The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-14
WOOL OF ALL KINDS MOVING
FREELY.
HOLD OUT STRONG
Supply Materially Reduced
and Holders Hang on to
Stocks in Hand.

TOM Reporter;
Sales for the week at Boston. Z,
100000 pounds.
Following the liberal purchase,
made by the American Wooden com
pany referred to in our issue of las
week. the Independent mills hay.
shown more interest in the marke
this week, including both the larg,
and medium-sized concerns, and the,
have bought a considerable amount o
wool. The combine itself also has
added to it's purchases before allud
ed to by taking, it is reported, nearly
two million pounds Of ~fleeces, includ
ing over a million pounds Of quarter
and three-eighths blood woods. It has
not taken on any further stable lines
of territories, but some of the Penn,
sylvania mills, and other wcrsted
mills have contracted for some good.
sized lots, all of which has swollen
the business of the week to about
seven and cne-half million pounds.
A considerable amount of the wool
purchased was taken on long dating,
but not all of it vas The prices real.
lied are variously stated, but gener.
ally speaking the business which has
been done, has been at full quotations
and of course this was especially true
where the. contracts were made with
long datings. Much Of the Montana
wool was sold with the range Of 1874
@19kc, for staple stock, at which
quotations there is at least a very
fair margin of profit, even after allow
ing for interest for a period of five
months.
The purchases by the independent
mills have been made at current rates
and the tone of the market is firm.
The demand has been quite general,
extending to all classes of stock. In
deed there has seldom, if ever, been a
time when the request for wool COW
cred such a wide variety of styles
and grades. 1t has extended from the
very finest to the very c%oarsest, from
the finest Ohio woods down through
every grade of stock to the ~coarsest
carpet woods. The inquiry has been
for both domestic and foreign and the
principal reason why there has not
been more actual business doing in
Australian and carpet woods is be-
cause the supply of these woods has
been so slight. No class of wool has
been Disseminated against, which is
evidence of the extent of the demand
fer goods, which covers all classes Of
fabrics. The only class of manufac-
turers whose absence from the mar
ket has been conspicuous have been
the knitters. The latter have been
doing well, but are not just at pres
ent buying much wool. They are like
ly to be freer buyers before long, how
ever.
The position of wool is a strong one.
The liberal purchases of the past few
weeks have of course made a decided
impress upon the available supplies
upon this market, and unless importa-
lions are to be decidedly increased,
the domestic wool market bids fair to
be remarkably well cleaned up before
next clip time, if the rate of consump-
ton is tt be continued at it's present
pace. The purchases of America at
the London sales which closed last
are estimated at about 1000
bales, but it is believed that at least
Is per cent of this amount was for
manufacturers account, so that for
some time to come at any rate there
is not likely to be a very large amount
Of foreign clothing wool available, as
the next London sales will not open
until November %, and the offerings
of such stock as is suitable for Amer
lea at these sales will not be large.
The country is practically cleaned up
and wool merchants find that they
cannot replace the stock which they
have sold at the same price as they
on it.
Not Anxius to Sell.
They are not therefore anxious to
sell what wool remains, certainly they
are not disposed to let it go unless
they can get a pretty good price for
It. 1t is surely a pretty strong mar
ket where a holder turns down an Of
fer for a.good-sized lot of wool which
only %one-quarter cent below his
price. But this has been actu-
ally done on territories, holders feel
very sure that purchasers will ulti-]
mately be Obliged to come up to- their
IDEAS as to the value of wool. It is a
strong, healthy market and a good one
TO sell on for one who has desirable
stock and is willing to accept current
rofoc FOR II At tho camo fimn at.l