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The Commoner.
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Why Free Wool is Important at This Time
Representative Finly H. Gray of Indiana
dclivorod a speech in the house of representa
tives Juno 20lh in favor of free wool. Louis
Ludlow, Washington correspondent for the
Indianapolis Star, referring to Mr. Gray's speech,
says:
Itopresontativo Finly H. Gray was the head
liner while the bill was being considered in its
final stago in the house. Of tho twelve demo
cratic members from Indiana, ho was the only
ono who stood for froo wool and it is betraying
no secret to state that his efforts to get tho
bill amended so as to put wool on the free list
caused his Indiana democratic colleagues some
uncomfortable moments. He did not mince
words, but told why ho thinks a tariff on wool
Is an Imposition on poor people who have to buy
woolen clothes.
Ho indicated a belief that tho excuse that
tho tariff is needed for revenue is a' very
specious argument and pointed out that if
revenue is what congress is after, it would bo
better to put a tariff on rough diamonds and
precious stones, raw silk and India rubber, all
of which come in free.
Mr. Gray had no difficulty in deciding that
qb between a few sheep raisers and all of the
people who have to buy woolen clothing it was
his duty to stand by tho latter, with both of
his feet planted firmly on the numerous demo
cratic platforms, state and national, that have
declared for free wool.
Mr. Gray tried his level best to get the bill
amended so as to put wool on the free list, but
ho had to cope with trained parliamentary
sharps, who pulled a harsh and forbidding rule
on him every move he made, and the result was
that ho could not get his proposed amendment
before tho house for a vote. He did succeed,
however, in making a ringing speech defending
the people who have to wear woolen clothing
and pointing out that those who favor a wool
tariff are performing a mighty valuable service
for the woolen manufacturers.
Mr. Gray offered a double-barreled amend
ment. It provided that the 20 per cent tariff
on wool In the bill should bo stricken out and
that in lieu of it should bo inserted tho follow
ing: a .'AI1 woo of the fiheopi hair of the camel,
goat, the skins of such animals, when imported
into tho United States shall be exempted from
duty."
He also offered tho following: "That the
remaining paragraphs of Sec. 1 of said bill bo
recommitted to the ways and means committee
with instructions to amend tho same by reduc
ing tho duties on manufactures of wool to an
average of 20 per cent ad valorem, with the
highest rates laid upon the luxuries of dress and
lowest upon the common essentials of comfort
and that to recoup for tho loss of revenues re
sulting therefrom that committee be further
instructed to report a concurrent bill imposing
duties upon rough diamonds and precious
stones, raw silk, and crude India rubber and
substitutes, all now on the free list, at an aver
age rate of 209 per cent ad valorem.
Representative Underwood raised a point of
order against Gray's amendment, but withheld
it while the Sixth Indiana district member made
a spoech that awakened tho ochoes and created
a sensation. Mr. Gray tore the mask off of the
pretension that a tariff on wool is absolutely
necessary because the government has to have
tho revenue. He showed how a great deal more
revenue could bo raised in other ways without
putting a burden on tho wearers of woolen
clothing.
He pointed out that the proposed, duty of 20
per cent on wool would bring in $13,398,200
of revenue annually as estimated by the treasury
department. Ho suggested that in lieu of that
revenue a duty of 20 per cent should be levied
on rough diamonds and precious stones, which
would bring in $2,111,560, a duty of 20 per
cent on raw silk, which would produce $13,
425,920 of annual revenue, and a duty of 20
per cent on imports of crude India rubber and
substitutes, which would bring in $21,372,295
WHAT ARE THE WILD WAVES
SAYING?
ASK PAYNTEIt OF ICENTUOKY .
HJ3 KNOWS.
a
more, crudo rubber being tho material from
which autombbilo tires are made.
From all of these sources nearly three times
tho amount of revenue could be derived that
would come from a 20 per cent tariff on wool
and tho burden would fall on tho rich, who
could well afford to carry it.
Warming up to his theme, Mr. Gray poured
hot shot into the ranks of the wool manufac
turers who use a tariff on wool to bunko the
sheep raiser and milk the consumer.
Even those who did not agree with Mr. Gray
could not fail to admire his courage in thua
boldly expounding the dictronc of free wool in
tho face of the fact that all of his Indiana
democratic associates were on the other side
of the proposition. He went down flghtingr, for
Representative Underwood insisted upon his
point of order and Representative Sulzer, In
tho chair, ruled in favor of Underwood.
On the final roll call Gray voted for the bill,
considering it an improvement over-the Aldrlch
Payne law, but not nearly as good a bill as it
would have been if it had made wool free.
FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
Hon. Finly H. Gray's Speech follows;
Tuesday, June. 20, 1911.
The house being in committee of the whole
house on the state of the union and having under
consideration the bill (H. R. 11019) to reduce
the duties on wool and manufactures of wool
Mr. Gray said:,
Mr. Chairman; I desire to. offer an "amend
ment. The Chairman. Tho gentleman fi-jom. Indiana
(ft r Gray) offers an amendment, which the
clerk will report.
The clerk read as follows:
Resolved, That H. (R, 11.019, the same being
a bill to reduce the duties on wool .and manu
factures of wool, be amended by striking out
all in lines 10 to 13, inclusive, on page 1, and
bping paragraph 1 of section 1 therein, and in
serting in tlieu thereof the following:
"1. All wool of the sheep, hair of the camel,
goat, alpaca, and all other like animals, and all
wool, and hair on, the skins .pfsuch animals,.,
when imported Into the United States, shall
be exempt from duty, ' " - '
"And that the remaining paragraphs of' sec
tion 1 of said bill be recommitted to the ways
and means committee, with instructions to
amend the same by reducing the duties on manu
factures of wool to an average of 20 per cent ad
valorem." '
Mr. Underwood. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a
point of order on the amendment of the gentle
man from Iridiana.
Mr. Gray. Mr. Chairman, certain charges
have been made here against the democratic
caucus by the two honorable gentlemen from
the state of Illinois (Mr. Mann and Mr. Can
non) and also on the floor of this house by cer
tain other gentlemen. But I take no exceptions
to the charges, nor the criticisms from insur
gent republicans, because these men are consis
tent and practice what they preach, but I do
take exceptions to the charges from these other
men, because they are inconsistent and thev
do not practice what they preach. They say
nothing against the procedure of their own
caucus, and I take it that a man who has not
the moral courage to denounce a bad thin in
his own party has no standing to make charges
against and criticise his opposing party (Id
plauso on tho democratic side.) These gentle
men have never been in a democratic caucus,
caucuiieLrfhVidently iUdgIns a democratic
cancut Proceedings of a republican
Mr Madden. Mr. Chairman, I make the noint
?hettgent,eman 1S DOt M"
. Mr- Mann- Mr- Chairman, I hope my col
league (Mr Madden) will not insist upon his
point of order. Let the gentleman from In
diana proceed.
Mr. Madden The chair has not acted upon
the point of order that is pending.
The Chairman. The point of order was re
served, and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr
Gray) will continue. K
Mr. Gray. What I wanted to say, Mr. Chair
man was that these men are judging our caucus
by the r own caucus, and from their charges
certainly a republican caucus must be bristling
with the gag rule, shrieking with the strains of
the steam roller, and doleful with the wails of
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 26
the crushed. But I say to you, Mr. Chairman
such is not tho proceedings of a democratic
caucus. lams member of the dempcratic cau
cub, and believe that I am in good standing, and
yet under the rules of that caucus I am per
mitted to stand hero on this floor and make a
motion to amend tho bill reported at the caucus
and to move this house to place wool on the
free list and reduce tho duties upon manufac
tured wool to an average rate of 20 per cent ad
valorem, and I am free to vote for any aud all
amendments which, in my judgment, I may see
fit to support. So I say to these gentlemen that
their criticisms are not well taken,
Mr. Chairman, along with the tariff on woolen
clothing, behind which the woolen manufac
turers have intrenched themselves for 50 years
to exact millions in tribute annually from the
people, there is a tariff on raw wool, placed there
and kept there at the demands of the woolen
manufacturers themselves. And while this
tariff would have the effect, if allowed to
operate, to increase the cost of the manufac
turers' raw material, yet we are confronted
with the spectacle of the woolen manufacturers,
their agents, attorneys, and special representa
tives entreating and imploring congress to allow
the tariff on wool to remain, and to permit
them to continue the payment of a tax on their
raw material. Why have the woolen manufac
turers thus demanded, and why are. they still
demanding a tariff upon wool and asking to be
permitted to continue the payment of this tax?
Let no man be deceived in their 'purpose. It
is a stratagem to gain the wool growers' ,sup-
?? .i ir a ,tarlff upon manufactured wool, to
blind him with self-interest, to make him a. party
to the crime of extortion,, and to close his mouth
against the evils of private monopoly, and the
exploitation of the consumers of woolen cloth
inS. ,, ; " f -
Monopoly and extortion never, ask in. their
own name but always for and in th,e, name of
others. The woolen manufacturers' demand for.
a tariff upon wool is a' subterfuge, to claim a
tariff for themselves on manufactured . wool
under the name of the wool growers. It is to
disguise the wool trust in the cloak of the shep-
Si! deiv tne PePe and decoy them to
support a tariff on. woolen clothing.
And the woolen manufacturers, can vell .afford
J? ake.th,is bargain with the -wool growers, for;
the manufacturers do not W up to their
promise to divide the tribute collected off of
ririei ,?Ut if,tae manufacturers did so
wf i the To1 growers they would only
m Vdd any lncrease in price of wool they
JSId ,t0he price of their cloth and collect it back
off of the consumers, and would make, the wool
growers pay their own tribute.
dfnnL?6 lafc i3 years the tariff upon In-
SS V ? ,e:fJUrth blood wool swashed, has
SSnn 5nt? PG PUnd' and et tne average
Boston price for these years has been less, than
thl t3JeTJ2lmd, abov,e tne Lonaon market for
wn nSS ?S?8 otS and in 1903 the price
was only 3 cents higher, in 1907 only 3
1908S nngbvGr'l 2 19 0nly 4 Cents hlr, in
1908 only 1 cents higher and in 1910
only l cent higher per pound In the
SSdE. ma&et Ver the toln prtee a?
ThS Z'rrJ reaS,n f0r thIs Is PJain.
The farmers and wool growers have never been
able to organize and co-operate to hold their
FoUhIWllil.tbe. W00len manufacturers have
long been combined as a trust, and thus actimr
eve?nnrwT, ""? ?ffer the grower ES
meJtlS IK aetermlne to pay in directors'
wm ?Sd ?. 01 grower has to take it.
mnh,p2 e tarIff f, " nts per pound re
mained the same during all these years the
tariff hW flUtated lth each'yea3;? j
thl nrfc ?en ,the rolling factor in fixing
the price of wool and the measure pf that price,
Sow ?fl0n ?ufacturers promised the wool
wmJE S TUld be', tbe price of domestic wool
ffr hay5 nben maintained uniformly 11 cents
ftiw?JLnf hQ f0Ifgn markets. The tariff
hr? SIT t0 k00?1 tbe Price of ol before
J1Bfeflc"on' t the woolen manufacturers'
the election611 Ptent factor of contro1 after
hivoUtWn ?r30t a While tbe wo1 growers
ionw? ? ?idUCed t0 support a tariff upon
SinrfS h J hi5 Promiso of bein& allowed to
S wnSh0 itr5?,ute exacted f rom tne consumers
S 2ln clol?l,n?' tne woolen manufacturers
nn J '! QfCJJec"ng an average tariff tax of
?nPth nti0ff f tbe American people, includ
vSiiSSw oolMsrowers themselves, amounting, as
$a7?nnnnenSnimatedonf.rom ofilclal uves, from
? nL? 'i000 to ?200,000,000 annually,
in ? aT?f i llQ manufactured wool produced
in the United States for 1909, with imports
