The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-01-15
FREE WOOL DOUBT
Full EXPERIMENT
Pres. Frank J. Hagenbarth of National
Wool Growers Association Speaks
at Salt Lake City Convention.

Salt Lake City, Jan. l5.-The new tar
iff placing wool on the free list was held
UP to criticism when the delegates of
the National Woolgrowers' association
marked the 50th year of the associations
existence at their annual convention
here to-day.
The address by the president of the
organization, Frank j. Hagenbarth,
pointed out that for the third time in
a century of national progress the flock
master faces free and unlihsited compe-
tition in the production of wool against
the whole world" that previous expert
enees had proven the woolgrowers' in
ability to withstand the shock and that
the outcome of the presept experiment
was doubtful.
"The fockmaster is reduced" he said,
'to the necessity of striving on unequal
terms with the half-clad savage of South
Africa and Asia, the peon of South
America and the skilled producer of New
Zealand and Australia, who's hocks are
shorn under the fostering care of their
respective governments. Like Napoleon
after the battle of Waterloo, the shep-
herd faces the necessity for organizing
his broken battalions for last stand
against hopeless odds. However, it is
an American Characteristic never to say
quit"
In analysis of the tariff he declared
that it was decidedly an alignment OF
the East and South against the West"
and asserted that 80 per cent. of the
products OF New Jersey would be found
on the dutiable list, whereas but nine
per cent. of the products of Arizona ard
IL per cent. OF the products of Nevada
were so favored.
"The backbone of the strength of the
nation is the producer" he continued.
THE producer is the farmer or the min
er. He, who takes from the soil OF
the earth and the waters thereof. and
who takes from the sky with its sun
and its air, and from these primary
clements brings wealth into the world,
is alone entitled to the kingly title,
Producer The rest of mankind, either
directly or indirectly, are parasites liv-
ing off the fruits OF his labor. Yet the
underlying principle Of the present tar
in act has been to favor the manu-
faeturer and middleman on the theory
that the producer is able to take care
site is more important than the body
on which it feeds,'
"As a further criticism OF the tariff
act of October 3, 1918, the statement
can conservatively be made that, after
all, it was written hastily and with
improper preparation and information.
The labors of Messrs. Underwood and
Clark and their associates in the prepa-
ration of a consistent tariff act, which
covered a year or more of unremitting
toll, were hurriedly dispensed with when
Mr.. Bryan and MIR. Wilson came into
power and wrote free wool, free sugar
and free cattle, in place of the para
graprs that rad been prepared thereto
fore by Mr.. Underwood. These changes
were arbitrarily made and without
rhyme or reason as pertaining to the
balance of the bill. Under the new law,
the grower of merino wool will be seri-
ously hurt. and most likely eliminated
from the ranks of American industry.
The mutton producer may be able TO
survive, but even this is problematieal
1t this time.
"After all" he added, "the toad OF
diversity may yet bear jewel in its
iead. The misfortune that has come
Ipon us may prove blessing in dis.
guse by calling our more serious atten-
ion to proper breeding, to more econom-
cal methods, to better preparation of
mutton and wool for market, to the
proper marketing of these products and
o suitable national and state legisla-
ion"
He suggested that American breeders
we're behind their competitors in New
Zealand, Australia and the Argentine !
Where our tlockmaster," he said, 'imag-
nes that 500 per head for the right
ort of breeding rams will ruin him, the !
oreigner will readily pay from 81 900 to
5000 for individual animals OF rare
merit"
He pointed out that western flock |
masters lost an average OF nearly two
ents pound on all the wool they grew
" branding sheep with insoluble mate
ials. when chalk would answer the
purpose.