The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-09
TARIFF |S NOT TIE SERIOUS ASPECT OF WOOLEN INDUSTRY President Wood Says Amer jeans Can Compete With Foreign Manufacturers BIG FALLING OFF IN BUSINESS LAST YEAR Strike and Generally Quiet Business Conditions. However, Contrib
 uted to Poor Financial
 Showing Made
ny HOLLAND

sometime in the summer of last year many ] of his friends asked him what his opinion of the effect of the tariff bill then be- fore Congress upon the woolen industry of the United States would be.
 Probably everyone of those who asked MT. Wood this question and heard his an swer was astonished. He seemed to be not particularly disturbed about the prob- able passage of the tariff law in which the new woolen schedule contained large reductions of tariff as compared with the schedule in the PayneAldrich law, MT. Wood then said it was not so much a question of tariff rates as it was an entire ly different proposition which may ser1- ously affect the woolen industry of the United States. He was convinced that there is no reason, excepting one, why the wooden manufacturers should not turn out products of as high a quality as those which come from woolen manufacturers of Great Britain or the continent of Flu rope He admitted that many persons believe that if woolen fabrics are made in Great Britain or in France or in Ger many they are of better quality than any produced by the American manuiactur- CTS.
 Mir Wood admitted that the new tariff schedule would make inevitable certain changes in wooden manufacture in the United States But these would he made to meet new conditions. He spoke with apparent sincerity when he said that the American woolen manufacturers could compete in price and quality with the tlo tat might be. provided their artisans were as competent as are the artisans of the wool en mills of Great Britain and of Ger many.
 The report made a few days ago by MT. Wood, as president of the American Wool en company contains statistics which some in this city regard as conclusive or harmful effect on American woolen manu- facture caused by the low tariff. It was sufficient to convince them of this view to point to figures in the report which showed deficit of $677,000, round numbers, for the calendar year 1913. whereas there was a surplus O. $S, ,0O0, round numbers, in 1912. The low tariff did this is comment frequently heard in this city But had there been careful scrutiny of the entire report made by President Wood this judgment might have been modified Furthermore, the new tariff law did not go into effect until October 1, and 1t Is almost inconceivable that in three months it should have caused such large differ ence in the record made in the year 1913 as compared with the year 1912. Possibly in anticipation of the enactment of the new tariff there may have been consid- erable falling off in business while the Payne-Aldrich law was still in operation. But good judges say that this report points quite as surely to the low condition of business in 1913 it does to any pre- sumed effect of the new tariff law.
 The Question of the Artisan
 The prolonged strike undoubtedly had quite as much to do with the making Of this unpleasant report as did either im- paired business conditions or the certainty that a new and low tariff law Was to be enacted Last summer Mr Wood said that it was really of less consequence what the schedule in the tariff law might be than it was that the doubt, confusion and uncertainty in business oecasioned by changes iu the tariff law should be ended. There is undoubtedly effect of the new tariff upon tue wooden goods indus try of the United States, and ii is an effect likely to be observed in some other industry in the course of year or so. It happens that the wooden industry is the one whose managers are the first to make acknowledgement of imperative changes in conditions of manufacture and marketing. The company of which MT. Wood is president seriously eontemplates exhaustive investigation of the wooden market conditions both in this country and abroad. The managers have very likely observed that representatives of German manufacturing industries nave been mak- ing investigations in the United States since about September i of last year, Some of these representatives have gone back to Germany and it will be upon the aptin nf the German manufacturers with respect to entering the American markets will be based. So also representatives, of manu- featuring interests of Great Britain have been in this country since the late summer of last year. Many of thein are here now They are expecting to report to their elm ployers early in the spring. and upon these reports will doubtless depend the de- cision of the manufacturers of Great Brit ain to enter the American market.
 Two Can Play the Game
 President Wood apparently feels that this is game of trade at which two car play. The company of which he is presi dent is now making thorough investiga tion of foreign markets and foreign prices and methods of doing business with 2 view of obtaining accurate information as to whether or not change in tht methods of the company is advisable. II
 
 ficially what he has frequently said in pri vate since the new tariff law was under iscussion-namely, that in view of thu change in the economic policy of thu United States it is expedent that thu fullest information respecting the liner industry of the world be secured witt intent to learn whether our wooden fab rics can be sold in foreign countries.
 The Greater Trouble
 MT. Wood said to friends in this cit! that were the artisans competent-es pecialy skilled artsans-as those wh are engaged in the manufacture of wool en fabrics in Great Britain and in Ger many. then the greatest of the obstacle manufacturers must overcome would b removed. In England and Tn Germany tn making of wooden fabrics Is family oc cupation in the sense that it is taken u by each successive generation precisely a is the case of linen manufacture in Ire land. These artisans look upon this wor as their life employment They take prid
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