Evening journal., 1913-04-28
MONDAY. APR. %. 1918.
FREE WOOL, FREE MUTTON AND DISASTER.

HUNDREDS Of thousands of American farmers arc
engaged in the raising of wool and mutton Tho
Wilson Underwood Tarin bill is a menace to all Of
them II aims a blow at the American wool rails
ing industry that will make the American sheep sub
stantiay thing Of the past destroy Of our most
important agricultural industries and food our mar
kets with foreign wool and mutton for the benefit Of
the wool ard mutton rasers Of other countries the
fortunes of whom have only passing interest
The census OF 1910 shows that there on the
farms and Of the United States 5SO9O6S sheep
and lambs and that their value at that time was $780,
SS2S7 Since then there has been material increase
in the number and the value. That is an American
industry that the Democratic administration is mem
acing by s programme to put wool on the free list
Il says it viii result in cheap clothes and cheap
meat Il to forget that the entire nation
shares in the prosperity that is enjoyed by the Ameri-
can wool and mutton raisers. who send broadcast
through the land the money they make It may en-
rich and myigorate all channels of trade
The Democrats tariff tinkerers seem to forget that
wool and mutton raising Is like any other business
that il must give adequate return upon the money
invested in it or it must anguish and die And il II
anguishes and dies and foreign and mutton rails
ers obtain control OF markets. the millions of dol
lars that our own wool and mutton raisers now throw
into American channels of trade will pass out of our
country and be used to enrich other countries TO the
same extent that il impoyerishes our own Il is said
by our Democratic tariff tinkerers that the American
farmer needs protection against foreign comneti-
ton and poorly-pad labor. II the Wilson admins
tration pursues tarid based upon such tho
will produce in this country an era Of agrcul
tura depression that viii be felt not only on the ranges
and the farms but in every line Of trade in tho
United states
Tho most recent available statistics and estimates
relative 10 sheep in the world make the following
showing North America 5S.623sS4. Of which 81 soa-
oeS in the United States; South America 90
6s29e7; Europe 1Ss.9oi,261 Asia 92.S4S7S7: Africa
6o2s3oif oceanica. 11605O40s or a total for the
world Of soie9i.272 Those figures show clearly what
will be the fate Of the American wool and mutton rails
Ing industry II our markets be thrown open to the
world and Canada South America Europe Asia Africa
and oceanica be permitted to pour their and their
mutton on our markets They simply would wipe out
our American producers and take out OF our country
the millions which received by those American
growers and kept IN local circulation
Such policy Of national impovcrishment could not
nn to be disastrous 70 an our people: nor could f.
fail 10 wipe out OF the most important industries
IN the rural districts. American wool and mutton
raisers could not hope 10 compete with the growers
outside who raise their sheep on cheap land and with
cheap labor and who would be IN position with the
tariff bars down 70 pay the freight and sell their
products here at prices that would simply drive the
American sheep rasers Of business and yet per-
init The foreTners 70 take our country millions
Of dollars in profits every year. Therefore the ma
tnrai consequence would be that our own WOOL and
mutton rsisers would be put out OF business and that
the trade Of our country would suffer correspond
insy.