The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-06
WOOL MARKET
IS BULL|SH
EVERY FACTOR TENDS TOWARDS
HIGHER PRICES.
BUYING BRISK IN The WEST
Clip Of 1902 Being Taken as Fast as
shorn at Prices Better Than
Those of a Year Ago.

IE#Gg ~ 9 ISNC0 0S&SCTHA1 TAN &Hs
Those of a Year Ago.
Reviewing the wool market for the
past week, the American Wool and
Cotton Reporter says:
There has been q fairly good call for
territory woods, but most of the bust
ness carried through has been en- the
low edge of the market. There is Ger
tainly M improvement in prices at the
seaboard, and some old lots Of wool
have been moved at lower prices than
the woods had been previously held in.
The range of quotations IS before
given still covers the great bulk Of
the business done, which are: Fine
medium clothing, 42@45c; fine. 47@
4sc; fine staple, 4s@5Oc; medium, SO
@40c. Something W. a million
pounds of Wyoming r reported to
have sold within the range of the
quotations given. Woods continue to
be taken very freely in the interior.
Advices from many territorial Sec
tions indicate that prices have been
paid for wocls for Boston account
which are liz 2c e pound in ex-
cess of those of a year ago.
Sales for the week, at Boston, T.
100000 pounds.
The market has continued more &C
tive, as a whole, although some
houses report a very quiet business.
Some good-sized lines of wool have
been moved, including over a half
million pounds of South American, a
good-sized line of Texas, over a mil
lion pounds of Wyoming and some lib
eral lines Of secured woods. The buy
ing has been by some of the large
mills, including Philadelphia concerns,
and there has been some trading be-
tween dealers themselves, more es-
pecially on secured woods and B SUI
they were two weeks ago. Manufac-
turers are not yet as eager to buy
as owner of wool would like to see
them, but they are more willing to
take hold when wools are offered them
at prices which they consider sufficient
ly low. Much of the wool sold has
been moved at low prices-lower than
it had been held at for some time.
This is especially true Of odd lots of
old wool, which manufacturers are
naturally anxious to get out of the
way, as the new woods are now arriv-
ing quite freely, and the available
supply of stock is increasing. There
have been but very few transaction in
new woods as yet, and what business
has been contaminated; it is needless
to say, has been done at profit be-
cause Of the relatively high prices
paid for these woods by their owners.
The goods market, while it shows
some signs of an improved business in
recorders on heavy-weights, has not yet
developed in volume to the extent an
ticipated earlier in the season, and
consumers are naturally not feeling
very bullish with reference to wool.
Estimates in regard to the character
of the opening of the approaching
lightweight season are not generally
favorable as compared with last sea-
son., but unless goods do sell at bet
ter prices, consumers argue that they
cannot pay better prices for wool than
those now current, which are gener-
ally slightly above those Of a year
ago. The mills are fairly we'll stock
ed, and according to representations
OF their agents who appear in the mar
ket, they are disposed to pursue a
conservative tendency in the matter
of purchasing woods.
doubtedly elements of strength in the
situation. The old season is going out
with unusually small stocks on hand. |
The strength abroad continues re-
markable and a private cable receiv-
ed this week from London from a care
full buyer states that the market over
there is boiling and that prices of
fine woods at the London sales have
further advanced. There is every in
dication that the sales will close at
very firm prices and at the very top
quotations of the series. Fine Tas-
manian wool Of sos quality, 50 per
cent shrinkage, has sold at 15d, which
means 42.9 cents landed, which is
equivalent to a secured cost of over
SO. Reports of a drouth in Australia
continue to be received, and indica.
tons multiply that there will be a
falling off in the yield Of wool, the