The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-12
GIVES SIDE Of
WO0LGR0WERs
Secretary Mcclure Makes a
Statement Regarding Demo
cratic Tariff Measure.
WOULD RUIN INDUSTRY
IN THE UNITED STATES
No Reason to Believe That the
Underwood Bill Will Pass
the Senate.
Special 10 The Tribune.

in Washington for some time, makes
the following statement relative to the
possible effect upon the sheep industry
by the passage OF the Democratic bill
revising the wool schedule:
THE new wool tariff proposed by the
Democratic ways and means committee
in the house reduces the duty on raw
wool to an insignificant figure. which Will
neither afford revenue to the govern
ment nor protection TO the woolgroWer
nor lower prices to consumers OF woolen
goods.
Under the present law there is duty
OF ii cents per pound on grease WOOL I'M
IT this looks like a protective duty, but
when we examine into the facts the ac-
tual protection given to our woolgrower
by this tariff against foreign wool is
in some cases less and in many cases
just about half what the law specifes
American woods shrink when secured an
average OF 81 per cent; or, in other words
It takes $50 pounds of our grease wool
to make one pound OF secured wool. For
cien woods. as now imported, shrink In
securing just about half what our wools
foreign woods pays IL cents duty on the
grease pound, but he gets from this
pound about twice as much secured wool
as he gets from pound of our wool:
tual protection against foreign WOODS
OF about 0 to s cents per pound, in
stead of II cents. as the law specifies.
The woolgrower has been blamed with a
duty Of II cents, when in reality he re-
ceives only half of II. This light shrink
of foreign woods is due TO their inferior
law allows the heavier parts of the fleece
to be thrown out and permits washing
of class 2 wools without increasing the
duty.
No Protection at All.
IF the house passes its bill placing
nj fleece
this Will give the growers an actual
protection against foreign wools OF from
2 to 3 cents per pound which In reality
Gratis assess the duty on the value OF
the imported woods. 1t necessarily fol-
lows that only the lower grade OF wools
will be less than on the higher quality
OF woods. In other words. this tariff
encourages the Importation OF poor woods.
Wool can be grown in Australia. South
America and Africa for considerably less
than half OF what il costs 10 produce
II In this country, Therefore. without
be driven out Of the sheep business. and
II this Democratic wool bill should pass
the value OF the American sheep Will
shrink s15o,ooo.ooo in less than five
I'VE have in the United States. accord
Ing to government figures, over 1000. 00e
sheep that last year produced 30,00O.0 900
pounds OF wool. Under the present tariff
law the sheep OF the United States have
Increased 49l per cent in number and 24S
per cent in value In the past fourteen
years. In addition to this increase we
slaughtered last year 900 mutton
that had powerful influence in keeping
down the price of other meat foods.
The tariff on wool has never had any
influence on the price of clothing and
every one understands this who has taken
the pains to investigate IL,
Wool and Clothing
"An all wool suit OF clothing which you
buy from your dealer for $40. or from
the store for SIS, II Of the usual summer
"a pounds OF wool as 1t comes from the
sheep. For fine merno wool our grow
ers now receive about l6 cents per pound.
and figuring eight pounds to the suit
1t would make the wool that went into
a $40 suit Of clothes cost just SIPS. That
Is all the woolgrower gets out Of the suit,
this out for yourself. The average suit
OF clothes requires 81 yards OF cloth. the
cloth weighs from ten 10 sixteen ounces
per yard. There are very few suits OF
for, that the woolerower gets as much
as 50 for furnishing all the wool that
goes into them; At present prices 1t is
almost impossible to put 50 worth OF
wool into summer suit The value Of
the wool contained in the suit is so small
that IT is never a factor IN regulating tho
price for which the suit must be sold.
What the Tariff Has Done.
"The tariff on wool has saved the
American people hundreds of millions OF
dollars, for it has built UP in this nation
4 sheep industry that furnishes our peo-
pie annually with 30.00O,O00 pounds OF
the best wool in the world. American
wool is superior to any imported wool and
clothing made from IT viii wear from -
TO 90 per cent longer than cloth made
from similar grades OF foreign wool The
only reason for using foreign wool I'm our
clothes is that II may be purchased
cheaper than domestic wool Australia
and South America recognize the SUI
periorlty of the American wool-producng
sheep and In many instances they have
purchased from us sheep for the improve
ment OF their foreign hocks I have been
men who have spent a lifetime in the
husincss-that foreign woods as imported
did not compare with ours In wearing
quality. Our government recognizes this
fact and In letting contracts for wooden
both army and navy
specifies that nothing but American wool
shall he used in their manufacture 4.
tThis tariff agitation has cost our wool
growers S60,O00000 in the last year. Our
wool Is now selling at London prices and
our growers are being driven to the wall.
cent III price since this agitation stnrted
and n the price Of wool controls the price
of clothing. you should now be buying
your clothing at from 20 10 % per cent
less than a year ago. This tariff agita-
tion has done no one any good and under
no circumstances can 1t benefit the con-
SuIueT lUeS pToUllScU you Two years
ago that when the duty was removed
from hides that YOU would buy leather
and shoes cheaper. The result has been
that the government has lost s., 000, 900
per year In revenue and the consumer
has paid more for all leather goods, The
same will happen with wool when the
duty Is reduced.
"The census OF 1900 showed 765, 900
woolgrowers in the United States and the
next census should show over 900, 900 in
diytdual growers. You cannot bring ~
nancial distress 10 10000 American
farmers without disturbing in a large de-
gree the commercial progress OF the
country. The sheep Of the United States
are valued at seas. 900 900 and the lands
upon which they feed arc valued at $780,
900. 900 more. Thus the sheep industry
represents an investment OF s533. 600 900. !
Is this To be destroyed purely In the in |
tcrc3ts OF political expediency?
The Democratic house has made an
unenviable record for hatred OF the sheep |
industry. They passed the reciprocity |
treaty admitting sheep free from Canada
and giving the Canadian The right to
drive his sheep INTO this country shear
.hcm and leave the wool here free OF