The Sauk Centre herald., 1920-08-12
urges THAT MORE
WOOL BE grown
E. NJ. GILLIG IN FIRST OF SERIES
OF ARTICLES POINTS
THE WAY "
Big OUTLOOK FOR MINNESOTA
FARMERS ASKED TO UNITE In
EFFORT TO BETTER CON-
DITIONS HERE
(By E. M. Gillig)

market! We are all interested LII IL,
farmer and townsmen alike, and
some facts bearing on the subject
will doubtlessly prove interesting.
The solution of the wool problem Will
involve facts from many angles, but
only few that are interesting ami
instructive in a practical way, will
be considered here.
One of the large factors, of course,
is the free tariff policy of the demo-
ocrats, which does not protect OUR
home producers. That's one of the
reasons why it is hard for the wool
gorwer to get good price for his
wool, in spite of the fact that woolen
goods are high. With low or free
tariff, the woolen mills can buy Aus
tralian and other wool cheaper than
our farmers can afford to raise it..
Senator Harding promises us high
er protective tariff, and in the event
of his election the wool growers will
doubtlessly see a victory.
But here is another factor that is
strangely interesting. Investigations
recently conducted have developed the
fact that few men who have Oe-
come strCng and wealthy on rags
have Sidetracked the wool growers
of the United States and are giving
them a great handicap. Our wool
growers, with their immense invest
ments in pasture land, feed sheep and
skilled labor must compete for a
while at least, with the junk men
and rag pickerS. Junk men tell US
they never before knew such a great
call for woolen rags at three cents
a pound. Under these conditions any
only of them during the summer
months with capital of 500 can
produce" more wool than a sheep
man with a $4,000 investment, or
more, can produce in whole year.
Wool rags will shrink less in cleaning
than raw wool in scoruing, and
clothesmakers are very much tempt
ed to use this depraved stuff, in spite
of the fact that is turns out a lower
grade piece Of goods.
The difference in clothing bought
eight or ten years ago and now FUN
ishes a good object lesson. Take any
old woolens, rip them to shreds and
compare the fibers with new, virgin
wool, found en- the breast bone of the
animal, where it gets the most wear.
Examine it and find the crimp in it.,
and then take magnify!hg glass
and see the scales of enlargements on
the fibers. 1t is better than the bes.
fbers from rags, and if woven into
cloth will last three times as long.
When new wool is woven, and the
crimp stretched, its function is to
draw, and that of the scales to hold.
After weaving and wearing, when
both these characteristics are lost,
together with the process of tearing
and grinding woolen rags, we find
these old wool fibers a mass of short,
sleek, smooth hairs with no adhesive
ness or permanency. They have not
much more than the weight than
wool carries. The warmth, comfort
and durability of good woolens comes
only from the new, perfect fiber.
All Of us who are interested IN Sc
curing pure, high quality woolens,
should be interested in the united eT-
fort on foot for the use of new, vir-
gin wool by the mills. The growing
of food is a worthy enterprise, and
no less is the growing of material for
clothing. Wool is the warmest,
strongest and best fiber made by
nature. With all our empires of sheep
land our genius we are wool paupers.
Statistics show that during the past
year we had only 100000 600
pounds of secured virgin wool fleece
for nation of over 100,000,O00 peo-
pie, to make their blankets, carpets.
rugs and all their woolens. Besides
we exported over $60,000,O00 worth
of clothing. Our wool consequently
must have been spread about as thin
as gold leaf.