THE WOOLGROWERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2426, 28 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE WOOLGROWERS.

A number of gentlemen representing the woolgrowor.s and wooldealers in the United States met .it Kbhott House, Washington, on December 5, for the purpose of considering what should be done to revive the wool interests of the country. The object is to assure Inimmy among the different branches of the wool industry, and io lix the basis of the duty upon which dealers, growers, and manufacturers can be united. It was beliovod that Congressional action might be secured on a bill, which would norirly equalise tho burdens of the present tariff. The wool men of tho United States claim to represent a capital of over 500,000,00(Mol, and a constituency of a million of flockowners and dealers. They consider the President's Message a direct attack upon their interests, and favouring foreign competition at, the expense of the American industry, and the convention made a strong appeal airaiust. it. Ih tho course of the debate it was stated that if the whole amount of the. revenue derived from wool was abolished it would reduce the surplus in the Treasury only about 5,000,000d01tf, or less than 10c per ,;ijnln of the population, which 'is paid by foreigners. The total revenue derivrd from imports on wool under the tariff of 1567 was less than 1,700,000 dollars. Under the reduced tariff of 1883 tho revenue last year was only 5,000,000 dollars. The number of sheep in tho country in ISSt was 50,806,020 ; in 18S7, 44,759,314 —a decrease of nearly (J, 000,000. The diminution of the animal wool product is over 35,000,0001b, thus showing that the reduction of the tariff by the act of ISS3 has increased the revenue from imported wools and diminished the number of sheep in the United States about 12 per cent. The National Merino Sheep Register Association or Convention ac Jackson, Michigan, closed its session en December 15th. A resolution was adopted recounting the depression in the wool-growing industry by the reduction of the tariff on that staple, expressing disapproval of President Cleveland's \"iew regarding the tariff, urging the representatives in Congress to use every means in their power to oppose legislation relating to a reduction of the tariff on wool, and-requesting Congress to revise tha present classification of foreign wools to prevent fraudulent importation, ami albo to protect the manufacturers and dealers from unjust competition.