The Somerset reporter., 1888-07-26
FARM, GARDEN AND
IIOU SEUOLD.
The Wool Market.

Perhaps no agricultural industry Is
feeling the influence of national leglsla-
ton to the extent that 1t Is being felt by t
those who are chiefly engaged in sheep I
husbandry; although farmers are gener-
ally not little alarmed over the fate of |
potatoes. hay and other products includ- /
ed in the Mills tariff bill now before
Congress, which, should the bill as it now |
stands become law, would be seriously |
jcopardi1ed.
The receipts of wool at Boston for the
period between Jan. /, 1883. and July
18th, present great contrast To the re-
ceipts for the same period In 1857. This
year the receipts have only reached ~
Gj9 bags, against 23l ,543 bags in leol,
falling OFF of s2,ss4 bags These are
receipts of domestic wool. For the same
period this year the receipts of foreign
wool have been l6, 40 bales in excess OF
what they were at the same time one year
ago. owing 10 the general firm position in
which foreign woods have been held.
Pending the final passage of the Mills
bill in its present or amended form, the
great wool buyers have so long been un-
decided that they now affirm any settle
ment, almost would be preferable to the
present state of uncertainty, which has
] y
them since the change WIS first proposed
| The proposed reduction in duties has af-
fected the wooden mills, greatly, but they
were in better condition to counteract
this effect, rs they did n ot have the wool
and so could reduce their output TO meet
only the wants Of their customers. ON
| the other hand the holders of wool had
their stock on hand which they had
bought at the comparatively high prices
ruling on the clip of 1887, and they had
no alternative but TO sell their stocks at
the best prices available and pocket their
| loss. 1t had been a hard struggle and
consequently they are in no condition to-
go into the country and offer any price
that they are not reasonably sure will
| leave them Il chance to at least get new
dollar for an old one, to say nothing of
any margin.
In its review of the Boston wool mar
ket of July l4th the Advertiser says that
in many sections prices in the country are
generally being worked down. 1t men
tons the case of Boston wool dealer
who has just returned from Ohio, Michi-
gan and Pennsylvania and reports line
feeccs in Ohio, moving some at % cents,
while medium woods are nominally about
SOC. In Michigan about % and % cents
Tor line neeces Is buying some WOODS,
with medium at about 25 and 2Sc, accord
ing to condition. In some Instances the
competition of local buyers is causing
the price to range about IL to lie above
this, but no outside operators will pay
any more. These figures, he claims are
fully &c. above what Eastern buyers can
afford to pay, and take their chances of
getting any profit for handling and con-
sequently the amount taken up to the
present date has been small In Pennsyl-
vana holders are way up in their views
and almost no sales have been made.
This Is generally one of the last fleece
States to move and this year they are
keeping up their record. Holders are
generally asking about Doc for fine tiecces
but would probably let some go as low
rs 2Sc, while buyers are not inclined to
do much above 25c. Some scattering
clips have been picked up at 25c. but
most holders will not listen to any such
price -E'rrHUUUP