Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-09-20
TALK or ORGANIZATION
Among the Woolgrowers Of Northern
Montana.

There il another movement onf foot
for organization among the wool
growers, not only for the benefit that
would accrue from theinterchange OF
ideas, but also with the object OF
securing nearer the market price for
their wool
Prominent growers believe that
this year they received from four to
six cents less per pound for their
wool than it was really va tn, and
say that the present system uf wool
sales. where the buyer haseyerything
his own way, il responsible for 1t.
They compel man to put his wool
upon the market when they say and
have 1t in their power To arrange the
prices offered to suit themselves.
The woolgrower has no option but
to take what he can get. II he re-
fuses the best price offered, he has to
consign, and to consign usually
means to lose money, for then the
commission man has the seller alb
Solutely at his mercy.
The method proposed 10y a well
known grower to obviate this diff
Guilty IL for all the large growers to
get together and run things them
selves instead Uf letting the buyerrun
the market and pay what he pleases.
If the buyer gets mad and won't bid,
the wool can be stored here and when
the Boston man finds out that the
grower is i'm earnest and won't go to
him, he will go to the grower. The
idea IN to warehouse the wool and
borrow money. II needed. on the
! warehouse receipts, the same NJ il
done in the case Of grain.
AS the system is now. the buyer is
absolutely master of the situation.
He threatens you that II you don't
put your wool ON the market when it
suits his convenience that you will
get no bid on yourc,ip. II the grower
does anything one year that does
not suit the buyers combination, the
next year he has togo to the head of
the combine and do penance On his
bended knees before they will look at
his wool.
1t il the idea of those who propose
n new order of things to stop all this
and to make the buyers eat the hum
BILE pie and not the growers. The
buyers want wool and they want il
bad. especially the Montana woods,
which are classed with those Of Ohio.
Ii it il found that they cannot bull
doze the growers they will soon
come to terms. as they absolutely
and positively must have the wool.
In fact, the experiment of holding
wool here was tried by some parties
several years ago and the buyers
tumbled over themselves tocome out
, secure the clips.
, Another matter to be discussed is
the question of reviving the project
of the establishment of n sample
wool securing plant, in charge of n
competent sorter. AKrOWer would
not only thus oe enabled to know
what his wool would shrink, but
would also have it graded, so that
he would know just what he had tu
sell and would not have to rely on II
buyers guess that it WAS not OF n
good grade and that ii would shrink
sixtytive per cent.
A well known citizen, who has been
in the buisnees Of buying wool and
has also been intimately acquainted
with the methods ofcommission men
and wooden mills, said yesterday
that this was a move in the right
direction and that II the large grow
ers got together, he had no doubt
that the banks would he willing to
advance them money on the ware
house receipts and help them to get
. naarar thp market yplup pi their