Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-04-07
OUTLOOK FOR WOOL
Views Of the Billings Gazette Editor on the
Wool Tariff.

wool IonU.
The new tariff bill has only passed
the lower house of congress and it
will be several weeks at least before
it is enacted into law, but the effects
Of it are already apparent in Billings,
to which the price of wool means so
much. The Indications at present
point to 10 cents as the minimum
price Oh this market during the COM
ing season, while the choice clips, If
the present demand continues i'm BOs-
ton. may bring II and IL cents. And
it is by no means unreasonable to
that the latter figures may
be the minimum rate, as the figuring
on wool at present il altogether on
"A tariff basis.
An Indication of what the prices
on the local market will be was fur
nished in Billings this week, when
Broker w. j. StrattOn was author
lied by an eastern buyer to contract,
at 10 cents a pound. before shearing,
for a clip of about $1,000 pounds.
The offer was made, with a deposit
of 81 1000 to bind the contract, but
the wOolgrower, who, by the way,
was n Bryan shouter asst fall, de-
clined it. He is one of the few men
in this vicinity who contended that
a tariff would not increase the price
of wool and was a detriment to the
country, but now, before the law il
enacted, it is worth at least 81 800
i'm cold cash to this same man. He
owns about $4,000 head of wethers,
for which he has already been Offered
close to 50 a head, after shearing.
would not have brought to exceed
S1.75, and if Bryan had been elected
they could not have been sold for 81,
So the woolgrower in question is at
least 5000 ahead on the price of his
sheep, which he will readily dispose
of for cash, and besides his $4,000
pounds OF wool is now worth $3.50
more than it was last season. In
fact, he has repeatedly offered since
the election to contract his wethers
at 81 Al head and his wool at 1Ocents,
but when he is offered his own price
for the latter, and nearly 81 per head
better ON his sheep, this free trade
sheepman stands out for more. He
will get it, in all probability, and
The Gazette will be glad of his good
fortune, but ii this is not a clear cas-,
of n man having voted squarely
against his own interests, this news
with a palmer example.
And in this connection IL Is inter
esting to briefly note what the new
tariff law is worth to the fiockmas
tiers of Montana. In round numbers
there are some 1000, 900 head of sheeI
in the state, which are worth an,
can be readily sold today for 10 cent
per head than they would brin,
before the election. This is a yer,
conservative estimate, which yield
S3, OO0, 900, to the Montana sheepmen
While their 81, 900, 900 pounds of WOO
much of which ven begging las
season at 3 and 4 cents a pound, /
almost sure to bring 10 cents thi
year. Placing the advance at Onl
10 cents gives $780, 900 over the n
turns from wool last season, which
added to the increased price of til
sheep, gives, a grand total of $4,250
900 that the Montana sheepmen al
now i'm pocket. But the advance |
the price of wool will be better tina
3 cents, while many of the sheep al
worth more than IS cents a head i
excess of what they could have bee
sold for last fall, SO an estimate .
s. 1000, 900 is entirely within til
bounds of reason. This much Ina
the Republican administration don
for the woOlgrowers already, despit
the fact that the country il fioodc
with foreign, free trade Democrat
wool. Ii it was not for this TIL
Montana woolgrower would be i
clover, but as it is he is thankful I
see the dawn of a brighter day. II
has waited for it long and patient
and is now being furnished with
practical demonstration OF the benif
cent effects of the Republican polio
l of protection.