The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-03
BOSTON WOOL MARKET CON-
TINUEs TO BE STRONG.
HOLDING UP FIRM
Territories Most in Demand With
Holders cIinging to Top
Notch Figures.

The weeks sales of wool on the
Boston market aggregated 5,O67, 900
pounds, including 2,42O,0OO pounds of
territory, which latter sold at from
IA to 20 cents a pound.
A very fair volume of business has
been put through the past week and
firm, says the American Wool and
Cotton Reporter.
A number of the representatives of
Boston houses have Deen in Philadel-
phia and are reported to have sue
ceeded in %disposing of a few good
sized lines of wool to manufacturers
in that city and vicinity, and a few of
the latter are reported to have been
over here and purchased, SO that the
volume Of business done with Phila-
delphia consumers foots up a very
considerable total. One Boston house
is reported to have sold 600, 900
pounds of territories, another
house, 150, 900 pounds, and another
house 100000 pounds, the latter be-
ing largely f1eeces; and several sales
of between 100, 900 and 100000 pounds
are claimed to have been consum-
mated. There has been a continued
inquiry for foreign woods, also, some
sales being made of both woods to ar
rive and spot woods. But outside of
the transac tions with Philadelphia
consumers, most of the sales made to
the mills have been only of moderate
sized lots. Two or three good-sized
lines have been disposed of to eastern
mills. The smaller mills have been
pretty we'll in evidence, which has
made the market active for small
lots. The latter have taken a gen.
eral assortment of stuff, and alto
gether the business of the week has
been pretty we'll distributed over the
various varieties, territories of course
leading all others in point of activity.
Holders Of Wool Strong.
s Holders of wool are strong in their
views, and there is no evidence what
ever of any weakness in the situation,
although some late dispatches indi-
cate that woods are going a little
more slowly at the London sales, with
withdrawals larger; while, on the
other hand, other advices are to the
effect that prices have been firmly sus-
tanned since the opening; that there
has been spirited competition for
~crossbreds; and that orders which
were in at the opening on a pretty
high level, it has been found neces-
sary to raise in order to secure the
wool. In Buenos Ayres the tendency,
according to latest advices, is still to-
wards higher prices. With evidences
the face of steadily decreasing sup
| plies at home, some owners of wool
are very stiff in their views-so stiff
in fact as to prevent the consumma-
ton of business. Some holders, if
they had been content to shade prices
even a little, could have sold consid-
erably more wool.
Buying Carefully
Manufacturers however we'll some
of them may be stocked (and
there is no ~gainsaying the fact
that a number of them are well
| stocked), are willing to increase
their holdings if any inducement is
held out to them to do so. They will
not however, pay any advanced prices
over those previously quoted and
stoutly maintain that unless the
goods market develops into a more
| active condition than has yet beer
seen they will simply purchase from
hand to mouth Thus far the cloth
ing trade have bought goods in {
conservative, careful way, and the
volume of business done in goods a
the advanced quotations is reported
as only moderate-not being up to tn
expectations of some of the mills
Dress goods are reported to be il
good condition and moving in goo'
volume. The buyer of mems wea.
fabrics, however, finds it necessar.
to closely inspect the goods that ar
offered, owing to the changes, amour
of manipulation and number OF neV
lines which mark the offerings
Wherever he has detected stronl
value. he has taken hold readily. ON
advantage of this kind of business i
that it will probably stay-it will no