297 



PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF WOOL. 



An erroneous impression exists in many minds relative to the amount of wool 

 mrtinufactured in this country. Because almost fabulous increases have been 

 effected in array enlistments, the contraction of national indebtedness, and in 

 the popular estimate of national power, it is thoughtlessly assumed that the 

 number of pounds of wool worn annually per capita is augmented in like pro- 

 portion. There has been much annual waste by a million of men in arms, but 

 they constituted but three per cent, of the population ; and with a plethora of 

 currency, and high prices of labor, the people at large were able to wear more 

 woollens. This has increased the per capita consumption from 4i- or 5 pol^mds to 

 6 pounds per annum at a fsiir estimate. 



It should be remembered that in 1830 the value of woollen manufactures was 

 but S14,.'i28,16G; in 1840 it was $20,696,999; in 1850, $43,207,545; in 1860, 

 S6S, 865,965, in which 80,386,572 pounds of wool were consumed. This was 

 the highest figure ever attained before the war. Now, examine the facts of later 

 consumption of wool in manufacture, and the results will show a progress suffi- 

 ciently encouraging without indulging in vague and wild estimates which are 

 far beyond the truth. 



The following tables are the oflScial figures representing the wool imports from 

 July 1, 1861, to June 30, 1865, inclusive — four years. They show an aggre- 

 gate of wool and shoddy (27,155,133 pounds of the latter) amounting to 

 279,183,049 pounds. This, with the wool produced in those four years, con- 

 stitutes nearly the amount manufactured. To be exact, something should be 

 deducted from the aggregate of wool, on account of the greater amount on hand 

 July 1, 1865. The available wool product of the United States is, theiefore, 

 ftiirly estimated as follows : 



Pounds. 



1861 55, 000, 000 



1862 67, 500, 000 



1863 82, 500, 000 



1864 95, 000, 000 



Total 300, 000, 000 



The wool of the above-mentioned years, and the imports referred to, less the 

 difference in the amount on hand, comprise the amount manufactured in that 

 period. 



Pouuds. 



Amount produced 300, 000, 000 



Amount imported 279, 183, 049 



Total 579, 183, 049 



Yearly average for consumption 144, 795, 762 



The estimate of consumption in the calendar year of 1864, made by this de- 

 partment, was 160,000,000 pounds, and 120,000,000 of that aggregate were 

 obtained from actual returns of manufacturers. It is possible that the total 

 aggregate, had it all been obtained from actual returns, would have exceeded 

 slightly 160,000,000 pounds, but the above showing of a wool supply not ex- 

 ceeding 145,000,000 pounds per annum for the four years, would corroborate 



