Semi-weekly herald., 1912-02-29

one-half years until got the benefit
of the Mckinley bill. The twenty
one protected clips netted me 14.21
cents per pound. Now II the consum-
ing public had to stand the full bur-
den Of the tariff of II cents per pound,
as the tariff slashers pretend, then
the foreign wool growers would have
to be able to deliver the same kind
of wool in bond at our seaboard mar
kets at 3.2t cents per pound, which,
of course, is out Of the question. As
near as | can find out the grade of
wool we raise here, shrinking about 65
per cent, can be delivered in bond by
foreign producers for about 10 or IL
cents. Now, If the consumer had to
pay the full burden of the tariff, this
wool would cost, duty paid, 81 or 22
cents, or in other words the grower Of
the west ourht to get an average price
of 81 or>22 cents while as a matter
of fact the average of twenty-one
years, including two or three boom
years, was only 14.21 cents. In other
words the consumer does not pay the
full tariff of II cents but only about
3.21 cents. The additional cost this
makes on suit of clothes is so little
that it would not be felt by anybody,
yet by checking importations Of for
eign wool it enables the domestic wool
grower to stay in business. Now then
il congress passes a tariff bill unfa-
vorable to the sheep industry or even
delays action on the tariff on wool the
sheep industry will greatly suffer and
finally be destroyed and the United
States would have to depend on for
eign countries for their supply of wool
and clothing. This cannot be done
without raising the price on the Lon
don and other foreign markets above
the price the trade now pays for our
domestic wool and consequently the
consuming public would be the loser.
The price Of clothing would be higher
than at present because after the
sheep industry in this country has
been made Improbable by adverse
tariff laws the foreign producer has
the monopoly and can make his own
prices. Not only this but the farm
ers who now furnish millions Of BUSH
els Of corn and thousands Of tons OF
hay to the sheep feeders would lost
their most important market Would
the meat eating public be satisfied
with the mutton shipped in refrigera-
tor ships across the equator or would
they prefer the more wholesome meats
now produced at home? Would it
help the country if all the money has
to be shipped abroad to pay for wool
and meat and other importations
What would happen in case Of war il
we had no domestic clip to rely on
for making blankets and uniforms for
our soldiers?
Contrary to the common belief the
sheen business has not paid such enor-
nous pr IS as the public has been
led to believe by the agitators and un-
scrupulous magazine writer's. My av-
erage profit has not been over per
cent on the investment. A few sheep
men get rich, a great many more
have failed.
~ wish to state before close that
the profit my books show was not =
direct profit on account Of the sheep
and wool ! marketed, but more on ac-
count Of the general appreciation Of
my holdings such as sheep, land, i'm
provements, etc. Twenty-three and
twenty-four years ago got more for
my sheep and wool than today, while
my expenses were only halt Of what
they are now.
Should you be able to prevent too
drastic legislation in the coming tariff
charges, your efforts would be great
y appreciated by the shsepmsn Of
Colorado and he wsst"--Pushaa
ut "a -