The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-09-21
War, w COL, Wilson,
and Wyoming.

WASHINGTON, Sept. IS, 1916. Wars
will be waged. Warriors want warm
winter wear. Wilson willed free WOOL
Wyoming wonders why. Having rid our
system of that ALTERATION, let's talk the
matter over.
Prior to the outbreak of the European
war we were not exporters of wool wear
ing apparel to any appreciable extent.
Our mills had all they could do to supply
our own needs. We sold in foreign mar
kets not more than 81. 500, 900 worth a
year. From the outbreak of the war,
Aug. l, 1914, to June 30, 1916, we ex-
ported wool wearing apparel to the value
of $270, 900, 000-a pretty good indication,
is it not, that wool is a prime requisite in
war time? There is certain kind of
"cold feet" that makes man 'too proud
to fight, but the physically cold feet
render even a brave man incapable of
efficient fighting. Wool socks warm the
latter; hellfre ittse..ee cannot thaw the
former. Wool blankets warm the sol
der; hot air warns the politician.
Nor were we exporters of much wool.
Our producers sold their clip in this coun-
try; it was made liz American mills, en-
ploying American labor. In 1914 we sent
away 1916, 900 pounds. In 1916 we ex-
ported 8, 158, 900 pounds, worth ST. ZIG, 900.
In 1916, little over half as much, but
the price doubled. The tariff board estl-
mated that in 1910 our wool manufacture
ers used 500, 100000 pounds of raw wool
of all KINGS annually. The production OF
the United States at that time was in the
neighborhood of 1926, 900, 900 pounds, com
ing under the head of classes l and 2. In
that year Wyoming topped the list of
sheep-raising States and was second IN
| the production of wool, with SO, 900, 600
! pounds of washed and unwashed WOO,
equal to II, 500, 900 pounds of the secured.
Montana had the edge on Wyoming In
wool production, by very little.
| The stock argument of the Democrats
! was that free COL meant cheaper cloth
ing, because it meant cheaper wool with
which to makes it. When the Wilson
| Underwood free wool measure passed the
House in May, 1918, the certainty of free
wool caused the price to drop. When
| there is threat of free wool buyers de-
cline to buy except for immedi tie needs,
unless they can buy at price which will
not involve loss. They depend or their
surplus stocks to carry them through I'M
| free trade basis or not at all. The
manufacturers had made up their samples
for the fall and winter of 1918 and the
spring and summer of 1914 very largely
of American wool. The cloths could not
be made up of substituted foreign woods,
so, having cut down their purchase OIL
American woods when free trade was
threatened, when the 1914 clip came II
they found themselves buying in com
petition with each other, and strange az
it might otherwise seem, the price Of
American wool went up. The war came
on and for some time an embargo Was
laid on Australian wool, and the price
continued up. The Democratic party
having declared that free wool mean
cheaper wool, then turned around ant
Dragged that their tariff law had raiset
the price of wool. What inconsistency.
J During the fiscal year 1913, under he
publican law, we imported $4,000, 00
pounds of wool classes and 2, which pait
US nearly $4,000, 900 of revenue. w
imported LAG, 900. O00pounds in 1917, unde
Democratic law, seven months of FREE
wool PAP, 000, 900 pounds in 1915, and 426,
900, 900 pounds in 1916. An insignifican
duty was realized from this wool, be
! cause angora goat hair was retained OF
the dutiable list, thanks to Congressman
Garner, of Texas. an angora wool pro
ducing State, who was Trainer of tn
bill. Altogether we have lost consider
ably over $l0O,0OO,00O in revenue iron
wool alone, and the consumer got n
benefit, but he paid more internal taxes
: Wyoming is going Republican becaue
: it wants a'return to the protective policy
: Wyoming knows that competition from
: Australia will be strong after the wa
and she knows wool prices have bee
high because of the war. Wyoming be
lieves it is wiser measure of militar.
j, preparedness to encourage the production
of wool in America than it is to run
government-owned nitrate plants. Wye
ming 'watchfully waits" for wallop a
Woodrow. Let all wool States do like
wise.