The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-10
VERY MATERIALLY DEMoRALIZ.
ED BOSTON WOOL MARKET.
SLIGHT SHADING IN PRICES
Holders Hopeful for Immediate Flu.
ture and Regard Outlook al
More Promising.

For the week ending March 2 the
total sales of wool on the Boston mar
ket was 1,457,O00 pounds. OF this
$4,000 pounds was territory at from
IA to 10 cents.
Trading has been at a complete
standstill during much of the week
under review, says the American Wool
and Cotton Reporter.
An embargo has been placed on
wool shipments to places outside OF
the state of Massachusetts, in accord
ance with regulations adopted by the
bureau of animal industry for the
suppression of the foot and mouth dis
ease in cattle and sheep. This mat
ter is explained in detail elsewhere.
Effect Of the Embargo.
Its effect has been to almost par
alyse trade. Wool merchants have
beer.more concerned with the matter
Of -.eHecting arrangements for the
movement of wool and making deliv-
cries to points outside of Massa-
chusetts than with the making of
sales, and consumers, on the other
hand, have shown little or no DISPOSE
ton to purchase woods in view OF the
fact that there was no telling when
they could receive them, and in view
of the fact also that many of them are
r,o1y c%0a1yo1 o~1 ,,n10r n0rnoo1 o0n1i.
tions as to the moving of wool, would
not be particularly anxious to buy.
On Tuesday of this week, the trade
had succeeded in making arrange
ments with the department by which
woods not stored in warehouses con
tanning woods from the infected states
MASSACHUSETTS, Vermont and Rhode
Island) could be moved to points out
side of Massachusetts,, thus releasing
from the effects of the quarantine, it
is estimated, about 80 per cent of the
wool stored in Boston. This of
course was a great relief to the trade,
and since then business has shown
more of a disposition to pursue it's
usual course.
The Business Of the Week..
Under such a condition Of affairs,
no large individual sales could be ex-
pected, and the business of the week
has been made up of small transac-
tons, which possess but little signifi-
canoe. A little wool has been purchas-
ed here and there, some Of the Mas
sachusetts mills taking a few small
lots, as we'll as a few concerns out
side of the state, who were content to
wait until deliveries could be arrang-
ed for. In foreign woods quite a good
sized business has been done in stock
to arrive, and some activity is report
ed in carpet woods, although one house
which happens to carry in its ware
house a little wool grown in Cape
Cod, has been prevented by reaso OF
that fact from Shipping any of it's car
pet woods stored in the same place.
Prices.
Although the volume of business
has been so seriously curtailed, there
is no especial weakness to be noted in
the matter of prices. The market is in
favor of the buyer, as it usually is
after such a quiet spell, and in order
to move any large line of wool holders
would unquestionably have to make
some concessions from figures which
they had been previously asking. Bu'
consumers who actually desire to buy
wool do not find that they can secure
such great bargains, after all. Posi-
bly,, on the average, buyers a d.
better by one-half cen per poun(
than they could have done a month
ago. Some grades are more than one
half cent lower. Thus delaine WOO
is one cent per pound below the to-
price reached. Nice, fine clothin
woods, on the other hand, are prett
steadily maintained in price and CON
mand full figures or very close to flu
figures.
Clothing Wool.
Clothing woods are stronger tina.
the staple woods, the demand for tn
latter being affected by the dullnes
in the market for worsted goods. Yer
fine clothing territories and fine clotf
ing Australians, however, are compai
atiyely firm. Medium and quarter
blood woods are easy, good Indian
quarter bloods being offered, it is II
ported. at 23kc here, with no takers
Stocks of wool here generally are S
small. however, that there is no pre-:
sure to sell, and the wool dealers fee
comparatively Independent and ar
content to wait until a better deman