Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-07
A PROPOSED REMEDY.

THE wool industry in Oregon is a
great one. We have, In round
numbers about sixteen million
sheep, and they grow yearly wool to
the value Of nearly S3,0O0,00O, and
their meat products made the total in
come for the state from our sheep
about $5,000,0O0. To say that this in
dustry should be fostered and encour-
aged wiuld be the merest surplusage.
Every man in Oregon, and woman too,
for they are voters now, whether DEM
Ocrat, Republican, or whatever else
may be their politics, is perfectly will
ing to give the sheep men, or the sheep
or the wool, which ever it is that gets
the benefit, as much protection in the
shape Of tariff as any other indus
try
OF course, there are some, mostly
Democrats, not in the sheep business,
who think the sheep owner is not in
need Of any especial protection In
fact Democratic editors have often
pointed out the fact that Oregon sheep,
especially east of the Cascades, are
herded over government land, by Indi-
ans, MeXicans, and others, the cheap
est kind Of labor, and that, under the
circumstances, they can produce wool
as cheaply as 1t can be grown else
where in the world. However, we will
not discuss that idea, contenting our
selves with the statement that It is as
much entitled TO protection as steel,
and most Of the other commodities
that have made thousands Of million
aires in the East. But while conced-
ing, this and more, to the followers
of Abel, the voters of Oregon, the
male voters, at least, will draw the
line on the proposition made by one Of
the members of the wool growers con-
vention at its recent meeting at Vale,
that the wool growers take steps to
change the style in the women's
skirts, and induce the women to again
adopt the old fashioned hoop skirt
style OF garment that took from Is to
25 yards, for dress, not counting the
waist part Of II Not on your life, Mr..
Woolman! The present styles may
hn a ri htt To tA ha nj h
er extreme, and have our women folks
running around wearing circus tents,
and made from wool at that, just to
boom the sheep industry, is asking too
much. We remember the old hoop
skirt days, when fellow had to use a
speaking trumpet because he couldn't
get near enough to his best girl to
talk to her and, besides, when he hug
ged her up to his manly bosom to kiss
her good night her skirts would ele-
yate on the side opposite to him until
well, that's the way they acted
and then to see woman going down
street, their skirts lifting In all dlrec-
tions, just as they happened to hit the
hitching posts, or any old thing was
well, startling. As an advertisement for
hosiery, laces and all that sort Of thing
one sees in the store windows only
nowadays, they were great success
but most Of MS are not anxious for oul
folks TO do that kind of advertising,
However the sheep man who made
this suggestion evidently knows more
about sheep than he does about wo'
men, else he had not suggested that
they change their style Of dress They
will do that when It suits their sweet
little wills to do It, and not otherwise
neither to please the sheep men, or tC
protect the industry or for any Other
reason Styles are not changed fol
reasons, but In spite of Them and the
Eastern Oregon woolman, who wants
the women to wear bigger skirts JUS
because he wants better market has
plenty of time on his hands to dc
some more thinking before he sees the
styles changed. BESIDES when yor
come right down to Il, why SHOULD
every poor devil of n married man OF
father be compelled to go down In his
pocket and purchase 30 yards Of wool
On cloth for n skirt, when a yard OF
half yard is accomplishing the same
results?