The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-09-27
PROPOSAL OUT To
KILL WOOL TARIFF
Eastern Manufacturer Make Nervy
Appeals in Endeavor to Take
Bread and Butter From
Western Stock Men

Recent developments in the wool
tariff situation show that not only
Is the formation Of the Western
Tariff Association an advisable move
but one which is absolutely neces-
sary, according to J. Sheehan of
this city, state chairman of the
Western Tariff Association. This
conclusion is doubly strong in the
senator's mind since he has received
advice from numerous sources tell
ing Of a determined effort which will
be put forward during the next ses-
sion Of congress to substantially re-
duce the import duty on wool.
A concrete example of this ten
dency on the part of eastern manu-
facturers is in the activity of the
Carded Woolen Manufacturers As
sociation, which has recently sent
on an appeal to voters" to use
their influence with the next con-
gress to obtain a reduction in the
wool schedule of the tariff, which
printed "appeal" tells the old story
Of how United States citizens are
being robbed by the sheep growers,
through an excessively high tariff,
every time they buy suit of cloth
ing, and strangely enough the wool
schedule is the only one attacked.
Such organization on the part of
eastern manufacturers is bound to
be effective, in the senator's view
point, unless the wool men and
those affected by the wool mems
prosperity do something to Offset
the effort, and this can best be ac-
complished through the Western
Tariff Association, working in con-
junction with and in similar manner
to the Southern Tariff Association.
1t would be different If only one
such organization were working to
remove the tariff from wool i'm
ports, but such action has at this
time become practically a harping
propaganda among not only woolen
manufacturers but also by tailoring
firms probably intent upon furnish
ing an excuse for the high cost of
clothing, when in fact wool is the
cheapest item Of such clothing. In
the finest virgin wool suit made
there are only seven pounds of
wool, which at the high price of 40
cents a pound would cost only
$3.50, surely a small excuse for
clothing prices which have been in
creased many times that amount.
A paralleling instance which goes
to show how far the ultimate con-
sumer benefits by low tariff is in
the item Of hides, upon which there
Is no import duty at the present
time and in consequence American
hides are worthless-but has that
reduced the cost Of shoes? Cattle
is selling for around 5k cents a
pound because Of inadequate tariff
PhosSNeiOhp bht Tic uitliudLt COD-
sumer gets little benefit.
All of which is cited merely to
show the unreasonableness and un-
fairness of the easterners' demands.
That the proposal to organize the
tariff association to fight such en-
deavor is of great importance to
this and other western communities
is shown by Senator Sheehan's
statement that the only bright spot
in the western financial horizon is
in the wool industry. Cattle are
quoted at prices which if continued
would mean ruin to that industry,
SO aside from the sheep industry
and the railroad payrolls this state
has little to look forward to. In
fact the very structure of small
cities in this state at the present