The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-04-23
WEI BE DISAPPOINTED.
Buyers Must Pay Fair Prices For
Wool, : ~

The American Wool and Cotton Re-
porter sizes up" the outlook as fol-
lows:
Those who supposed that they are
going into the west this season and
buy woods at exceedingly low prices,
are likely to be much disappointed.
Advices from the west indicate that
in many cases holders are ON a very
high horse, and the recent increase in
business at the seaboard has impaired
renewed strength to sucA holders. In
very many cases farmers have signi-
fled their intention of holding their
woods until they car get decidedly
higher prices. Some will try even to
get nearly as high figures as they re-
'ceived, last year. Shaering in some
sections of the west has been delayed
by storms and the unreasonable
weather but in Wyoming, Utah and
Texas, they are about to begin or have
begun, and during the past week some
OF the representatives of the trade
have started on their western trips,
and during the ensuing week others
will follow.
"The consumers who have been buy
ing so literally during the past month
or two have a great deal of wool lying
around which they must take up. A
considerable portion of this wool will
be shipped Immediately, as the mills
are lot heavily stocked. The remain
der Of it will be stored here tempo
rarily, and shipped as wanted.
These shipments may occur when
otherwise the market is very quiet,
with very little demand, but those who
rely upon shipments as an indication
Of the activity prevailing may natur-
ally be led to think that the market
is active, when in reality it is decid-
eddy quiet. The very large business
transacted during the week ending
April 2, which was exclusively report
ed in these columns, was not at all
indicated by the. shipments, and it is
evident that the latter are no criterion
Of the activity prevailing at the time
that such shipments are reported.
Among the factors which have con-
tributed to the dullness noted in the
market were the very unfavorable
weather, which has affected the goods
market as we'll, and the freshets in
New England, which necessitated the
shutting down of a vast amount of
machinery. This has been especially
noticeable in Lawrence, Manchester,
Lowell and in many towns of Maine.
The attention of many mill men, ther-
fore, has been mainly concentrated on
the problem of keeping their plants
in operation.
although there has been such a
marked falling off in the volume of
trade, there is no weakening whatever
in prices. The latter hold very steady,
and certain consumers who have come
here with the expectation of getting
lOw-priced stock, nave gone away dis
appointed. On the other hand, certain
holders of wool, who a couple of weeks
ago, raised the limits within which
they would sell, have not succeeded
in disposing Of any, and still have
thier wool.
1.-The very LIBERAL sales of the past
three months have cut large holes in
the woods lofts Of Boston, and selec
lions certainly are az good as they
were. This fact, combined with that OF
hardening markets abroad, and indi
cations that the next London sales
which begin on the Both of this month
will open up firm, and quite possibly
higher, increases the firmness of hold
ers here, and lends encouragement to
those who are looking for an improved
state of affairs before long. Manu-:
f%acturers feel more hopeful, n are
as a rule perfectly willing to pay
current prices when they need wool
, The market certainly possesses g
stability which argurs well for the
future, although it may be some time
yet before a radical advance in actua
prices is established. South Ameri
can woods are firmer, and cables re
port an advance of I'D. at Buenos
Ayres. In Bradford, COS tops are full
ly I'D higher, and terminal tops or
the continent have risen rs to 80 cen
times. The improvement in Londor
is reflected in the fact that woods with
drawn from the London sales have
since been sold at slightly better
prices" s|=
OPENING TERRITORY BY LOT.