The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-05-05
TRUTH IN FABRIC BILL

Chicago, May 3.-The imperative
need for the enactment of the French
Capper Truth in Fabric bill to sup
plement even the most advantageous
tariff law for the protection of Amer
lean wool growers was explained to-
day by j. B. Wilson, of Mckinley, Wy
oming. Mr.. Wilson is secretary of
the Wyoming Wool Growers associa-
tion and also governor Of the Ma
tional Sheep and Wool Bureau of
America and it was at the office of
the latter organization, No. 90 East
jackson boulevard, that he was found.
He explained that he had just made a
general survey of the leading wool
growing states, of which his own is
chief, and declared that the outlook
for the American wool grower is ex-
tremely blue. He said:
More than tariff measure is
needed to afford the wool growers ad-
equate protection. We need to have
the French-C -Capper Truth in Fabric
bill enacted and need it in hurry.
Why, have sold wool for 1O1s cents
pound, when the tariff was IL cents
pound. and have heard of other
wool growers who sold for even less.
No tariff will protect the wool grower
from the secret competition of shoddy
-re-worked 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 its 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 Rogers
bill, would only prevent mis-branding,
it would not compel branding in the
first place. 1t would allow the shoddy
vender to keep on hiding behind the
misunderstood term, 'all wool.
"On account of the immense accum-
ulations of wools, the situation of
American wool growers is the worst in
the history of the country. The
stockyards report a big liquidation
of fiocks by sheepmen who can no
longer afford to hang on till better
times. Thousands of sheep have been
sac Eificed since the Department of
Agriculture estimated that the num-
ber in America on January l, was
At, ,067, ,OO0--less than one sheep for
each two citizens. In Wyoming, alone,
more than half million sheep have
gone since that estimate was made.
1t will take years to get American
sheep husbandry back into good shape,
even with the aid of legislation.
Fully 7O% or 1870 of the 1920 wool
clip is still unsold and the 1921 clip
has got under way with no prospect
of market whatever. The wool
growers cannot expect to raise as
much money on the 1921 clip as they
did on the 1920 clip. though their
need is even more pressing than it
was last year. Westerners cannot
possibly sell their clips for the cost
of production. The Tariff Board
agreed that their 1919 clip cost them
more than As cents a pound to raise
and their 1920 clip cost dearer. The
1921 clip cost them less because of
the open winter and the lower cost
of labor, but only few cents a
pound less.
"The people, have had opportuni-
ty to discover, want the Truth in
Fabric bill passed, because they want
to know what they are getting when
they buy cloth. The shoddy manufac-
turers cannot ward off the enactment
indefinitely. AS have travelled about
the country, l had the insistence of
the general public for Truth in Fab
ric legislation brought to my atten-
tion on many occasions. Conversa-
tions in the smoking cars have re-
vealed that everyone present favored
the French-Capper bill.
lowing to the demand for virgin
wool fabrics, our organization and
the. wool growers organization of
number of other states have found it
expedient to arrange for the manu-
facture of cloth and blankets. We
have been unable to provide for all
who wish to buy. Since my organi-
cation has been manufacturing blank
cts, we have had inquiries from every
state in the Union except five. We
have had letters repeatedly, saying:
If your blankets are made of real,
honest-to-goodness, virgin wool, ship
them to us. We haven't been able to
get such blankets where we live for