The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-20
LAYS BLAME ON
THE PRESIDENT
Wool Commission Merchant
Says Tariff Agitation Is
Proving Disastrous.
FL0CKMASTERS AND MILL
MEN LOSE ENORMOUS SUM
Declares Clothing Dealers Have
Not Reduced Prices, Now That
Wool Is Cheap.
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
WASHINGTON. March 19.-The effect
OF the tariff agitation upon the wool
growing industry of the west promises TO
be disastrous TO that industry, according
10 the views OF Theodore Justice. a leading
wool commission merchant OF Philadel-
phia Pa, who is now in Washington.
In conversation upon this subject. MI
Justice said:
President Taft has been an expensive
luxury 10 the wool growers. for, without
any knowledge of the facts. he declared
in his Winona speech that the wool du-
ties were unjustlfiable and should be cut
down. and such wool as yours has de-
creased nearly one-third since that time.
OF Kansas. the late Mr. DoIliver OF Iowa
and Beveridgc OF Indiana at once be-
gan to quote the president as authority
that wool duties were inexcusebly high.
and always asserting that they were pro-
tectionists, they carried conviction. The
latter was probably highly paid for ar
ticles on the subject OF wool and wool
ems by a weekly magazine which claimed
circulation OF about one and one-half
millions. These insurgent senator's. al
ways claiming 10 be protectionists. have
been continuously harping about 'spe-
cial interests. meaning, of course. grow
ers and manufacturers OF wool.
Case of the Magazines.
President Taft has discovered that the
very worst graft of all the special in
terests was that by which the govern
ment circulated highly paid-for advertise
rnents In magazines at a loss of $50 000,
000 which takes more money out of the
treasury than has been paid In in five
years by the custom house revenue on
Imported wool
Now that the president has exposed
the graft in this particular special priv
magazine factory. these insurgent SEN
ators are in a great state OF excitement,
and you will notice that they are the
defenders OF these special interests in
congress There is no more reason why
the government should carry the prod
ucts OF magazine factories at a loss OF
6o,ooo,ono than TO carry wool 10 the mills
that use II. The money lost in carrying
the magazines that have made war upon
the wool industry would go n long way
toward giving the people penny postage.
in which benefit everybody would share.
Says Extra Session a Menace.
The menace of the extra session of
congress with the avowed intention of
ripping open the wool schedule, has
given woolen goods buyers cold feet"
They refuse to order goods, the value of
dispose OF them, hence. the mills are
without business and are closing down.
This. OF course, contracts The sales OF
wool. and as a good deal OF the wool
on hand Is old IL is perishable property.
and is being pressed to sale,
The newspapers report very gem
erdl demand from all sections OF the
country for immediate action on the
wooden schedules and other schedules
having TO do with the necessities of life.
and the President Is aware OF this de-
mand. II has reached him through reso-
lutions passed by legislatures. through
petitions through newspaper comment,
and through magazines. Yet none OF
them are experts or have any knowl-
edge Of the fact that the committees
of the last congress passed over the
wool schedule. because, judging bv for
mer experience, thew could not reduce
the duties without destroyino' an indus
try and eventually increasing the cost OF
living.
Losses Since Winona Speech.
''The losses in wages to wool mill Ia
Dor since President Taft made his unfor-
tunate Winona speech has been over $50
100000. The loss TO the wool growers
In the value of their wool and sheep
will probably double these figures.
"A New England mill man in N.Y. Of
flee last week said his loss on the wool
the losses Of the Boston dealers would
no, be covered by these figures
Now. all this loss OF wealth has done
nobody any good. The loss of wages
10 the wool mill workers is a loss tn
the nation of ten times the amount of
their wages. The loss ON sheep and wool
has not cheapencd the price of wool
we find the retail clothjer willing 20
charge any less for suit OF clothes
! recently asked why il was that the
duplicate of a $3.50 suit which lie ex-
hibited before congress was still being
sold at the same or a higher price. The
answer was. that people were willing In
pay for. II. and after all. it was only a
ron