Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-12-26
Tha penression IN Wool.

brought thu revival al business that
was generally uutlripllpl in the
wool Industry, and it Is becoming
apparent Ihat the tlilheUlty was OF
a more serious nature. Many monu-
larturprs were ilieduriug thrmonths
when heavy weight goods are usu--
ally taken iy jpbhrrs and whole
solcrs, hGIit was hupel that after
the election had disposed oi all fears
OF a change ia the tnri!i, stagnatioD
would cease aud norWui conditions
prevail. Later there came Il scricso f
disasters among dealers and MANN
iHcturcrs. and 1t vas thought that
unprcccJ"ntrlly mild wcatAcgrau.td
TN" trouble. Probably -he tarIincss
uiluw Temperature hah some inllI-
cncc, ullhpugh recent developments
suggest TINT ii Is ncccEsar" Ia search
clsewl"r" for the principle cause.
There is food fur thnaght md n
partial solution III the prJiicm in the
excessive production Of goods end
Initiation al prices last year. The
average price ui domc-ti, wool rose
In the severn months beginning with
May J., l,i9, over 81 per cnt. To the
highest point in many l'ars, MIL
operations wrrc stimulated 10y the
nrtihriul price 81 the raw material.
and goods were gcrumulH -ra lar il
excess u. geQuirmgnts for cOm-ump-
ton. Speculation wa active AM!
sales Mt the three rNlri eastern citi,s
amounted 30 "li.I5}igD pounds dur
iug the year lR}9, against 2}2.45l.i3l
ia l,g.. The manufactured article
did not keep pace with tn material,
averaging only 10 per cent. advance
during tine snmr period, and, while
holders were nor long able 10 secure
thi. difference. the decline lus met
with stubborn r~iStnncr, aT puc,s-
siuns meant Il lus- uad IL was
Thought that conditions would soon
improve.
Unfortunately. the desired activity
failed 10 mutrriIiiac, while the raw
matcriol gradually settled back un-
til the present level is - pcr cent. he
low the top. and sales Tor the year
thus far have been only 2l7 ,lil,7 ~
poundS against 49,. lG}.72O IN the
same part OF lN!9. Following such IL
year Of heavy manufacture and high
prices il Is not surprising that less
activity is now experienced. 1t has
been suggested that smaller imports
of manufactured wool should stinu-
late domestic Operations, aud last
years record indicates that such was
the case, although not entirely on
that account. While imports Of
goods for the fiscal year 1860 was
only SlS,G29, i>6, 1t must not be for
gotten that the movement in the
years 1896 and 1881 just prior Ia the
DINGHY tariff, aggregated over SlO2.-
50O, 1000, putting stocks up to such n
high point that it required some
time to absorb the surplus.
Substitution Of cotton has also
had much influence, heavy clothing
being offered ut remarkably low
prices this season, owing to I'M
proved methods of manufacture,
which utilize IA larger proportion Of
of the cheaper material. Paper mills
find that the better grade of RAGS
ARE no longer offered them so freely
because shuddy mills make better
terms, ana the production OF this
clnss Of goods increases uuticibly.
Vigorous competitor nmoug clothing
dealers has rendered necessary these
changes IN tlr Kind OF raw material
used 10y manufacturers. and it Is at
the EXPENSE ui aiumrst Tic i!cpCeS.-NeW
York Tribune.