, 1921-06-23
THE WOOL. INDUSTRY

WASHINGTON, June 2O.-"Bos-
ton is a long way from the wool
producing section of the United
States but being the principal wool
market Of the country it is the
source OF much Information o! VIII,
~Intercst to the wool OF the
Vest" says the Republican Publicity
Association, through its President,
Hon. Jonathan Bourne. Jr. The
New England letter of the First Ma
tional Bank of Boston, giving an ac-
count of industrial conditions, con-
tain this remark in discussing the
wool situation, The probable effect
OF the emergency tariff appears to
have been fairly well discounted and
no change of n momen in the
market is expected The informa-
tion is also given hat heavy foreign
buying has been already done on
American and there have
been heavy impOrtatiOns of clothing
woods,
This statement emphasizes the in
jury done to the American wool in
dustry by the Democratic free trade
policy. 1t is estimated that there is
now on han in the WOODEN stocks
OF the world a quantity amounting
to nearly a two years normal supply.
Naturally when there is a prospect
OF the re-enactment of a protective
tariff law wool users make large i'm
portations OF foreign woods which
they can buy for less than the cost
OF production in the United States.
The Democratic party enacted the
law of 1913 over the protest of Re-
publicans. 1t enacted the law over
the protest of American wool grow
ers. During the wal which acted as
an embargo on importations and
created an abnormal market for
wool products. the American pro-
Queer felt no injury because Of the
lack of protection on his product.
But since the Armistice was signed
and the enormous demand for wool
for war purposes ended, all Of the
cheap wool producing countries have
been shipping their surplus to the
United States thus not only cutting
the price the American producer
could receive but d%epriving him even
of the opportunity to sell his wool
at any price.
The Democratic party not only
deprived the American farmer of the
advantage Of an import tax on wool,
but when the war was over and it
was apparent that there would be a
flood of importations the majority
of Democrats in Congress opposed
the emergency tariff bill and Presi-
dent Wilson vetoed that measure
thus postponing the time when a
measure OF protection should be re-
stored.
at is admitted by all that the
emergency tariff law is not a scien-
tific tariff measure. 1t does not at
tempt to establish the system of
protection necessary for the upbuild-
ing Of all American industry. 1t is
merely an attempt to cur at an
early date protection for hat in
Observation-Disclosures was the
first to suffer the reaction from war
conditions and which will probably
be found to suffer the most severely.
The news from Boston contains the
information that Thus far very
little wool has been bought in the
West The buying has been done
largely in Australia and South
America while the Western American
wool grower. or his banker. holds
the American product in a ware
house and creditors are consequent
ly unable to collect the obligations
due them from the grower of Amer
lean wool.
"All of this presents a deplOrable
situation. What is true of the DOL
industry is true. in varying degree,
of other American industries upOn
which the prosperity of the United
States depends. The facts are stat
ed not for the purpose of painting
an unpleasant picture. but in order
to impress upon the minds of the
people of the country the important
truth that this situation is due al
most entirely to the folly of the
Democratic parry in placing the
United States on practically a free
trade basis so that American money
is scnt abroad for the purchase of
foreign commodities at less than cost
of production at home. 1t will
probably be a long, long time before
the American people will forget the
results of eight years of Democratic
rule. Certainly the wool growers
who are going through the present