Show THE SHEEP MEN are having a hearing on tariff rates DENOUNCE PRESENT KATES wilson bill mas well nigh bullied the industry denta ai eiith washington jan G the hearing on the wool schedule brought many farice Band manufacturers to the ways and means committee room today john G C ark of the washington county pa wool growers association spoke of the effects of the free ol 01 the aileon law which be declared prostrated the business of the united states the experiment of free trade had been a crime the value of land had decreased and in all parts of the country had been driven from business the sheep asked only a moderate duty that donld enable them to continue business the democratic members oi the committee probed the witness for bome time mr wheeler asked if clothing for workingmen had not absen cheaper under free wool to which mr clark replied that most of the clothing sold now was shoddy importations Importation a of shoddy had inar aed under the law the consumer was represented at the afternoon session by theodore justice a wool dealer of philadelphia he stated that while the trial of free wool under the wilson law had slightly benefited ane consumer by reduction in prices the saving had been greatly outweighed by the loss in purchasing power the gain by the lower prices had averaged 93 cants der capita while the loss amounted to more ban 7 the averaged loss to the wool growers had been while the mill hands and laborers of tho united states had lost durn thy past year the McKinley law had given the cheapest priced clothing ever known up to its time he said when it was known that trover cleveland meant to continue hip assaults on this theas bittance Bi stance 0 boch branches of congress farmers began to dispose ot their flocks from 1893 to 2896 the number of sheep bad decreased 23 par cent mr justice referring to shoddy said that while the annual importations of it under the mckinley law had been pounds between august and september of the year the dill was enacted there had absen pounds imported aad in the full calendar year under that law pounds jesse M of utah president of the state wool growers association asserted that as sheep raising east ot the mississippi river was greater than west tha western men would be satisfied with any tariff which the eastern era would accept their greatest necessity was a stable tariff which would re move uncertainties |