The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-06-14
Fos rvs TiruS Tususs
THE OHIO WOOL MARKET.

The season Of sheep shearing - aow
upon us, and with Il comes the .quos,
ton of what shall be the price OF
wool Having spent most OF the past
month AZ the public shearings and
meetings of the wool growers, this
question has been faulty asked
nc. and have made such answer as,
according to the best Of my informa
ton, would subservo the truth. l
think no person can say confidently
lust VIII, wco will be worth a month
hence, or what price farmers ought to
insist upon, but so far as | have any
opinion to express, | will give II, un-
der tho above qualification.
In the first place, as to the causes
which will affect prices this season.
The pending tariff measure agreed
upen by the joint committee Of the
National Wool Growers and Nation
al Manufacturers Associations, can
operate only prospeeti,ely. The bill
has not, at this writing, been report
cd to Congress by the committee of
Ways and Means, so that the nearest
possible time of its passage is too far
In the future tohave a very direct in
nuencc in determining the price which
shall rule for our wools In June or
July. But the prospective and col
lateral influence Of this measure will
be considerable. Let us calculate -
With an impost duty of ten cts. por
lb. and ten per cent. ad valorem on
foreign wools--of which foreign wool
it takes two pounds to be equal to ono
Of American wool--to the American
wool grower twice ten cents per h.,
and twice ten por cent, say twenty
three cents add to this tho cost Of
the foreign wool, say, at fifteen cents
per pound, equals thirty cents, max
ing In all hfty-throc cents, besides
exchange, storage. Re, and the Amer
lean wool grower will have his own
market at an average Of some sixty
cents per pound. Even under the
present delusiyo tariff, il is stated in
the last report of the Boston Board
Of Trade, by one of the best inform.
cd wool dealers in that city, that even
at cost of twenty. four cents per h.,
the importation Of MestiEo wools the
past season had not been remunera-
tive and this while American wool
is quoted at ffty to fifty-fve cents.
If this calculation is correct, | think
the American wool grower has abun-
dant reason to be satisfied with the
prospective condition Of the wool
market.
Another and more immediate cause
affecting the prico Of wool in 1866, is
the fact that the eastern wool houses
are unusually bare, not only Of for
eign. but of entire and desirable lots
of domestic wool. The operations
of manufacturers within tho last few
weeks have cleared the eastern wool
houses to au extent below that Of
any other time, at this season, within
the last FIVE years. Meanwhile the
machinery Of the wooden mills has
been increased fully fifty per cent,
requiring a supply Of one third more
than all the wool raised in the United
States, to keep it even in moderate op-
Grafton.
These two main facts-viz the un-
profitableness Of importation, and the
necessity for domestic wool, fix the
status Of the market at its present {
opening.
The wool buyers are already in the ,
field with the expressed determine
ton TO take the new clip at range of !
from forty Ave to ffty cents. For
merly it was the custom, Just before /,
the sending out Of orders to purchase
wool in the spring, to &c. up sham
sale in Boston or New York, and send :
out false report Of prices but as
this practice can no longer deceive in.
telligent men, the spectators have
resorted to the system Of decrying
our woods, and for this purpose have
held meetings in Michigan and Ohio,
adopting rules both impracticable and
unjust, aud putting forth declarations
concerning the practices Of wool grow
ers whose impudence is only equaled
by their falsehood.
But the farmers have wool TO sell,
and these men will como to buy it,,
Every farmer must decide for himself
how he will dispose Of his wool and
the price q. which he will hold it. 1t
is always most satisfactory TO the far
mcr TO dispose Of his stuff at home
for cash In hand, aud when a satisfac-
tory offer Of this kind is made, l
should say, take it. But let no far
mer be deceived by specious argu.
monts, as if the bottom was about to
fall out Of the market. There can
be no prediction in trade at this time
more certain Of fulfillment than that
wool must advance from prsseut quo
tations, and although the published
rates are from f0rty-6ve to fifty cents,
| know Of considerable purchases al
ready made in Ohio at ifty-fve to
sixty cents, and know OF no good
reason why all the better class Of good
conditioned Ohio wool should not
the outside figure within
the next two mouths.
Believing this, as l do, from a can
vass Of the whole field Of production
and consumption, l send forth this
statement to the public for the con-
siderat!on Of such wool growers as are
constantly inquiring Of me - What
are the prospects Of the wool trade
this season?
s. ID. HARRIS.
Secretary Ohio Wool Growers Asso-
ciatian and griculfural Editar