New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-24
Wool Tax Held
TOCOst Nation
S2OO,OOO,OOO
Senator Walsh Asserts Only
s4O,OOO,O0 of This
Amount Will BE Added
TO Profits Of Producers
Questions Calder's Views
New Workers. Defense Of Bill
Declared Not Justified by
Tariff Commission Data


Prom ne rribpns's Washington B1'sdp
WASHINGTON, July IA tax OF
$500 600. 900 will be imposed on the
American public by the proposed WOOL
,ehedule OF the Fordnoy-Mecumber
tariff bill while only about '4O,oOO,ooO,
as result Of Il, will find Us way into
the rockets Of the wool growers sens-
tor David 7. Walsh, Of Massaehusetts'
charged to-day lie supported MS
abatement by estimates made by the
Tariff Commission.
Senator Walsh vigorously a''slled
the deductions made by Senator CALDER
Of New York. from the same Iarih
Commission figures. and asserted that
no political party could remain IN
mower which advanced so tremendously
BY tariff duties the cost Of clothing
"The Tariff Commission has very
plainly chosen the minimum number OF
middlcmon and has made allowances
Tor selling expenses and prort wnlch
are indeed conservative" said senator
Walsh. "They have been very CAREFUL
also, % plain that the duty upon
raw wool probably will not be iuiiy
effective. Not with all these quar-
fcations, s. is apparent that they are
Of the opinion that this 58-cent ae,y
on raw wool will amount 20 practically
IA cents per pound Of cloth IN the gar
ment. which would amount approx.
natoiy 20 $3.50 on the average SUIT Of
clothes and $3.50 on an ordinary over
coat and around $3.50 on heavy
ulster.
Dlssects Commissions Figures
ITO be sure, the commission has In
serted additional columns making de-
auctions Of 10 and 20 per cent, respec-
lively, on these computations OF eost'
In order. presumably, 20 make allow
ances for the failure 81 the Wool outy
10 become fully effective and Tor the
failure Of the pyramiding process 70
become complete Yet they have SHOWN
such moderation IN their assumptions
IS % the number OF middlemen through
whose hands the wool will pass and as
10 the percentage for profit and selling
oxnonses whica will be applied % eacn
instance. that one cannot escape the
conclusion that 90 cents Is very FAR
estimate Of the probable cost OF me So.
cent duty upon raw wool per pound OF
cloth In the garment
"The Junior Senator from New York,
In commenting upon this memorandum,
has apparently sought 20 present an IN
terprotation Of 10 which careful read
Ing OF the memorandum will not sus-
tain lie states that this memorandum
demonstrates that the raw wool duty
In a suit OF clothes Weighing 3-l6
pounds. exclusive Of the MERCHANDISING
cost. Is about 80 cents, while the duty
on an overcoat. exclusive Of the mer-
chandizlng cost, would be approximate
lv Si7i' An examination Of the memo
raudum fails 20 disclose the neures
which the Senator has quoted. Nor Is
10 apparent just how these figures may
have been derived from any figures
which appear in the memorandum.
Discerns Menace 10 Party
III a political party can enact legis-
latiou that requires an increased cost
IN mems suits and overcoats and wom-
ems dresses from $3.50 20 SIS and re-
main IN the control Of the legislative
branch 81 the government II will be the
first time such n political miracle has
occurred IN America.
"At the same time II Is 10 be borne in
mind that when we refer 20 an in
crease Of, say, $3.50 per suit Of cloth
ing and s. per oyercoat, we are re-
fcrring only 10 the probable cost Of
the raw wool duty. These figures do
not take into consideration other fac
tors which will serve 20 increase the
cost Of garments 20 the public, such as
the increases In protective rates on wool
clothing and the increases in the pro-
tective rates on wool cloths and other
materials entering into garments, such
as Innings and trimmings.
This Is a much lower figure than
the estimate OF the Carded Wooden
Manufacturers Association above re-
ferred 10, but II is even so a very stag
gering one. BY this 80 per cent duty
IL Ia proposed 20 tax the public at
least si95, 100000 for the purpose OF en-
ablingthe domestic wool growers 20 OBJ
tain 80 cents per clean pound more for
their wool than the world market price
With a domestic production equivalent
10 10000, 900 pounds OF wool annually,
this 33-cent duty would amount TO
500 100000 10 the wool growers. II Is
thus proposed 70 tax the public almost
5000, 100000 in order to put about
sac, 900 into the pockets Of the wool
growers.
Other Increases Involved
incidentally, as regards this esti-
mate Of i95,300,000 as the cost OF the
wool duty 10 the public, II should be
noted that this is the cost only on the
virgin wool which enters into garments
and other articles consumed by the
public. 10 takes no eognizance Of the
increased price OF reworked wool
shoddy, mungo, and so forth-which
will occur by reason Of the increased
duty upon raw wool and the accompany
ing increases In the duties upon the re-
worked wool
"The foregoing discussion Is designed
10 show the cost only OF the raw wool
20 the public. On top Of all this there
will be large increases in prices Of
the wearing apparel and the other ar
tieles which the public consumes re-
sulting from the protective rates levied
upon these articles"