Varieties of wool in European markets-Necessity of protection to American wools-Cloth- ing wools-Silesian and Prussian clothing wools-Culture of fine clothing wools in the United States desirable-American clothing wools-Vermont sheep in demand in Austra- lia-Merino combing wools-Sheep husbandry in France-English combing wool-Che- viot sheep-Problems to be resolved in American sheep husbandry-Vast scale of sheep husbandry in Russia-Exemption of duties on sheep imported for breeding.—pp. 6-17. Antiquity of fabrication in Europe-Characters of woolly fibre-Consumption of the world— Characteristic fabrics of eastern nations-England-Belgium—Prussia-Austria-Russia— Relative rank of nations in production of woollen fabrics-Awards to leading centres of European production- Characteristics of American fabrics-Marked excellence in card- wool fabrics-Fancy cassimeres, shawls, flannels, cloakings-American carpets-Evidences of progress within five years-Awards of medals to American manufacturers-Award of grand prize to Pacific mills-Statements of the management of those mills-Principles upon which New England mills were founded—Mr. Nathan Appleton's statement-Rela- tive cost of production in the United States and Europe-Equality in skill, machines, and efficiency of labor-Disadvantages of cost of capital and labor-Necessity of pro- tective duties to neutralize European advantages-Relations of American sheep husbandry French woollen fabrics at the Exposition-Distribution of groups of manufacturing establish- ments in France-General features of French industry-Contributions of French inven- tions and fabrics to the woollen industry-Culture of taste in France-Schools of design at Lyons-Progress of the art of dyeing in France-Colbert's regulations-Discovery of steam colors-Discovery of artificial ultra-marine-Improvements in madder dyes-French ELBEUF. The great centre of the fancy cassimere manufacture-Designers-Echantilleurs- Facilities for credit-Separate establishments devoted to single processes of manufacture- Wages and condition of industrial population.-pp. 45-49. SEDAN. The centre of fine cloth manufacture-Invention of fancy cassimeres-Suppression of drunkenness-Wages and condition of industrial population.-pp. 49, 50. REGION DU MIDI.-Centre of manufacture of fabrics for common consumption-Production of peculiar fabrics for the Levant-For the army-Workshop nurseries- Singular features of military establishment of Villeneuvette-Wages and condition of workmen.-pp. 50-53. RHEIMS.-A centre of combing wool industry-Fabrication of merinos-Improvements in States-Advantages of undertaking the merino manufacture in the United States-Wages and condition of workmen.-pp. 53-55. CATEAU.-Immense establishment-Perfection of machinery and processes-Wages and condition of workmen ―pp. 55-57. ROUBAIX.--The rival of Bradford-History of its growth-Public sentiment opposed to the BELGIUM, GERMANY, AND AUSTRIA.-Productions, and rates of wages.-pp. 60, 61. GREAT BRITAIN.-Growth of the cities of the West Riding-Bradford, Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax-Statements of value of British woollen manufacture in 1861-Wages and condi tion of workmen-Decline of arts in England-Cause of decline; Production to supply the markets of the world-Duties of American manufacturers.-pp. 62–66. APPENDICES. A. AMERICAN MERINOS.-Prepared by request for the report, by Hon. HENRY S. RANDALL, LL.D., president of National Wool Growers' Association. Page. B. THE ANGORA GOAT: ITS ORIGIN, CULTURE, AND PRODUCTS, by JOHN L. HAYES, secretary of the National Association of Wool Manufacturers.... WOOL AND MANUFACTURES OF WOOL. INTRODUCTION. The preparation of a report upon wool and manufactures of wool having been committed to the undersigned, it was his original purpose to limit himself to giving the general impressions made at the Universal Exposition of 1867 upon a business man greatly interested in, rather than techni cally informed as to, the woollen manufacture and the raw material supplying it. But in conformity with the views of the Department of State, that a report relating to so important a branch of national industry might take a wider scope with advantage to the public interests, the undersigned has consented to modify his original purpose, by adding to his personal observations more general views as to the present condition of the woollen industry at home and abroad, and such statistical statements, obtained from the most recent and authoritative sources, as would throw light upon its economic and social relations. In the preparation of this work he has been assisted by Mr. John L. Hayes, secretary of the National Association of Wool Manufacturers, to whom the literary execution of the report has been intrusted. SECTION I. WOOL AND ITS CULTURE. VARIETIES OF WOOL IN EUROPEAN MARKETS-NECESSITY OF PROTECTION TO AMERICAN WOOLS-CLOTHING WOOLS-SILESIAN AND PRUSSIAN CLOTHING WOOLS-CULTURE OF FINE CLOTHING WOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES DESIRABLE-AMERICAN CLOTHING WOOLS-VERMONT SHEEP DEMANDED IN AUSTRALIA-MERINO COMBING WOOLS-SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN FRANCE.-ENGLISH COMBING WOOL-CHEVIOT SHEEP-PROBLEMS TO BE RESOLVED IN AMERICAN SHEEP HUSBANDRY-VAST SCALE OF SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN RUSSIA-EXEMPTION OF DUTIES ON SHEEP imported for BREEDING. To commence with the raw material, the first impression made upon an American manufacturer by an observation of the woollen manufactures of Europe, as displayed at the Exposition, is the immeasurable advantage which the woollen manufacturer of Europe has in the command of an unlimited supply of wool, and other raw material of every variety, free of duty. The policy of the modern governments of Europe, unrestrained by any regard for the opinions. or prejudices of agriculturists so controlling here, is first and foremost to develop the manufactures of their several countries. Freedom from duties on raw material and breadstuffs is but one mode of protec tion. The necessity for duties on wool as a measure of encouragement to the wool-grower has passed away. Sheep husbandry in Europe could not be extended by protective duties, as all the land that could be profitably devoted to this purpose is already occupied. England has one sheep to one and three-quarters of an acre of land, while Ohio and Vermont have one to four and a half acres, New York one to six and a half acres, Iowa one to twenty-four acres, and the whole United States one to fifty-seven acres. The perfection to which the leading varieties of European wools has attained removes them from all competion, and renders protective duties unnecessary. No lustrous combing wools can compete with the Lincoln, Leicester, and Cotswold wools of England; no clothing wools with the Saxon and Silesian wools of Germany; no soft combing wools with those of the Rambouillet stock of France. The culture of the latter wools was developed by protection until their excellence relieved them from competition, and even the agriculturists of France assented to the abolition of the duty on wool. The great centre of distribution for the great part of the wool of the world, not consumed at home, is England, the distribution being favored by her warehousing system. All the wool manufacturers of Europe are gathered at the annual sales at London. The European supply of raw material constitutes but an inconsiderable portion of the consumption of Europe. The importations have increased with marvellous rapidity. The importations of wool into England a little over 30 years ago, viz, in 1830, were, in round numbers, from Germany, 74,000 bales; from Spain and Portugal, 10,000 bales; the British colonies, 8,000 bales; sundry other places, 5,000 bales; total, 98,000 bales; and yet at that period, as appears from the testimony before the House of Lords, in 1828, every warehouse in England was filled with wool, and stocks were lying on hand for five or six years. In 1864 there were imported, from Australia, 302,000 bales; from the Cape of Good Hope, 68,000 bales; from South America, 99,000 bales; and 219,336 bales from other sources-in all, 688,336 bales. Australia now supplies more than three times the whole amount of foreign wool consumed in England a third of a century ago, and the production of South America exceeds the whole consumption then. The advantages which the European manufacturer enjoys over the American in the command of an unlimited supply of every variety of wool cannot be overestimated. The range of fabrication of the American manufacturer in clothing and combing wools is limited to the produce of American flocks, under the almost prohibitory duty upon those wools. The European can select from the peculiar products of every climate and soil of the whole world, which are poured into the great centres of distribution at London and Liverpool. Hence the infinite variety of European manufactures so conspicuous at the Exposition, and hence the capacity of the European manufacturer to relieve himself from home competition by changing at pleasure the character of his fabrics. It is true that the American is able to contend with the European manufacturer, who has his wool free of duty, by receiving the imposition of a specific duty on foreign cloths just sufficient to reimburse the duties on wool. Without this neutralizing duty the American could not live for a day, and with it he still suffers in the limitation of his supply of raw material. By these observations upon the present comparative advantages of the American and foreign manufacturer in the supply of raw material, it is not to be inferred that the undersigned would advocate the application to this country of the British system of protection by the free admission of raw materials which can be advantageously produced here, or that he would for a moment maintain that the wool-grower can obtain sufficient encouragement through the protection of the manufacturer. The higher demands of American civilization require that all our industries should be defended against the cheap capital and labor of competing nations. The labor which produces the wool cannot be distinguished from that which spins and weaves it. Considerations of national independence require us to seek to the utmost possible extent all our supplies from domestic sources. The woollen manufacturer has the best assurance of permanent prosperity when he can look to an uninterrupted supply of wool from sources not liable to be cut off by war, famine, pestilence, or political revolutions abroad. The American wool manufacturer, no less than the wool-grower, has the only market for his fabrics at home, and can have a profitable market only when all the industry of the country is profitably occupied. The system of political economy essential to |