80 SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN THE SOUTH. 



industry of the country, which we must have for food as 

 well as clothing. It is doubtful if even Texas, with its won- 

 derful pastoral advantages, could ever compete, without the 

 aid of protective duties, with the Pampas of South America, 

 in the production of wool. The cost of transporting wool is 

 so slight but two cents per pound even from Australia to 

 New York that distance is no protection ; and the Texan 

 flock-master cannot procure labor for the wages of the Indian 

 shepherds of the Pampas : while, like all other producers in 

 this country, he is subject to the demands imposed by Amer- 

 ican civilization and our high local taxation. Even if the 

 American flock-master could produce his wool as cheaply as 

 the foreigner, he must be defended against the inpouring of 

 foreign surpluses which, without defensive barriers, are liable 

 at any moment to break down our markets. 



Adjustment of Duties on Manufactures to Duties on Wool. 

 All the duties imposed for the protection of wool-growers, it 

 need not be said, are paid by the wool manufacturers, who 

 thus labor under a burden from which the cotton, linen, and 

 silk manufacturers are free ; all the raw material for the 

 two first being produced at home, and raw silk being free 

 from duty. Notwithstanding the apparently high duty 

 imposed upon fabrics of wool, it is a fact capable of demonstra- 

 tion, that, after deducting the duty which the wool manufac- 

 turers of this country pay upon the foreign wool which they 

 consume, or the amount by which the domestic wool they 

 consume is enhanced by the wool-duty, the wool manufacture 

 of this country, under the existing laws, receives less protec- 

 tion than any branch of the textile industry. The fact that 

 the wool manufacturer must pay the wool-duty makes it of 

 the highest importance to him that the relations of the duties 

 on the wool manufactures should be accurately adjusted to 

 the duties on wool. The proper relations of these duties is 

 to him of far more importance than the amount of the pro- 

 tective duty he may receive. 



The American wool manufacturer has to compete with 

 European manufacturers, who invariably have their wool free 

 of duty. Since 1861, our tariff laws have recognized that our 



