The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-08-06
ST. LOUIS AS A WOOL MARKET.
The Views and Opinions of a Prominent
Wool Grower.
Globe-Demoerat.


Mr.. VIM. Vernon, of England, a large
wool grower III Texas, is in town on his
way TO Europe. Mr.. Vernon has had a
large experience in the stock business
in Australia and Texas. An interview
being had with him, lie stated 10 u re-
porter that, in common with other wool
growers, he has been much dissatisfied
with the present method OF buying and
selling wool. For some time past he
has been seeking for remedy. AT first
he thought OF starting local auction sales
OF wool at Abilene, but upon consulta-
tion with New York and other buyers,
he concluded that some large central
point, such as st. Louis, WAS more suit
able for the establishment of "a mart.
He states that Il convention OF Texas
wool growers will shortly held at San
Angelo under the presidency OF Mr..
Joseph TWeedey, which will discuss
this question at length, and doubtless
determine that the present system Is no
longer adequate TO the demands OF their
business, as they are very much discon-
tented with the manner i'll which their
great staple is handled.
MIR. Vernon's views on the subject are
as follows: A radical change must soon
take place in the methods of the wool
market, and the bulk Of the reforming
growers have had an idea that Chicago
would ultimately meet their wants :but
the business men OF st. Louis, by taking
proper steps to that end, can make their
city the great wool market OF the cOun-
try. The chief objections OF the growers
are that at present they must send their
wool to commission men, who generally
sell by private sale oy by sealed bids, the
tor i.r nr1
published, the buyers not wishing to
give publicity to high prices. Again,
there is no uniformity in the system or
grading, each commission man having
his grades. In consequence, the quota
tions of wool sales in the st. Louis and
other papers afford no reliable criterion
as to the real state of the market. A
very small fuctuation in price will make
so much difference to a grower that he
should have the means of being thor
oughly posted as to the slightest move
ment; furthermore, he should have the
assurance that his wool is graded not by
the servants of private individuals, but
according to some uniform standard, by
responsible inspectors, free from private
influence.
Wool commission men as rule are
Of the highest integrity, but where they
buy SO largely OH their own account as
they do in this country, there is evident
~ a conflict of interest between them
and the sellers. The wool business,
again, ought to be concentraten in large
markets. In the small local markets,
where many sales now take place, there
is practically no competition, the buyers
being chiefly eastern commission men
dealing on their own account. In
dealing with a trade where a knowledge
of the slightest fuctuation is valuable,
an auction sale in some fixed locality
will at once suggest itself. This has
been the outcome in England, where
sales that originally lasted fortnight
year are now regularly held for six
weeks each, four times year, to the
great advantage of both buyer and pro-
ducer. st. Louis should establish some
such system, have organized sales, and
draw the whole wool production of the
west into its market, so that the buyer
and seller can meet halfway.
st. Louis is prominently the place
for such a market. Of the great wool
districts, Montana alone is tributary to
Chicago, whereas Kansas, Texas, Col
orado, Mexico, New Mexico and Cali
fornia, to say nothing of Missouri itself,
would, by existing railroad facilities,
land their produce in St. Louis. st
Louis promises to be the mutton market
of the United states, and, therefore, for
her own benefit, and that of the western
wool growers, let her make herself the
wool market Of America.