| OCR Text |
Show WOOL IN NO DANGER. Tho probabilities of tariff revision at the extra session of Congress are growing grow-ing loss and less. Even the wool schedule sched-ule is likoly to escape assault. As a mntter of fact, the cotton schedule is a good deal worse and more oppressive upon the people than fho wool schedule. But the latest word is, that the wool schedule is in no danger. This will be reassuring to the wool men of all this region, so far as it goes; but it does not go' to the root of the matter after all; because tho great danger to, the groat "cinch" on, the wool' men, is not the peril from tariff revision, but tho fact, that tho tariff, as it oxists, puts them completely in the hands of the woolen manufacturers. As it is now, the wool men arc not able fo soil their wool anywhere except in the United Slates. 'I he tariff ou wool shuts out all chances for sale in the world market. mar-ket. If it did not, thoro would be no advantage in haviug the tariff, for if the tariff doos not raise tho price cf wool in this country abovo the price in the world's markets, then it has no valuo whatover to tho raiser of wool. But, since tho wool raiser must havo a tariff on his wool in order 'to make his industry profitablo, the wool manufacturer manu-facturer also domnnd3 a tariff on his manufactured goods, and this, so far na his business is concerned, makes him even with tho wool raiser, At the same time, sinco the woolen manufacturers aro in a combine, it gives thoso manufacturers manu-facturers tho control of tho market. Inasmuch In-asmuch as they are more interested in getting their raw material, which is wool, at what thoy considor a "reasonable "reason-able figure," than in tho woolgrowers' intorests, thoy establish prices accordingly. ac-cordingly. These prices which they establish es-tablish in their own interest aro made so as not ontirely to discourage the wool raisers, while being largely to tho advantage of tho woolen manufacturers, manufactur-ers, those manufacturers not wishing to kill tho wool raising industry in tho United Slates. Thev wisli to keen it up. At tho same timo they do not wish it to interfere with their profits loo much, nor do they wisli to havo a price fixed for wool that will cost thorn more for thoir raw material than they want to paj-. Right here is tho danger to the wool mou. Thoy cannot fix their own markets; mar-kets; it docs thorn no good to store their wool, becauso tho samo combine which fixes the prices a one time of the year, fixes them at all times of tho year. Tt would not be possible for the wool men to help themselves at all in tho matter of. tho tariff on wool, unless they could so arrange that the price of wool in this country should always be as much as tho price in tho world's markets, plus the amount of the tariff. This, however, is impossible under tho present schedule, because tho wool manufacturers take to themselves what portion ihey wish of that tariff duty, leaving to the woolgrowor only so much as will keop him busy raising wool for tho manufacturer at tho manufacturer's own prico, and no more. |
