WASHING SHEEP CONSIDEKED. 167 



growers, that a reduction of the present rate of shrinkage is 

 all that is now called for — leaving it as fixed in its rate as 

 at present — must he a pleasing one to those who grow and 

 preserve the largest amount of yolk, for this would increase 

 the present premium on yolk precisely in proportion to that 

 reduction. But it would do it at the expense either of the 

 producer of cleaner wools, or of the manufacturer. Equally 

 fallacious and interested is the pretence that unwashed wools 

 come nearer to a uniform standard in respect to cleanliness 

 than washed ones, and therefore that, as a matter of right or 

 mutual protection, aU wool growers ought to combine 

 to omit washing for the purpose of forcing aU wools on the 

 market in that situation. 



The only sound and equitable course is to abolish any fixed 

 rule in the premises — to buy unwashed wool as wheat, other 

 grain, hay, and washed wool containing impurities are now 

 bought, viz., subject to a deduction proportioned to the 

 amount of impurity in each particular case — clean wool 

 being made the standard. It is as easy for the buyer and 

 seller to agree on the amount of deduction as to agree on the 

 quality. Indeed, they have no especial occasion to agree in 

 terms on either ; nor do they now, in the case of washed wools 

 of different qualities and degrees of cleanliness. They simply 

 agree or disagree on price, each basing his estimates on such 

 data as he pleases. The moment this mode of purchasing is 

 adopted and put fairly into operation, its propriety wiU 

 commend it to aU. It will equally promote the legitimate 

 interests of both buyer and seller. But one leading purchaser 

 has to adopt it rapidly to procure its general adoption — 

 because those who bought thus would secure the decided 

 advantage of acting without competition in the rapidly 

 increasing market of unwashed wools, while they stiU could 

 compete on equal terms in the market of washed wools. 



Two sets of persons have taken what I esteem to be very 

 uncalled for positions on this subject. Those who assume 

 that manufacturers should, at the first intimation and without 

 understanding the reasons, abandon any established custom 

 of their calling, or submit to the imputation of laboring to 

 take advantage of the wool producer, and of "combining" 

 to secure that advantage, assume positions which are equally 

 unsupported by proof and at war with good sense. The 

 manufacturers have been at least as much sinned against 

 as sinning. There is no more intelligent, honorable, public- 

 spirited and liberal class of business men in our country. 



