Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-10-18
A Monopoly in Wool.

An Ohio wool producer who passed
through Pittsburg few days ago talked
as follows:
ave have been in the sheep raising b1si-
ness in Highland, Adams, and W arren
counties. o., since 1885, he SAID, "haVlng
saveral thousand acres of leased land and
AT present 900 sheep of the finer wool
producing breeds Two years ago we val
ned our sheep at an average OF 500 eacn.
We sold wool for from 26 to % cents per
pound, ard had good profit. The farm
ers all around Us. on large or small scale
made good profit on their production
also.
ats different now. We can buy sheep
of the common breeds for 81 to sl.25 each
in any number. Fine Southdowns are
worth less than 81, and any number OF
them are to be had We sold our wool
this year for IA cents, in anticipation oI
the Mckinley bill being annulied, and lost
si 600 in cold cash. Our loss, however
was nothing to that OF hundreds OF farmers
ali through Ohio, who had nothing put
their wool Weld to live op. They had act
aally expended in producing their Wool
crop more than in brought them, and after
selling the crop we're in debt on 1t.
"W hile IA cents seems very low hgnre
il is not as low as we must get uhuer
the present law Australian wool Is orougn6 I
into this country and sold at ii and IL
cents a pound. In order to meet tna'
price we must adopt Australian metEods
That IA what we propose to do. 1t l.
simply a cold business proposition Win
us.
eve have figured it down fine and have
ascertained that with a sufficiently large
investment we can make per cent PEI
annum even under the present law W
course, it means monopoly and the closest
kind of expenditure in wages and supplies,
but that is the way it is done in England
| and Australia and we must follow the same
plan.
"The plan is simply this: We propose
TO get $50, 900 or 500, 900 OF Eastern capital
invested. With our present lands. leases
and stock, this will make big Investment yes
We will then buy 10000 to $4,000 more
sheen. of the better breeds, and acquire as
much more land as necessary. we VIII
nav bed rock prices, spot cash, ior sneep
and land. In the present financial eondi-
ton of the farmers, this will be sven lower
than the figures have given. we expect
| TO lease all the land we want for from ~ 10
| 40 cents an acre. >.
"Next comes the question OF labor IL
req dires large force of men to- carry on
the business on the scale we have peen
conducting it; but on the scale we propose
to 60 it will be proportionstely larger.
We had been paying orr hands the same
price that all the farmers were paying up
until IS months ago. when the drop, IN
prices, caused by anticipated tarlfi reduco
| tions. came along. The rate was from Nv
| to 800 per month and board.
ave cut the rate to $40 per month and
board. Ne can get more men than we
want at even that figure, and it will pro-
bably be necessary TO reduce 1t even more
to produce q profit. Not only tnat, Dnt
we have been compelled to reduce our
working force and increase the working
hours Of men TO keep level with current
expenses. soa
Now, that is the way wool is produced
lin the foreign wool producing countries
The ordinary farmer cannot do it and make
living. 1t is only where large capital Ii
Invested, the business conducted on q
grand scale, the lowest wages paid, strict
est economy prscticed and all supplies pur
chased in large quantities at bed rock prices
that even a small profit can be made
Four per cent is nowadays a fair interest
on a large investment and we have Inquired
that we can make that by following the
plan of our foreign competitors.