New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-08

foreign wool, and the five years yieio oi "'o''
including that Of last year. had announcer !"
1.499 673535 pounds, according 10 Inc WV.
Manufacturers reports. Adding tne quan'i,'
in warehouse July l. 1893, which was oo'-oo'-
561 hounds. there appeared supply last Jul!
of > 364 600 900 pounds. less whatever quahti'y
mov have been consumed in the previous -FOUR
years Nobody supposed that after the prcak-
down of the manufacture early In 1880 ING
CONSERVATION had been anywhere near the maxi
mum until within the last six months. III Hi
nrevious veors the greatest consumption IN any
,wo,vo months wns less than 100000 600 pounds'
and. while many reckoned the consumption
d,r,rc tbc four years ending last July as only
60 or 70 per cent Of the maximum. 1t was n con-
soryot,ve estimate that it had not averaged 80
per cent. or 400, 900 pounds yearly, In those
four yeors of nrostratIon But this would have
left 764. 100000 pounds for the consumption De-
tween July and the clip now beginning, be-
sides any quantity imported after July /.
IN Iuv the imports were %, 140,4 31 pounds.
md have since been 517s6O70 pounds, under
the new tariff in the six months ending WIN
January. Less than 100000 pounds OF this
ouantity was Of clothing or combing WOOL ana
over 100000 pounds Of carpet wool. T1o
vet exactly known, but, according to reports
werc about 90 900 900 pounds. The exports IN
seven months ending with January were only
321 500 hounds. domestic and foreign. From
those figures il NAV be reckoned that the entire
SUNNY to April I for the four years and nine
months has been about 2457 905 pounds,
while the consumption probably did not exceed
I 600 100000 pounds in four years, but has
d,,rtn q
months. Considering that the new tariff was
not enacted until about the end or july anu
that not all manufacturers started Immediately
NJ full force it seems liberal to estimate mat
the consumption for the last nine months has
not been more than 20 per cent over the iase
maximum. or 450.000,0O0 pounds for three
fourths Of year But this. with the estimated
consumption for the four years. would leave SUI
available April I n supply Of O7,I3S99o POUNDS
of old wool, besides the clip just beginning
II Is true that new wool will not be available
in large quantity for some time, but. unless
prices Of wool and OF goods yield TO some eA-
tent II IS not probable that consumption VIII
continue above the maximum Of past years. In
fact some branches Of the trade are ALREADY
wellnigh demoralized by severe reduction from
past selling prices OF goods. while the tempo
rary hesitation of clOthlerS ana ctner buyers IL
Increased by the uncertainty regarding war and
TIE money market. Yet this uncertainty, how
ever great It's influence may be, does not ar
feet the apparent fact that about four-fifths OF
Of n years maximum consumption OF wool IS
still on hard, with new clip beginning, and
there is no occasion 70 seek foreign causes for
general desire 10 realize and decline in price.
The bottom fact is that the supply which was
supposed 10 be barely enough for the necessities
Of the manufacturers. has proved so much great
or than their needs that many Of the manufact-
urers themselves have for more than month
leen realizing on considerable blocks or old
wool held In the belief that before they come
10 need II they Will be able 10 buy at lower
prices II Is now evident that the stocks Of
wool held in the country last July were under
estimated that the effects OF the enormous i'm
portations permitted while the tariff was pend
ing have not yet been wholly realized. and that
the stocks in manufacturers hands since last
July have been larger than tho dealers were
willing to admit