Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1871-11-18
THE WOOL TRADE.

Some time ago Donald McLennan,
Ike Manager Of the San Francisco
Mission Woolen Mills, and of the Pa
cifc Knitting Factory, went to Aus
tralia to buy wool for manufacturing
uses, and recent dispatches state that
he, and others who went upon sim
ila: mission, lately returned, after
having brought over million dollars
worth Of the article in that market.
This is matter which must force
itself upon the consideration of wool
growers and manufacturers and dealers
in the staple in Oregon as we'll as Calls
foruia. 1t is of especial interest to
Oregon in the particular case before
US, for We learn that of this great guam
tity OF Australian wool now on the
way, fifty thousand pounds is destined
for the Oregon City Wooden Mills.
When We come to investigate the
subject, it seems more surprising than
on first view that wool eau be imported
from so distant port as Australia to a
new country like this Pacific Coast,
where sheep thrive so very well. and
where the wool is Of such general good
quality, with advantage or profit to the
importers In the first place, the duty
on raw wool is excessive. The quality
Of wool now on the way from Australia
has to pay a specific duty Of ten cents
per pound, and also an nd valorem duty
Of eleven per cent. on the value at the
place of EXPORT aud in addition to this
there are freight aud other expenses.
Wool is now quoted at from twenty
eight to thirty cents per pound IN this
market. OF course to import wool from
Australia here, the importer must have
in his favor such buying price in that
market as will enable him TO make
profit over aud above duties, freight,
aud charges OF every kind He must
likewise BE- assured that lne imported
soo is as good as the home product, or
better ii possible. To make an esti>
u,ate on this basis, We will compute the
duly Oh wool from Australia as say
twelve cents per pound, aud for freight
age and expenses Of every Kind say two
cents per pound, or total Of fourteen
cents. Accept the lowest wool Quota
ton In tho home market as the safest
for all estimate-twenty eight cents per
pound-and from this deduct the sum
Of duties and other charges on the i'm.
ported wool, and we have just fourteen
cents per pound left as the highest
possible rate the importer could have
, / Il "a
But these figures will give barely, il
any, margin for profit, to say nothing of
risks aud some other incidental matters
not computed in the estimate we have
just made. The likelihood Is that the
parties who have made these large pur-
chases Of wool in Australia had frs,
ascertalned that they could purchase
there at figure so much below the
price here as to warrant them in all
they have undertaken in connection
with this operation. We hear from a
source entitled to credence that good
wool can be bought there at from eight
10 eleven cents per pound, and the
:, finer qualities at from ten to fifteen
cents per pound. At such prices it i:
easy to discern that the importer in
: either California or Oregon can buy il
Australia rather than at home, and re,
alize quite handsomely by the transac,
ton. The question with our woo
! growers must therefore be, whether
they can or cannot compete with The
wool growers of Australia In price, as
, well as the quality of the wool. 1t is
the question which they will have t,
decide, aud the sooner the better.
! We have it from large dealer il
wool that one cause for the importa
ton of this wool from Australia is tn,
lack of wool sufficiently fine in tn,
, home market. Our informant says tha
> the Oregon wool is becoming SO graded
= down into coarseness, that much of i
:, is unsuited to the manufacturing want
:, of the State, and hence it has to b,
; culled end sent to the Atlantic mar
: kets, where the coersest qualities ar
. worked TO mssch better adyantag,
, thao here. The grade known as comb
ing wool is not wrought up in the Ore
: gon faotoriee, and too much of the Ore
gon wool is of this grade. A fner WOO
! is here required, aud MS the home mar
= ket fails to furnish it, the factory own
ers have to send abroad for it, and tn
: Australian wool is the best and cheap
e est for this purpose.
= Whatever may be the causes for thi
y condition of things we shall not under
= take to say-whether it is true that ou
wool growers cannot successfully com