The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-03
CALIFORNIA WOOL GROWERS.

Ever since the passage of the bunko
tariff bill Of 1909, The Tribune has
been pointing out to the woolgruwers
of Utah that they have been the los
crs; in fact that they had been the
losers all tho time under Schedule X
from the tIme that the woolcu manu-
facturers were able TO effect their COM
bination and skin the American wool
growers on the one hand in depressing
the prices on wool, and the American
public on the other in raising the prices
of woolep goods. This situation arises
from the fact that the American wool
growers have no market except as the
wooden manufacturers provide 1T. These
wooden manufacturers naturally wish
to make all tho money they can, and
in buying their raw product, which
is the wool that the American flock
masters raise and sell, the manufactur-
crs desire to take that wool when they
want it, and pay the least price that
they can get ii for The consequence
is, that the American woolgrowers have
no show whatever, but are complete
" at the mercy Of the American wooleu
manufacturers.
This fact has finally been borne in
upon the California hockmasters, and
the secretary Of the Woolgrowers asso-
citation recently presented to the wool
growers of that State An exposure OF
the methods by which the growers have
been deprived of the protection which
Congress meant TO give them. This de-
privation has been accomplished by the
manufacturers, precisely as The Trib.
uue has pointed out heretofore.
Mr.. Fred A. .Ellcnwood, the Secretary
of the California Woolgrowers Asso.
citation. shows that it is not necessary
to have an increase of duties TO the DIS
advantage of the consumer, but 1t is dc
sirable that home grown wool shall be
placed on an equality with the foreign
product. This. as VIC have pointed out
heretofore. is impossible under the
present combination among the woolen
manufacturers, These manufacturers
provide themselves with foreign wool,
and then stand the American woolgrow-
ers off for enough TO pay the duties that
the manufacturers have paid, Oh the
| foreign wools: besides, this enables the
manufacturers TO provide scale ot pur-
chase very much to their own advan'
| tare. in buying woods produced at
home. The result is, that the American
| woolcrowers are made to pay the duty
on the foreign woods which the manu-
facturers import, and also stand cut
| in the price of the wool which they
raise. The manufacturers do this by
asserting and maintaining false basis
Of comparison. The basis adopt
ed is 66 23 per cent Tor
shriukace Of unsecured wool. Nj.
Ellcnwood points out that If this
were true basis, the II cents n
| pound duty would amount to JJ l.3
per cent on the secured wool, which
| would he ample protection, aud, IN fact,
more than the woolgrowcrs demand.
But the unsecured vools of foreign pro-
duction that come 10 TINS Country
shrink less than forty pcr cent lnstead
of the 66 % per cent, so that the pro
d1iction Of the home woolgTower Is, OIL
tho average. not more than eighteen
| cents on the secured article, or siH cents:
on the unsecured wool as marketed
| This is the way 1t works out instead Of
the nominal 33 Is per cent production
which Schedule X claims 10 give.
! II is explained in summary WhIch
we find in the San Francisco Call that
the basis now insisted upon vas true
al the time il WAS adopted, but is true
no longer, for the manufacturers have
so changed conditions that the present
! shrinkage in securing is much less than
81 2.3 pcr cent. This end is accom-
plishcd by inducing foreign growers to
so select their woods that they do not
carry 40 much dirt, grease. and other
! scourinCs. By systematic methods OF
selection and care. the importers arc
able expertly TO sort the heeces, clip
| ping of the parts that pick up foreign
matter, and accepting only the clean
portions of tho fleece. In that way
thcv have reduced the percentage OF loss
in securing "to figure that gives only
nominal protection TO the home pro
dNccr.i'
Thus is wrought out manifest iu-
Justice TO the woolgrowcrs aud an ad.
vantage TO the wooden manufacturers