The New York herald., 1922-07-24
WOOL TARIFF RATE
| ADDS s2OO,OOO,0OO.
A YEAR T0CLOTHES
Senator Walsh Tells of Ad-
vance in Price of Suits
and Oyercoats.
HE QUOTES FIGURES
Garments to Cost From
$3.50 to $3.50 More I'm
der New Duty.
LINING UP FOR FIGHT
Wadsworth Joins Republican
Group and Democrats OPP
posing the Bill.
LINING UP FOR FIGHT

"a y a : FL
Special Dispatch to THE NEw York HnuLp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. d. c.. July 23. =
How the wool duty of 33 cents a
pound in the Fordney- McCumber tarif
bill will advance the cost Of suits and
overcoats anywhere from $3.50 to $3.50.
adding at least s2oo,ooo,oo year to
the American clothing bill. was ex-
planned tonight by Senator Walsh
Dem. Mass.) preliminary to the fight
he is leading against the wool sched-
ule now under consideration in the
Senate. ,
Senator Walsh presented vast ar
ray Of tabulations, one prepared By the
United States Tariff Commission and
another by the Carded Wool Manu-
facturers Association, showing that
the 33 cent duty is bound to be passed
along and pyramided, in the ordinary
course of business, until when the suit
or overcoa. finally reaches the wearer
the wool 1t contains is advanced some-
thing like dollar a pound over the
present price. The Tariff Commission
estimated the increase at SO cents
pound while the manufacturers said
It would be in excess Of $1.o1 a pound.
All this will be brought out in detail
tomorrow when the Senate resumes
consideration OF the wool scheduls.
which. all in all. is the most flasrant
piece Of rate raising Of the much con-
demned Fordney- McC Cumber bill. Aiding
Senator Walsh with the fight win be
virtually all the Senate Democrats and
some Republicans. including Senator
Lenroot (wis.) and wadsworth IN.
Y.). The battle over the wool schedule.
which Is being branded as far worse
than the "indefensible" Schedule X Of
the Payne-Aldrich tariff law. will con-
sumo several days.
"a Political Miracle"
IF political party can enact legis-
lation that requires an increased cost
ir. mems suits and overcoats and won-
ems dresses from $3.50 to IS and re,
main in control Of the legislative
branch OF the Government, Senator
Walsh said tonight. 'it will be the
first time. such political miracle has
occurred in America
AT the same time It Ia to be borne
In mind that when we refer to an in
crease Of. say. $3.50 per suit Of cloth
ing and S5 per overcoat. we are re-
ferring only TO the, probable cost of the
raw wool duty. These figures do not
take into consideration other factors
which will serve to increase the cost Of
garments to the public. such as the in
creases In the protective rates on wool
cloths and other materials entering into
garments. such as Innings and trimmings
and even buttons. 1t Is quite evident
mat the tariff commission has made q
very conservative estimate of how the
cost Of the duty will work out.
For example, instead Of computing the
pyramiding by taking the maximum
number OF middlemen and making a
maximum allowance for selling expense
and profit in each instance, the Tariff
Commission has very plainly, in the in
terests OF moderation. chosen the emini-
mum number Of middlemen and has
made allowances for selling expense and
profit, which are indeed conservative.
They have been very careful also to
explain that the duty upon raw wool
probably will not be fully effective. Yet.
with all these qualifications. II Is ap-
parent that they are of the opinion thar
this 33 cent duty on raw wool vii!
amount to practically 93 cents per
pound of cloth in the garment, which
would amount to approximately $3.50 on
the average suit of clothes and $3.50 on
an ordinary overcoat, and around $50
on heavy ulster.
"Deductions" Are Made.
ITO be sure. the commission has In
serted additional columns making deduc-
tions Of 10 and 20 per cent. respec-
lively, on these computations of COST. In
order, presumably. 70 make allowance
for the failure Of the wool duty to be-
come fully effective and for the failure
Of the pyramiding process to become
complete.
Yet they have shown such moderation
in their assumptions as to the number
OF middlemen through whose hands the
wool will pass and as to the percentage
for profit and selling expense which will
be applied In each instance that one can
not escape the conclusion that 80 cents
is fair estimate Of the probable cost
OF the rs cent duty upon raw wool per
pound Of cloth in the garment. The
Carded Wool Manufacturers Association
estimates that the added cost will
amount to $310,2s4,000
This is computed upon the assumption
Of an allowance for profit and selling
expenses of 10 per cent. Is per cent.
17b per cent. 22la per cent. and
s3 Ia per cent respectively, to the
wool dealer. spinner. weaver. clothing
manufacturer ana retailer. upon which
basis the 33 cent duty on raw wool
would pyramid to s1.01 40 per pound
Of cloth in the garment. This pyramided
duty is then multiplied by the annual
rate of consumption of clean wool. taken
as 306. 100000 pounds--giving, as
stated s310,2s4.000 as the total cost to
the public.
But IL II be contended that this as
sociation has special interest in Sc
curing a reduction of the duty upon