TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2798, 25 January 1871, Page 2

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir—As Mr Yogel visits America with the object of inducing the Washington Government to admit New Zealand wool into the United Statbs.free of duty, one is inclined i» look at what chance of success he has. Aft the present fime they have almost a prohibitory duty upon foreign wool and cloths— wishing to create a: home supply of raw; material that is not liable to be cut off byforeign disturbances ; at the same <!«- fending themselves from the cheaper capitaE and labour of the great manufacturing nationsof Europe; who have thrown aside all duties* on wool, no longer feeling the want of giving support to the sheep farmers, on account; of the almost impossibility of increasing th© production of wool—as England, for instance;, has one sheep to every acre and a-haK; whereas, in the North American States, they have only one to every fifty-seven acrem Then, the high state of cultivation and the climate of England enable her to produca Cotswold and Leicester wools better thaa any other country, and to place thesb wools beyond the competition of .other nations. The large and growing worsted trade createa ademand beyond the supply. German and French: wools alsoJhave their specialitdesi, making protection unnecessary. The production- of wool and the manufacturing InteEfisi in America ; have ,be<aa so Interwoven Hiat ihey wilf not inak© any distinciion. between the labour ofe wising the' woolj and, th»t which makes it into fabrics."" A lowerjduty on wool wooML cause the woplgrower to take away his ana^ port from th> manufacturer, and then fall* away the specific duty on foreign made goods, and without this the woollen industry falls to the ground, as the Americans canaafc compete with- either England, Germany. France, or Belgium iii'foreign cloths, owing t* the low rate of interest, and labour in there countries. Money in England for many years back has" not averaged over 3 9-1O per cent, or in France over 416-100 per cent? whereas in the United Steteß for thesama time the average rate of interest has beea. | 9 12-lOOth per cent Wages in the latter country are more than double those in Eterope. Under the reciprocity treaty wrtS. Canada, the States imported yearly about 17,000 bales worsted wool—a kind of wool and grew very little ©£ On the expiration of the treaty, the Arae»cans refused to renew it, and within the fosV few months they have increased the duty cm sheepskins to the same amount as on wool. They have raised their tariflf to about 46^ per cent, on the imports, and their policy sep to let the artisan in free of duty instead of his goods. ' The protective system may b® drawing their own teeth; but still they d» not seem to care much, so long as they «^bv pull them themselves.—l am, &c. s '•" ■ -"; :. "' TUSSOC3R,