Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-02-20
WOOL MARktT VERY Dull.
BUYERS Only Purchasing Stocks for lmme'
date Uses.

Reporter, In it's latest review of the
wool market, says;
A number OF the manufacturers
wac have received orders for goods
have come into the market and have
made offers for wool which many
members of the wool trade have felt
that they were not in position to
resist. There has been no very mark
cd pressure To stockholders have
simply decided 10 accept what was
offered them, which they would not
have done a few weeks ago. The
feeling is that the price OF goods Is
fully as low proportionatcly as the
price Of wool, and many sagaciOus
members Of the trade therefore fail to
see how it Is possible to secure n ma
terial advance In the price Of wool
until there Is n rise In the price Of
goods. Vice versa, Others reason that
there cannot be any Improvement In
goods until there IL an advance In the
price of wool. Worstcd yarns. 1t il
claimed, are relatively lower than
wool, and have been sold at a price
which means "A loss To the spinner,
and yet the manufacturer Of both
claims that he cannot use such yarn
proftably.
Taken altogether the situation Is
an unsatisfactory one, although II IL
gratifying to know that a basis has
already been reached on which man.
ufacturers ore willing to operate
when they need wool, but there IL IA
little satisfaction for the wool mer-
chant In doing business on the level
of tOday's market. What the trade
IL hoping FOR IL an improvement: In
the demand for goods, which may bc
reflected In an increased inquiry for
the raw material, with which CON
su ners are still very lightly stocked.
AMI until this demand improves u
continued weak and dragging market
seams to be generally expected es-
p cially on the eve of the new clip,
which will have to be marketed at
materially lower prices than last
year unless there IL "a radical change
in the fundamental conditions Of the
market before long. In the meantime
the news from the London sales indi.
Gates no improvement for the better,
and it il reported that shearing has
already begun In Arizona and In some
parts OF California. Holders in the
west are willing to make some con-
cessions in prices, but Will not yet
come down To the idens ~ the east
ern merchant. Ii Is figured out, how
ever. that II wool should touch Zoe
per secured pound for fine medium
territory at the seaboard, this would
mean not more than l0c to the Utah
grower, grease price, who last year
received l5c and even lGc per pound
for his clip. A number Of consign-
ments In Boston, which had been
held under contract until the turn of
the year, are now for sale on the
market, and selections oi territories
for manufacturers use are conse-
quently much better than they wero.
Under the circumstances Ii IL not sur.
prising that consumers can purchase
woods In the Boston market cheaper
than they could month ago.
A feature OF the past weeks busl.
ness has been the Increased trade in
the woods Of failed concerns. Thus
the wool previously owned by Wm.
Browne x Sons In the Pennsylvania
Warehouse company, amounting to
over ! 200, 900 pounds, hus been taken
by Il Boston house. The wool was
mostly English and Irish and the lot
included also some tops and yarns.
Territories, except choicest woods.
have ruled In buyers favor. Some
good-slzed lines have been parted
with at concessions OF prices, which
have ranged from 42c to i7e. clean.
the bulk Of the business being covered
within the range OF i2c to Ijc. Some
CONSUMERS are trying 10 buy ordinary
fine medium clothing wool at less
prices, but have not yet succeeded, 80
far as can be learned, in securing any
but very poor woods. On the other
hand some very fine woods have sold
as high rs isc. Strictly staple woods
are reported tG have moved at IG6t
47c. Tho woods selling at 42d i3c
have no staple. Medium territories
are reported at 400 i2c, clean.
As the time draws near when the
new clip W u begin to beshorn atten-
ti0n IL naturally being directed more
to the interior, although II IL still too
early. Of course, to form any concep.
tion as to how things will develop.
Shearlng hna begun in some parts OF
Arlzoua and southern California. Late
adylces from Walla Walla county,
Washington, Indicate that there are
In the county $4,000 pounds Oi wool
that have not yet been sold.