Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-02-27
peculiarly interesting to Now England. We
shall at future time take further notice Of the
depositions contained in the pamphlet.
WOOL.
FRIDAY, JANUARY Is, 1928.

1
| FRIDAY, JANUARY 1S, 1928.
| Hon. Aaron Tufts admitted and stcorn.
| Question. What has been the average num-
Der Of pounds of wool manufactured annually in
the factory referred to, for the last three years
| Answer. The quantity has been about 10000
| pounds annually, since we commenced opera
| tons find that we purchased from first June,
| 1926, to fist July, 1927, 45,532 pounds Of
wool.
I Question. What proportion Of this wool has
| been imported; and what proportion Of domes-
tic growth; and is il usually purchased in the
| fleece?
| Answer. OF the last purchase, there were Of
/ domestic wool S4.93s pounds, Of foreign wool
| is all purchased in the fleece. The foreign
wool is partially assorted, but not sufficiently so
! TO work up.
Question. What has been the quality Of the
wool mostly purchased for the use Of your fac
| tory; and what has been the average prices
per pound, paid at the factory for the last three
| years!
Answer. Between June, 1876, and July 1927,
| the average price Of American wool, purchased
by US, was thir.y-seven and three quarters cents
II was the intention to purchase none inferior
to three quarters merino, though it is likely all
was no, SO good as that. We intended to pur-
chase from three quarters to full blood, or the
best quality. During the same period, tho av-
erage cost Of foreign wool. was thirty eight and
a half cents. I do not think the foreign pur-
chase SO fair as the domestic growth, but there
was less waste in cleansing il.
Question. Into how many parcels or qualities
is each fleece Of wool usually assorted at the
| factory, for the purpose of manufacture; and
what will he the difference in value between The
best and the poorest quality from the same
fleece!
I Answer. Some aeeces make moro parcels
| than others. We never make moro than nine
| parcels ut our factory. Some feeces make not
more than two. The finest parcel, which is
| called picklock, is worth dollar and twenty
cents per pound; of this there is but little. The
ninth, or lowest quality, would not be worth
more than ten cents. l am not sufficiently ac-
quainted with the character or quantity Of the
intermediate qualities to fix their respective
prices, for am not a practical operator.
SATURDAY, JANUARY I9.
Hon. Aaron Tufts, in continuation.
Question. Is the growing ofwool considera-
BILE business with the farmers in the neighbor-
hood Of your factory; and is there a surplus Of
domestic wool in your neighborhood, over and
above what is demanded by the manufa acturers
| in the same section Of country!
Answer. The growing Of wool is consider
| able business with the farmers Of my neighbor-
hood, but they do not furnish twentieth part
! Of what is demanded by the manufactures in
the vicinity. The factories in that section of
country, are generally supplied with wool from
Connecticut, the western part of Massa chusetts,
New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and a
| small quantity from Pennsylvania. l have seen
large quantities Of wool from Ohio, in the Bos-
ton market, but never bought any oft
Question. Are you wool grower? and, ifyou
| are, what number of sheep do you own, and
what number of pounds do your fiocks yield?
Answer. l am wool grower, and own about
500 sheep. My flock consists Of fine woolled
sheep, but do not yield quite 2 l-2 lbs. wool
per head, on the back, well washed.
Question Has wool deprecated materially in
| price, within tho last three years? If SO, to
what is the depreciation to be attributed?
Answer. II has deprecated very consiGera-
bly, | attribute the depreciation TO the low
price Of woollen goods
Question. Are you apprzed oftho fact, that
| large quantities Of wool are annually imported;
and does no, this tend to deprecate the price
| Of the domestic wool?
| Answer. | am. l do not think this tends in the
leas, to depreciale the price Of domestic wool.
The reason assign for this opinion, is, that the
manufacturer now pays so high a price for wool,
| as TO render his business unprofia able and bad,
and, Of consequence, if none was imported, we
could pay no higher price.
Question What are the usual qualities Of
wool imported?
Answer. Various qualities are imported.
Some has been sold in Boston as low as cents
per pound, and from that to the finest Saxony
WOOL which has sold as high as 81 60.
| Considerable quantities Of the intermediate
grades are also imported. The largest quantity
imported, sells from 10 TO l6 cents per pound
| in Boston.
Question. Is the number Of sheep increasing
! or diminishing in your section Of country?
Answer. They increased very rapidly until
| the year 1926; since which time, many Of the
farmers have disposed Of their Hocks. and others
seem disposed to do so, in consequence Of the
| low price of wool. On the whole, think the
| stock is diminishing.
| Question. Is there as much wool grown in
Massa chusetts, as is consumed in the woollen
| manufactures ofthat State! If not what pro-
portion Of the whole quantity do you think is
imported, and what proportion is grown in the
| State?
Answer. All the wool grown in Massachu-
setts furnishes but a small proportion Of what is
manufactured in that State. l think fully one
fourth OF what is there manufactured, is i'm
ported. The State may furnish one twelfth.
| but this is nero conjecture. As have already
stated, the principal supply is from the neigh
| boring States.
| Question. Isit, in your opinion, important to
the farming interest o, your State to die courage
the imporations Of foreign wool'
| Answer. II is, in my opini,n. Of no conse-
quence. unless you can enal 10 'ho manufacturer
| to furnish the farmer marke,.
Question. What quantity Of the domestic wool
stated by you to have been purchased IN 1927,
by the factory, in which YOU are concerned, was