New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-05
TIE SUPPLY or WOOL.

The letter Of Secretary North Of the National
Association Of Wool Manufacturers Is - courte-
Gus that il would be more pleasant not 10 rccnr
10 the one Important error which, in 'he light
of his explanation. It Is easy 10 see resulted
from methods inherited by him from his prcdc-
ceSsor but which do not answer vcracOusly
when applied 10 conditions without precedent.
The quantity Of wool In warehouses ut the be
ginning of any period Of years could with some
safety be neglected when unchanged laws Of
fcrcd the same induccmcnt to importers or man
ufacturers to carry in that way considerable
proportion Of the supply for future wants. But
Mr. North surely knows that wool in warch orses
July /, 1893, not Included in the quantities.
given as imported after that date. If he does
not, his reputation as a stats'clan Is curious
The imports include the quantities entered for
warehouse, as many official statements show,
and not the quantities withdrawn from ware
houses and thrown upon the market. The fact
is that the wool in warehouses July l. 1888
namely 56.2j5,JGl pounds-was never after
ward included as imported, but has passed into
consumption or into stocks held by manufaci-
urcrs and dealers. If Mr. North does not see
that this quantity must be added TO imports
after that date in order 10 get a true statement
OF the supply for the last four years, he has n
strong attack OF mental blindness.
II was not at all the object Of The Tribune
to dispute the conclusions OF Mr. North as to
the future needs Ct the manufacture No one
else has better opportunity than he for lnforma-
ton on that point and If he had supplied any
estimate of actual consumption In manufacture
during the last four years II would have com
manded high respect. But when he RETAINED
from giving information so necessary in order
to enable any one to judge what quantity Of
wool remains on hand, and even added n state
ment that the estimated supply OF 702, 5t;s. 27S
pounds July was about POO, 900, 900 pounds Gin
excess of the average consumption for the
previous ten years, which has been somewhat
under J00,0OO00O pounds annually" Mr.. North
places himself in a false position In putting
such Il statement by the side of figures which
proved that there was not so great "A cOnsump-
ton in any one year prior to July, 1893, and
that out of n total supply of 2,3O7 ,OOO, 900
pounds in the four years ending with last June
there remained July for consumption over
100, 100000 pounds, leaving but 1905, 900, 600
pounds for four years consumption, Mr. North
certainly does injustice 10 bis reputation
The method Of the Wool Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION was indeed inherited from Mr.. North's
predecessor. and he invites any suggestions
whereby 1t can be improved. The invitation
deserves frank response. The wool manu-
facturers have no greater reason than the iron
manufacturers for concealing the amount Of
stock on hand or the consumption Of machinery
in operation within any period The figures
which the Iron and Steel Association gives to
the public every month, the Wool Manufact-
arers' Association might at least obtain once a
year. II it does SO with intent to enlighten the
public or its own members. II will not treat the
commercial stocks January as the only indl-
cation Of stocks on hand at the end OF the wool
year, May |, or at the beginning OF the fiscal
year, July /, but will obtain and promptly re-
port, for one date or the other, the quantity of
wool held by manufacturers and In CONNER