The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1913. THE AMERICAN WOOL TARIFF.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 23, 25 January 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1913. THE AMERICAN WOOL TARIFF.

Users of wool in other parts of the world, it is now stated, aro rather apprehensive at the prospect of free wool for the United States, for it will mean a very big thing. The ‘American Wool and Cotton Reporter’ gives the number of sheep in various parts of America, the total being as follows Jan. 1. No. of Sheep. 1880 10,756,900 1881 43,576,899 1882 45,016,224 1883 . 49,237,291 1884 50,626,628 1885 50,360,213 1886 48,322,331 1887 44j759,314 1888 43,544,755 1889 42,599,079 1890 44,336,072 1891 43,431,136 1892 ... ... 44,938,365 1893 .... ... 47,273,553 1894. 45,048,017 1895 42,394,064 1896- 38,298,783 1897 36,818,613 1898 ... ... 37,656,960 1899 39,114,453 1900 41,883,065 1910 41,999,500 1911 39,761,000 Commenting on the above, the ‘Reporter’ goes on to say that the tariff on wool has been of no value to the nation. The number of sheep in the United States is not appreciably greater to-day than it was in 1870, while the value.of farms and farm property increased from 8,944,857,749 dollars in 1870, to 20,514,001,838 dollars in 1900, and the farmers have become very prosperous by raising corn, wheat, cotton, cattle, hogs, and other products, which are all sold upon a basis of foreign trade. In 1910 the number of farms in the United States was 1 6,340,357, against 5,737,372 in 1900, and 2,659,985 in 1870. The value oi the laud and buildings alone devoted ( to agriculture in the United States in , 1910 was 34,681,507,000 dollars, ‘ against 16,614,648,000 dollars in 1900. \ On the other band, the duty upon wool j has been an obstacle to the develop- < ment of the textile industry of the j United States. With free wool and a duty of 50 per cent, upon goods, the, ( textile industries of the United States, ] with the cultivation of close economy ( and effectiveness, would, the writer holds, expand to proportions which j

would bo as beneficial to agriculture as to the manufacturing communities. Anything less than 50 per cent, would be insufficient, as illustrated in the case of Canada. The Wilson Law gave free wool and 50 per cent, upon all goods costing over 50 cents per lb., and -10 per cent, on goods costing less than 50 cents per lb. Perhaps the final result under the present adminis- 1 tration will bo the re-enactment of the Wilson tariff. It is true that many manufacturers greatly fear anything less than 60 per cent, net upon goods since the Payne-Aldrich Law averages nearer 100 per cent., and that there was much concealed protection in the compensatory clauses is now admitted by most of those who used to deny the fact. It is hardly to be believed that the incoming Congress will propose any lower rates of duty upon goods than those of the Wilson Act. In conclusion, the article says: “The duties upon wool are inexcusable from a Democratic standpoint. They have always been indefensible, except as a political expedient or log-rolling device to secure votes for a general tariff Bill. Hence, the wiser generation of Democratic leaders who have recently guided their party to victory may be expected to remove wool duties from the Statute Book, and to guard those manufacturing industries upon whose preservation the prosperity of the nation and the continuous power of the Democracy depends.”