The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1911-12-20

per pound on secured wool is prohibi-
tive. preventing effectually the i'm
portation of clean or low-priced for
eign wools Of the lower grades that
would be exceedingly useful in the
manufacture of woolens in this coun-
try, and il so used might displace In
large measure the cheap substitutes
so frequently employed in that indus
try. The fact that such cheap wools
are of such heavy shrinkage that
they cannot be imported in an un-
secured state emphasizes all the more
the prohibitive character of the pres
ent secured pound duty.
That an ad valorem rate IL open
to grave difficulties from the point
of view OF administration and reve-
nues in the case Of crude, bulky COM
modify like WOOL produced In many
remote regions and finding it's way
into the markets through so many va
rious channels of trade.
That furthermore an ad valorem
rate would give a high duty per
pound when prices are high; that
Is when the consumer most needs re-
lief and the producer is most able
to bear competition. With a low price
of wool the duty per pound would be
low; that is when the consumer has
less need of competing woods and
the producer is least able to bear
competition.
THE rates of schedule X are based
upon the assumption that woods In
the grease shrink an average of 66 2-3
per cent. While 1t lis true that con-
siderable quantities of wool do shrink
that amount the average is well be-
low that figure. Certain very heavy
woods grown at the South African
cape and in certain districts OF Aus
tralia, South America and the west
ern United States shrink as high as
10 to rs per cent
Cost Higher In U. 8.
The cost Of manufacturing wool
en- and worsted yarns and cloth in
the United States Is much higher than
in Europe. The main elements of
cost of production are cost Of plant,
material and labor. The cost of erect
ing and equipping both wooden and
worsted mills is much higher in this
country than In England.
THE material is increased i'm price
by the duty on raw wool The manu-
facturer who imports his wool must
pay the full amount of the duty. Wocls
grown in the United States are in
creased in value by the duty but not
by the full extent of the duty. Wages
are much higher in the United States,
but wages are in themselves no neces-
sary indication OF relative cost Of pro-
duction. Frequently ii is found that
high wages and low labor costs so to-
gether.
TT appears that this particular in
dustry is one In which the high ele-
ments OF costs in this county are
not in general offset by any particular
advantage or by any marked superior
ity In the efficiency of labor. TO a.
certain extent European countries
have the advantage over us In this
latter regard.
1T may be said then that taking
the industry as whole the American
manufacturer practically has no ad-
vantage In efficiency OF labor and
equipment over his foreign competitor.
On certain specialties the largest and
by skiIlful organization materially to
reduce the difference In cost"
The investigation was begun in 1910
and has been pursued at home and
abroad. In the United States expert
investigators visited 100 wool grow
ers In nineteen states and 175 coun-
ties. Special agents worked In Aus
tralia, South America, England ana
on the European continent. Figures
were gathered from mills also
A large part OF the report is devot-
ed to wages, efficiency and employees.
A large proportion OF machinery used
IL made abroad. OF the $4,000 en-
ployes In the industry In this country
So per cent were born in foreign coun- !
tries and more than 6s per cent had no
previous experience In mechanical in
dustry.
The smugglers who were caught In
New York with $1,000 worth Of glass
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