv
would be 100000. That Is a diff
ference of $4,000 in the duty because
OF difference of only l,G60 pounds
pi Woo!, OF In other words. SO a pound
IN wool worth. say. 80 cents a nound
What a chance for deception and
fraud. 1t would not be necessary "a
iig up scales with concealed springs
az The sugar thieves did. All tina,
WOOL thieves need do under this pro
posed scheme would be TO manipulate
few ounces on the small test 10,
nra~n from the wool, and. presto
thousands of dollars would ne pu,
Into the pockets of the thrifty manu-.
taetnrer or importer.
One experienced wool man who dis
cVssed this scheme said that &, woulC
require a least dozen high priced
men al every custom house 10 admin.
lister the law. and lie ridiculed tn,
opinion of member of the board, who
thought one man could do it Thi.
practical dealer said that the wool.
securing squad would be the mos
prominent feature of the Boston, New
York and Philadelphia custom houses
AID positions on ii would be eagerly
sought by those who desired a eoot