The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-01-13
CLEANING UP PERIOD IN WOOL
BUSINESS.
MILLS ARE BUYING LITTLE
Manufacturers Holding Off to Learn
Be Demanded.

The weeks sales of wool on the
Boston market totaled 3,525,00
pounds, including 100000 of. terri
tory at from IA to p cents a pound.
The market has been decidedly
quieter the past week, and with most
houses in the trade there has been
comparatively but very little doing.
One of the largest, if not the largest
house in the trade stated hat it had
not sold to a customer in two weeks.
Another large concern, says the Amer
lean Wool and Cotton Reporter, re-
| ported a practical absence of any
business of Importance. Two other
large concerns, ON the other hand,
reported "a very good business for this
time of the year. But very few in
dividual sales of any magnitude have
been made, and the rank and file of
the trade have done but little.
Some of the large mills have been
represented in the market, but they
have not all been purchasers of wool.
Some of the smaller mills have taken
hold to a moderate extent, but the
demand from no quarter can be term
ed really active. This condition Of
things is not surprising at all, al it
is a cleaning up period and manu-
facturers are getting ready to open
up their new goods. On the charac-
ter of the opening of the new heavy
weight suitings will depend in a con-
siderable measure the size of the de-
mand for wool. Just at present manu-
facturers do not know just what lines
of goods are going to be in demand,
and they do not know exactly what
kinds of wool they will most need.
Many of them are therefore disposed
to hold off.
Agitating the Manufacturers.
The question as to whether ma
chinery will continue to be fully en-
ployed is naturally agitating the
minds of some of the wool merchants,
and it is needless to say that the
course of the goods market for the
next two months will be watched
with deep interest. There is some
anxiety in certain quarters in regard
to the probable volume of business
that will develop on the new heavy
advances are so marked that buyers
state that they cannot and will not
pay the prices asked, and some OF
the largest manufacturers are begin
ming to manifest some concern regard
ing the next season. Some of them
are doubtless unduly apprehepsive,
which apprehension is naturally in
creased somewhat by the reports of
some of the goods statesmen to the
effect that the season will be a long
and draggy one.
Wool Brings Full Prives.
There is a little wool selling every
day, and it brings usually full prices,
as manufacturers are willing to pay
current prices for what they want,
but they do not want much. There
are many lots of wool being shipped,
but these shipments represent woods
purchased some time ago, and until
manufacturers positively know thai
their goods are sold, they are not like.
ly to be very free buyers of wool.
Dealers, as a rule, are very willing
to sell at today's market prices, but
there is no weakness apparent.
Medium and fine woods are firm and
sales of the former especially have
been made at top quotations. Reports
from abroad indicate the continuance
of firm markets and the probability
of a further rise in the price of fine
woods at the London sales, but no fur
Their advances have been established
in this market. Notwithstanding the
quietness prevailing here, however,
the trade are looking forward to the
renewal of an active business this
year, and as the statistical position
is so strong, they fail to see how there
can be any decided weakening in the
price of wool. Goods calling for fine
woods are likely to meet with a good
demand, especially those calling. for
fine Texas, California, territory and
Australian, as, for instance, kerseys,
and accordingly pretty stiff ideas are
entertained regarding the future of
such woods, which are reflected in the
report of contracting for spring Texas
wool, years growth, on the sleeps