The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-22
WOOL SALES ON FUTURES
Such Plan Advocated Is . Remedy for
Present Conditions.
TARIFF TAX IS NOT the WHOLE THING
Frank Admission Made in Paper
Ttcnd before the Cnttiep,cnt's Con-
vcntion nj Galveston.

The following paper before the Texas live
Stock association. January 10. by Colonel "
l.. Black OF Fort Mckavitt;
/ From the oldest reports we hasc OF Ameri-
eau agriculture. II will be .cen that wool WAS
always considered one Of the most importan,
branchss OF this industry; and II was con-
ndentiy believed by many or the caiiy writer's
that the United States would sooner or Inter
supply a very large proportion OF the wo.ll's
demand for this great staple.
This was very reasonable conclusion To
reach. when we consider that the raising
Of sheep had been tested with great success
present century; aud. looking forward to !. 1
i development OF tho great Wet it was quite
natural to suppose tnat wool would become
4 one OF our leaoing products.
| But what a sad mistake was made iii the
! prfnleiop.s instead OF supplying any part
OF the worlds demand. we nave never been
i been compelled to purchase every year from
/ other countries that ure not any better adapt
! cd 70 raising wool thrn wc are ourselves.
me largest amount We have ever produced
| in single year was in 1ss3-s.. wnea our
! clip amounted to about one-half the require
| ments of our manufacturers.
/ lt s not necessary to burden you with
| STATISTICS 10 show the ups and downs we have
/ had or to show thsNehanges that have taken
place In the different States with regard to
wool growing. We all know the cheap lands
j oil the West attracted many growers to To-
cate there In tho hope OF being able to over
come obstacles that appeared to confront them
Tin the high priced lands OF the East; hut
\ Notwithstanding We had practically free
i grass for a long time in many of the West
| ern Territories as well us in our own great
Stnte cf Texas, we have not been able to
increase our holdings IN sheep very much.
" 1871 we had le,31i.37i. and In 1898 We
! had only i5,61.9ll, an increase of less than
lc0 per cent In hfty-eight years. During rhe
snlne period our wheat product Increased iip-
4 wards OF 100 per cent and cur cotton product
500 per cent. Ah .5sq sSs.:
Ne have always bsen abb to supply orr
| wants IN cattle. hogs and horses. and have
furnished large numbers for export beetles,
For some reason sheep haze been neglected.
| ana u Is my intention TO point out some Of
the causes, which In my Judgment, have on
Grated to keep this industry back.
The frequent changes IN our tariff have nc
4 doubt been the chief cause for the SLOW
progress that has been made In wool growing;
yet when we reflect that we had upwards OF
| twenty-five yenrs OF uninterrupted protection
! tlS6lslSs3) under the old Morrill, taiin, 1t IS
quite evident there must have been other
causes as well that have had n tendency to
Keep the industry back.
the most important factor In the develop
| nent OF product Is the readiness with which
| !, can be converted Into cash. II II Ia Of
, slow sale IL will naturally not be popular
with producers. psrsicularly the producers Of
agricultural products. for these are gene rally
men OF small means who rsly upon selling
| their crops in the spring to meet their ex-
| penses for the year. +.
If you ask a cotton planter why he plants
cotton when II sells for so little money, he
4 will tell you that cotton is cash and there
| Ia no other crop he raise that he can
/ rely upon selling The same, answer will
be made by the wheat grower. and this will
no doubt explain why these two products are
| so popular with farmers
u is reasonable to suppose II all farm
products could be converted into cash as
readily as cotton and wheat the farmers would
be willing to diversity their crops more than
4 they do. The present condition OF our wool
! market is good Illustration OF how this
4 mil rsakttt..
| no doubt this has been one of the great draw
packs TO it's growth In the past. There has
been no demand for wool from Eastern deal
ers; or manufacturers, for the past six or
eight months. Our warehouses are full TO
oyerhowing and no buyers In the State own
ers are pressed by their creditors for bills
| created during the. year and the only means
they have OF paying ls to sell their sheep for
mutton.
Queer regarding the commercial values of
his wool. lie has no means OF telling whether
ne Is being paid the market value or is pciug
allowed the proper .'shrlnkage" on his wool
Moreover, he does not know II he is recaiy-
ing the full benefit of the tariff for We h
ignorant ri what his class OF wool is worth
! in foreign countries
u VIII therefore appear that the buyer o.
wool has everything his ,wn way ard il is
| quite reasonable to believe they have taken
every advantage of the ignorance OF tho
grower.
The remedy for these evils is very simple.
IL was suggested al a conference OF wool
IN ths Following preamble and resolutions;
Whei cas-, the wool trade OF the United
states Is assuming enormous proportions.
nlready amounting t. one third the value
of our cotton CROP and
whereas, there has been no elective,
ara nna, sysi.malis nlails ae3nted on the
compilaiont OF statistical Information rel
alive TO WOOL: and
whereas I + n wen recognized fact
tbat the law OF supply and demand al
ways regulates the value of products;
therefore be II
Resolved, THAT the National Wool Grow
ers association requests The merchants
aud dealers IN Boston, Philadelphia aud
New York to consider the propriety Of In
stitullns 2 hnrean for the purpose OF
concentrating statistical Information re-
latlng TO the supply and demand OF wool
Resolved That they be requested TO es-
tnbltsh uniformity in the terms applied
To the various AIDES OF wool or IN ctSe-
words that system OF grades may b.
established which will abolish the cid
ara "rS e'y w sr.s o. al me
woods crown in the different wool produce
Ing States.
Resolved That The eminent success
States with respect TO compiling stats, |
tical information relating To- cotton and
Would ssem q dsats sSs pise
z ticability OF the systcn,. II applied to VOL
These resolutions were commented upon |
much against the adoptop OF standard |
grades" upon the ground that II was not prac- |
tleable, owing 70 ths many eonditlons that
ion. provided Il Is Intended to make stand |
ara grades for wool n the grease, hut = |
I'd valve see no obstacle 10 the way. il |
would only be necessary 10 create com
mttfe on ahrnkase In the exchange that wool |
ion that might arise between the dealers For |
Instance. n the buyer thought the shrinxags
o ,u9 20 ~. W "n a. n shr,nra.s ~ sstis