Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-11
WOOL is VERY LOW
Large lmportstions Of Austria
liam Wool.
TRICKS OF MICHIGAN GROWERS
They Put An esru Il nArsyssd nsi,sss IN
rhsw Fssscss saa - rssa wssa
fos Lev Prices.

A. WilliAms. Jr., of Boston, one Of
the heaviest wool buyers 10 the coun-
try, V guest st the Morton. "Whst
10 the cause OF the continued loo price
Of wool 20 be repeated IN answer 90 .
question asked by rsporlAs for Tar
HERAIp. well, my dear boy, Id
give . good deal 10 be able 70 snswer
that question A. . matter of fact,
nobody knows, although woolmsn have
been trying 70 ind an ansver 70 the
question for the past too years. The
immense lmportations OF wool from
Australia and south Amorsca probably
nave . great deal 70 40 with Il. Last
year We imported $4,000 haies Of
Australian wool and the indications
nov are that this years importation
viii amount 70 l00. 900 bales This is
high grade wool too, and enters into
direct competition With our native high
grade wools. / am . democrat and
am aware that the argument 10 fire.
quentiy made that the WOODS imported
from South America and Aussrslia are
Q different kind Of wool from ourp aud
consequently there 10 no competition.
This statement " false. The Australian
and South American growers DO CON-
pete directly with our own wool grow
ers and can raise the same qualify of
wool much cheaper than We can. In
the fret place the land there 10 Of no
use except for sheep raising purposes.
They can't do anything else with II ard
If they didu't raise sheep on it u would
be worthless.
Keep rbstr Eiecks up.
"The next place sheep can be taken
care Of for little or pothing. They
don't have TO house them, the land on
which the sheep pasture costs but little.
aud the price paid for labor 10 rldlcu-
lously low. Tnoes three elements alone
make wonderful difference in the cost
OF raising wool here and there
Then ~ matter OF fact they pay
more attention 70 the business than we
do, and study II closer. They have it
down TO science 10 fact. With tsynse
big docks containing . hundred thous-
and or 90 sheep, men Are employed
whose business II L. 10 examine care
fully the physical condition OF every
sheep. When shearinR time comes
these men catch every Que of the flock
~ il comes from the hand of the
shearer. The sheep 10 examined care
fully and II is 70 not In good co.,
dition its 10 killed immediately. All
possible pains are taken 70 keep
the fiocks up 70 the highest standard.
As result Of this when one buys lot
Australian wool be can tell Just what
the wholslot will be by looking over two
or three bundles. The wool 10 eli equally
we'll sorted, and ell body wool. A
mau buying our own woods and
proceeding on that theory would b
bankrupt after he had bought three or
four lots There Is absolutely no effort
made 70 keep up the quality Of native
wool. The great ambitasion see1as 20
be 70 sell all that can Be sold snd gouee
the purchaser TO the highest possibis
amount
Tricks es Mtchtgas Wesl Grover.
"This 10 especially true in Michigan.
Michigan wool would cell for ct least 2
cents more pound il the farmers were
not 20 outrageously dishoncst in put
ting IL up. They win sometimes use
SIXTY feet Of ciotneeline ia tying up .
bundls. and The bundles when undone
will be found % contain . big bunch Of
barnyard sweepings or other refuse.
IL 10 4 shame the exteut % which this
has been prscticsd. AZ . consequence
men are . little bst scary about pur-
chasing Michigan wool. and won't pay
the price that It would command IL Il
we're put up in On honest way. Michi-
igan's reputation has been materially
injured BY this sort of business, and il
Will take several years Of honest deal.
ing on the part Of the farmers 10 restore
Michigan wool 10 the place IL
really deserves. Next 10 this state
comes New York and Wisconsin
10 good third. You go the wool in
dustry 10 practically only .. side ,sue
with American faruers, and they don
take any pains 70 keep mp any stan-
dard Of quality. Those who do take
any pride iu putting up thor heeoss IN
. straightforward manner have 70 suf.
fer for the shortcomings Of their lee
conscientious brethren.
sl firmly believe that With The ale Of
mutton the business Of raising wool
can be carried on probably in this
country. In our medium grade WOODS
we lead the world. But IN Gre wools.
when Il takes 50 900 pounds Of native
wool TO equal 1000 pounds of Aus-
trsiian WOOL, there 10 something rs1-
scally wrong"