Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-12-08

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raising we're devoted to that industry,
so as 70 divide both expenses and in
come between the various kinds of
stock raised and marketed.
d The work of gathering the data con /
corning wool growing has been prac-
tcally completed. While it IS admit
tedly very difficult Thing 10 ascer-
tain the exact cost Of a pound Of raw
wool in the United States and abroad
che tariff board feels ahat the infor-
nation it has secured along these
lines IS the most accurate in existence.
1t believes that its inquiries have
brought out facts which never before
we've available for the informa ion Of
tanff makers. It's officials declare
Chat they have found everywhere
readiness 10 meet their desires IN the
way of information. and that while |
many farmers could only give approx
innate costs their figures are substan-
tally representative Of the industry.
When the tariff board came to in.
vestgate the question of costs i'm the
production of wOobsns, it first went in
10 the market and bought at retail
samples of every principle kind of
clo,h sold in the United states. These
samples were selected by experts i'm
such way as 10 give an accurate line
upon the retail prices Of every i'm
portant kind of goods sold i'm this
country. These samples we're cut up
mo small pieces. so as TO make quite
number of smaller samples. A full
list of these smaller samples was sent
the Textile school in Philadelphia and
like hist to the one in Lowell, Mass,
The experts of the tariff board also
took a set of the samples, and thus.
three independent analyses of them
were made.
These samples represented about
100 mills i'm all. After the analysis,
the agents of the tariff board carried
them to about 80 representative man
ufacturers and requested them TO esti.
! mate how much they would charge to
produce 1000 yards Of each kind Of
goods represented. The agent canned
Z with him a schedule of questions de-
signed 10 bring out the exact cost OF
! each item entering into the estimates
\ furnished by the manufacturers. Sam
I pies of the various kinds of cloth were
also submitted 10 a number of Euro
pean wooden mills. In all cases the
\ estimates OF cost were 10 be based on
4 an arbitrary cost sheet OF wool and
. yarns, so that all mills. both large and
small, would be ON am equal footing
J IN this particular.
J In addition to these investigations
of the cost of producing the given
kinds Of goods, the agents of the tar
} Tiff board carried schedules designed
to elicit full information with refer
ence to the actual operations OF the
. vanious mills i'm the past A large ma
jointly ofthe manufacturers gave these
!, agents permission to go through their
books and TO gel out of them every
. thing which would throw light upon
. the problem.
In addition 10 all of these engineers
n we've asked to prepare plans and estd
# mates for mills of the usual types.
It and TO study from every angie the
$. question Of depreciation of property.
o The agents OF the tariff board also
n caried schedules Of questions reladns
v TO the cost Of producing yarn, knitted
N underwear and carpets. Another line
q OF investigation had 70 do with the
d readymade clothing industry. In
II each case the schedules of questions
D. were framed BY expert accountants
Be IN such way as they thought would
s give them all the information neces-
r sary I'M arriving at accurate statistics
i Of cost.
If One!of the most Interesting lines OF
le inquiry pursued by the board related
70 10 the efficiency Of labor in the wool
S en- industry. A long list of questions
sr was framed designed TO ascertain the
t pay of labor. the relative efficiency OF
r. each individual and a hundred other
kinds Of information upon which to
1T predicate a judgment as to the part
played in the industry by labor Let
: tens were also written to many manu-
factrers inquiGing Of them what pro
portion of the lack Of efficiency in
\ given instances they attributed tc
equipment and what 70 the operator
1 In nearly every case more than 80 pc
cent Of the efficiency or lack Of eff
cheney on the part of the operator hai
been attributed to him, the remaining
small percentage being divided be
- tween bad machinery and poor yarn.