The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-01-31
Entered at the Billings Postofice as Second
Glass Matter.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 81, 1902.
SIMPLY A REMINDER.

49,
followed it's efforts ina that direction
has not been calculated to give it
much hope or encouragement, still
The Gazette is not disheartened and
from time to time proposes to make
new appeals to the capitalists and
public spirited men of the city in the
matter Of enlistlng their assistance
toward the establishment of a wooden
mill in Billings. 1t takes up the ques-
ton at this time because it thinks it
to be timely, in view of the report
made by the state statistical bureau,
which has just completed a thorough
Investigation into the results that
have followed the establishment of
such a concern at Big Timber.
The testimony of the bureau is that
the mill at that place is an unquali-
fed success in every respect, receiv-
ing all the patronage it is capable of
accommodating, beside turning out a
quality of wares that cannot be sur
passed. 1t is true that it is a modest
concern. purposely SO, having been
erected simply as IN experiment, but
this should not be accepted as evil
dence that it will always remain such.
The principal idea The Gazette de
sires to impress upon those whom it
is e~ndeavoring to reach is the success
of the venture. Established at a date
s.1. l@.- b. 1,,ol1~ +L1 ~,;1J 70 oor,,r
any of the regular winter trade, it
has been dependent upon rush or
ders as the source Of its support, but
ever then it finds itself unable to sup
ply the demand that has grown up
for its products. Inquiry among the
merchants by the agent of the state
bureau developed a most agreeable
condition of affairs. The official learn
ed that the demand for the Montana
blanket has become SO great that the
dealers find it difficult, in some in
stances impossible to dispose of their
stocks of eastern blankets. laid in be-
fore the home product was placed on
the market.
Another consideration of great i'm
portance is the fact that the owners
Of the mill declare they can place on
the market an all wool blanket cheap
er than the shoddy article can be ship
ped in from the east. The reason for
this is not difficult to understand. The
mill is located at the source of sup
ply and raw material can be bought
by it at a much lower rate than the
eastern manufacturer can purchase it.
This may strike some as a rather
broad assertion, but it is easy Of lem.
onstration. Not only does the mill
save the freight which the eastern
manufacturer must pay on the raw
material. but it also saves the return
freight on the manufactured or finish
ed article, hence the ability of the
home institution to underbid the east
ern maker and be able to turn out the
genuine article at a lower cost than
he can the one into which shoddy en-
tiers to so large an extent. The fact
is that it is cheaper for the home mill
to use only pure wool han it would
be to ship in cotton and shoddy, two
articles that enter largely into tho
composition of the eastern blanket.
The showing made by the Big Tim.
Der company should encourage men in
other parts of the wool belt of the
state TO engage in like enterprises
and of all the points that could be
named non possesses the advantages
enjoyed by Billings. 1t is the very
center of the largest and most pro
ductive wool belt of the world anf
has the added advantage of beins
located on two of the greatest railroad
systems in the west which assure i
of speedy and direct communication
with the markets to which it woulc
have to be looked for a demand TO
whatever output that could be estaE
lished. While it is true that wage
in Montana may be higher than the,
and other advantages which a HON
mill would possess over its easter,
competitors would more than offse
this difference and still leave a larg
percentage in favor of the Montani
manufacturer.
With a real prince to lay the CO.
ner stone of n of its expositio
buildings, ST. Louis is willing to TAX
chances on the rest Of it's big SHOW
Such a feat would be even more tina
Chicago was able to lay claim to whe
it engaged in the entertainment bus
ness.