The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-01-25
GOOD OUTLOOK
FOR SHEEPM[N


islation, has returned to Salt Lake and
has the following to say on the subjecr
in the Herald Republican:
''Senator Smoot, who is one of the
best posted men in Washington on
woods and wooden goods,' said Mr..
Moyle, "now is preparing the admins
tration measure, which will provide
for specific duty of 20 cents pound
on secured wool. Wool raisers general
ly demand specific duty and that it
be made on the secured basis. The
present dutv is IL cents on wool in
the grease or as it comes from the
sleeps back. The law fixes the
shrinkage at approximately 66 2-3 per
cent, so that theoretically the duty is
33 cents pound on the secured basis
'The woolmen now urge specific
duty of 25 cents a pound. Heretofore
importers have been able to secure
wool that did not shrink 30 per cent.
Consequently the balance of the
shrinkage allowed by the law has come
in free. Senator Smoot says that the
Republicans will not consent to anv
reduction below the 20-cent mark. If
they do not, in my opinion, sheepmen
will be reasonably protected 1t is,
however, my belief that the admins
cents, which would give the standpat- |
ters some compromising ground. |
President Taft seems to place a great
deal of confidence in Senator Smoot
and seems to hold him as chief ad |
visor on wool matters as well as 9th
er important measures
Agitation Strong.
HThe Democrats, in the measure
which passed at the last session,
agreed on a 20 per cent ad valorem
duty on wool. The insurgent Repub- |
licans, who finally voted with them, |
originally demanded 40 per cent. The
two finally compromised on 20 per
cent In my opinion 20 per cent ad |
valorem, generally speaking, is some
what better than specific duty of 20
cents.
Z" A number of Democrats as well as
a few Republicans favor placing wool |
on the free list. In view of the con |
test on this subject at the last ses
sion it is likely that they will again |
place the duty at 20 per cent ad val |
orem, and as their bill cannot pass the /
senate without the aid of the insur- |
gent Republicans it is more than like |
ly that the insurgent Republicans will /
insist on a higher rate of duty and |
cent / am inclined to believe that |
the figure will be under rather than
over that amount, as the agitation for |
free raw materials is very strong.
Personally | favor the specific |
duty for the reason that it is more |
easily enforced than the ad valorem
and is a more certain revenue produc
or. II also will encourage the inn !
portation or good wool. IT, however, /
the duty is based ON secured wool and !
sure method of determining value /
of wool is fixed in the law, then the |
advantages of the specific duty over /
the ad valorem will not be very ma
terial. But unless the method of de- |
termining values is made certain i'm |
porters will be given better oppor-
tunity of evading the law than they /
would under the sepcife duty. The |
opportunities for evading the law is |
what has made the Dingley bill, the |
Mckinley bill and the Paine Aldrich I
bin so Objectionable, for under all /
those laws the importer was credited /
with two-thirds of all the wool he inn /
ported being dirt, and paid duty on /
that basis when as a matter of fact /
he imported the eleanest creased wool |
that could be purchased and avoided /
The Democrats. however, contend that |
the tariff should be adjusted accord. !
ing to the value of wool and they find |
many supporters among the woolmen |
Esust Be Economical.
There is but little doubt but what |
an industry which is found to be un-
able to exist without governmental /
aid sooner or later will have to go out /
of business Consequently the wool |
men will have to conduct their bust |
ness along the most economical and |
efficient lines. And if they will apply |
the same efficient methods to their
business that are applied to the com
petitive voeations they will reduce the /
cost of production of wool materially. |
Home Wool Best.
" The report of the tariff commits,
sion fully iustifes tariff of 20 cents
specific duty on wool such as we
raise in the intermountain country. /
The commission report shows the /
cost of production in the United States |
to he higher than in any other coun
try. In my Investigations / was
pleased to learn that the woods of /
northern Utah, idaho, Wyoming and /
Montana are superior in strength and /
make more durable cloth than the /
woods from Australia They are worth +
about the same price in the markets
of the world. Australian and South /
American woods are much finer and |
are better for softer goods
ut is interesting to know that I
Great Britain, with free WOOL has one
sheep for each of its inhabitants, while i
the United States, with its vast area,
produces about one-half sheep per in
habitant. In Great Britain the chief
income of the sheepmen is from the
mutton, while in the United States the
wool is the chief revenue. 1t may be-
come necessary for the sheepmen of
this country to give more attention to
the raising of mutton sheep.
'Muttn prices in Great Britain