The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-05-04
WOOL MEN WORKING FOR
TRUTH IN FABRIC BILL

Capper lTuCn IN faDrlc Dill TO sup
plement even the most advantageous
tariff law for the protection Of Ameri-
can wool growers was explained to-
day by j. B. Wilson, of Mckinley,
Wyo. Mr.. Wilson. is secretary of the
Wyoming Wool Growers' association
and also a governor of the National
Sheep and Wool Bureau of America
and it was at the office of the latter
organization, No. % East Jackson
boulevard, that he was found. He ex-
planned that he had just made a gen.
eral survey of the leading wool grow
ing states, of which his own is chief,
and declared that the outlook for the
American wool grower is extremely
blue. He said:
''More than a tariff measure is
needed to afford the wool growers
adequate protection. We need to have
the French-Capper Truth in Fabric
bill enacted and need it in a hurry.
Why, have sold wool for 10 IL cents
a pound, when the tariff was IL cents
pound, and l have heard Of other
wool growers who sold for even less.
No tariff will protect the wool grower
from the secret competition of shoddy |
-reworked rags. Shoddy must be
identified by labelling, so that the peo-
pie will know what they are buying
and may choose between shoddy and |
virgin wool. The Truth in Fabric |
bill, which has recently been re-intro- |
duced by Congressman French and
Senator Capper, will compel textile
manufacturers to label their all wool
cloth with the content of virgin wool
and of shoddy and will force the shod-
dy vendors out into the open. A
mere mis-branding bill, such as the
3 Rogers bill, would only prevent mis-
branding, it would not compel brand
/ ing in the first place. 1t would allow
5 the shoddy vendors to keep on hiding
behind the misunderstood term, "all
wool.
"On account of the immense ac-
cumulations of woods, the situation of
B American wool growers is the worst
3 in the history of the country. The
q stockyards report big liquidation of
q flocks by sheepmen who can no longer
2 afford to hang on till better times.
q Thousands of sheep have been sacri-
y feed since the Department of Agri-
z culture estimated that the number in
y America on January was 45,067, 900
z less than one sheep for each two
y citizens. In Wyoming, alone, more
2 than half a million sheep have gone
Z since that estimate was made. 1t
q will take years to get American sheep
q husbandry back into good shape, ever
q with the aid of legislation.
z 'Fully 70 per cent or IS per cent
s of the 1920 wool clip is still unsolC
y and the 1921 clip has got under way
with no prospect Of a market what
ever. The wool-growers cannot ex
N pect to raise as much money on thu
= 1921 clip as they did on the 1922
& clip, though their need is even NOR
pressing than it was last year. West
II eners cannot possibly sell their clip
for the cost of production. The Tariff
Board agreed that their 1919 clip cos
them more than As cents a pound t
q raise and their 1920 clip cost dearel
The 1921 clip cost them less becaus
of the open winter and the lower COS
M of labor, but only few cents poun
IS less.
''The people, have had opportun
ties to discover, want the Truth
q Fabrics bill passed, because they war
q to know what they are getting whe
b they buy cloth. The shoddy mani
facturers cannot ward off the enac
ment indefinitely. AS I have trave
ed about the country, had the il
sistence of the general public fl
Truth in Fabric legislation brougl
to my attention on many occasion
Conversations in the smoking ca
have revealed that everyone preset
favored the French-Capper bill.
M sowing to the demand for virg
wool fabrics, our organization al
& the wool-growers' organizations Of
number of other states have found
expedient to arrange for the man
faeture of cloth and blankets.
have been unable to provide for /
who wish to buy. Since my organic
ton has been manufacturing blankei
we have, had inquiries from eve
state in the Union except five. '
have had letters repeatedly. sayin
If your blankets are made of re-
honest-to-goodness virgin wool, sh
them to us. We haven't been able
get such blankets where we live f
years..
#
"The Wyoming state Truth in Fa
& ric law-the first law Of the sort
be passed by any state-js now in {
feet and is giving general satisfs
ton. Though outside reports decla
6 that there is dissatisfaction with it
B have heard no complaints. The clos
ing retailers are in favor Of it.
81 the Legislature that passed Il. was q