The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-01-28
WANT CHEAPER WOOL
pie Cheaper Clothes but Republic
cans Say Not

Washington, Jan. 2s-Democratfc
plans for downward revision of the
wool schedule Of the tariff, one OF the
most complicated features TO come be-
fore the extra session Of Congress,
We're under fire yesterday before the
House committee on ways and means
General expectation among House
democrats is that the committee will
report at the outset of the extra ses-
sion virtually the same woolen sched-
ule as was Incorporated in the wool
bin that passed the House at the first
and second sessions of this Congress-
was amended IN the Senate last sum-
mer, compromised in conference and
vetoed by President Taft The aver
age ad valorem duty of the schedule in
the present law is almost so per cent
The democratic bill that serves as the
tentative basis of the present con-
sideration provides very much lower
duties. It would tax raw wool 90 per
cent ad valorem instead of the higher
varying rates on three classffications
in the present law.
1t would put an ad valorem duty of
10 per cent also on wool wastes and
rags, % per cent on combed wool or
tops, 80 per cent on yarns as well as
blankets and the cheaper fannels for
underwear, rates ranging from 35 to
so per cent on cloths, ready made
clothings, gorings and articles not un-
derwear, women's dress goods, web
bing, knit fabrics, f1annels not for un-
derwear.
President Taffs Contention
As compromised in conference be-
tween the two houses last August, the
duty on raw wool was shifted from the
proposed 90 per cent to % per cent ad
valorem, which President Taft, in his
second veto, declared was insufficient
to meet the difference in the cost of
production Of the total wool clip of
this country. His contention was that
the minimum ad va1orem should be 35
per cent and that the proposed lower
rates would throw thousands of work
men out of employment. The demo-
Gratis, still contending that the propos-
ed rates approach the best revenue
producing points and would encourage
production and consumption, over
rode the presidents veto in the House,
but failed of the necessary two-thirds
in the Senate.
The witnesses yesterday represented
national associations of wool manufac-
IuTeFS, growers importers, cIOIllerS
and Independent manufacturers.
John r. Wood. of Philadelphia, pres
ident of the National Associa tion of
Wool Manufacturers, told the commit
tee he had accepted in good faith the
assurance that the contemplated tariff
revision would injure no legitimate
business. He said that while rates on
some articles exceed protection re-
quirements, the tariff board had show
ed the manufacturers realized no ad-
vantage of it as domestic competition
regulated prices.
Joseph D. Holmes of New York,
woolen expert, recommending ad val
orem and specific duties on clothing,
an ad va1orem duty on wool, with an
additional duty on clothing to compen-
safe for labor and mill cost, contended
that clothing would be no cheaper if
the duty on cloth were removed He
said that suit or overcoat containing
SO worth of cloth wholesaled at from
s Sto 80, and retailed at from s12 to SIS.
Even S. Stephens, a Worcester,
Mass. wool manufacturer, advocated
placing wool wastes on the free list