Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-04
.P[EAFOR FREE WOOL
BY SENATOR MYERS
Replies to Charge That Demo-
Gratis Have Disseminated
Against the Farmer.
ARGUES FOR Enactment
OF PENDING TARIFF BILL
Montana Statesman Declares the
Sheep Industry Is Not in the
Infant Glass.

The discrimination against home in
terests Of which we hear SO much in
the discussion Of the tariff often means:
We are not getting our share Of the graft;
we are being overlooked in the distri-
button Of piunder.' said Senator Myers
OF Montana, in the Senate today. He
made vigorous reply to the charges made
by other senators that the democrats
had Disseminated against tho farmers
and the west in framing the tariff bin.
Senator Myers insisted that free raw
wool would not put the sheep men out OF
business. and that 1t was only Just to
the people Of this country to place wool
on the free list in an effort to reduce
the cost Of wooden clothing.
THE consumer has to pay the tax on
raw WOOL declared Senator Myers,
and the wool manufacturer and the re-
taller get the benefit
Aie said that wool was q raw material
II ever .-iere was a raw material. 1t
requires little capital, no trained labor
and the grazing is done in the west, for
the most part on public lands.
Not an Infant Industry.
The wool industry cannot be called an
infant industry continued Senator
Myers answering the argument Of protec-
tionists to the effect that new industries
in this country should be given protection
until they could compete on equal terms
with the rest of the world. He gave a
history Of the wool industry in this coun-
try and the duties upon raw wool and
manufactures of wool, showing that raw
wool had been on the free list only from
1857 to 1S61-when worth less tnan ~
cents per pound-and from 1894 until 1897.
THE panic of 1893 has been waved as
the bloody shirt for years." said Senator
Myers. THE ghost of '93 is the bogie Of
the hour. But the panic of 1893 came
year before the enactment Of the Wilson
bill and free wool. 1t was not caused by
democratic tariff legislation"
Senator Myers said that wool reached
its low level from 1885 to 1891. and that
it resumed its downward course in 1893
The worlds wool supply continued to in
crease largely during the panic OF 1888,
and the wool growers suffered with other
producers in this country, but not be-
cause Of tariff legislation on the part OF
the democrats.
WOOL" said Senator Myers. but this
did not restore the wool industry in the
older sections of the country. In the
west ives during the years 1893 to 1897 the
1894 in the Rocky mountain and Pacific
coast territory there were 1S,6OO,00O
head Of sheep, and in 1898 there were
100000.
Only Country to Put Duty on Wool.
THE United States is the only civilized
country in the world which has ever
placed q duty on raw wool. Every man,
woman and child in this country, espe-
cially in the northern part, is entitled to
wear wooden clothing. 1t is a necessity
Of life. The time Is past when the COM
forts OF life shall be confined to the
favored few in this country"
Every effort is to be made by the DEM
ocratic leaders to hurry the action on
the tariff bill. 1t is expected that the
sessions will begin during the rest of
tins week at IL o'clock instead of at
noon. The metal and sugar schedules
both of which will provoke prolonged
debate, will be up for consideration.
Substitute for Metal Schedule.
Senator Cummins Of Iowa today in
troduced in the Senate a substitute
schedule for the metal schedule Of the
riH hill ha Of