The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-08
LAST WEEKS BOSTON SALES
SHOW GREAT INCREASE.
soME SHADING IN PRICES
Renewed Activity Caused by Tempting
Offers Holders Saw Fit to
Make to Consumers.
apNN4<NFFzW IHs... #

Sales of wool for the week on the
Boston market aggregated 100000
pounds. Included we're 100000
pounds of territory, which sold at
15@20k cents.
We have an increased volume OF
business to report this week, which is
largely the result of tempting offers
which have been made by holders OF
wool to consumers, who nave in some
cases accepted such offers, not be
cause they actually needed the woods,
hut because they believed that the
prices vt which the woods were Of
tered were sufficiently low to discount
any future adverse conditions which
might arise, says the ooston Wool and
Cotton Reporter.
All Kinds Moved.
Philadelphia worsted consumers
have bought to some extent, one con
Germ, it is claimed, taking about L.
600, 600 pounds of wool, which is re-
ported to have been owned by an
outside party. Other concerns, in
GLIDING a we'll known dress goods
mill, have bought with some freedom,
where the price has been made right.
The business of the week comprises
sales of not only territorial woods,
but also of ~fleeces, notably quarter
blood and bright woods, and also pull
ed woods, an increased business be-
ing done in combing pulled.
Feeling Is Better.
A better feeling exists in the trade
as the result of the increased move
ment of wool, even if the prices realiz-
ed have not come up to the expecta-
tons so long entertained by holders.
Manufacturers are showing more in
terest in the market. There have
been more of them around. They are
more inclined to look at wool and to
consider lots which they would not
have looked at some time ago. In a
number of cases, especially where
they have taken hold of pulled woods
and f%leeces, they have been anxious
to have the woods shipped immediate
ly, which indicates that their stocks
must have been pretty we'll depleted.
The ~overcoating business is report
ed to have improved with the advent
of colder weather and manufacturers
are, as a whole, talking a little more
encouragingly of the goods situation,
although the fabric market, as a
whole, does not show a remarkable
increase in activity except in spots,
the worsted end of the business being
still comparatively quiet.
Regarding Prices.
As to prices paid, reports differ.
Enr Gpn ond fnn rnodinrp fQrritnrinc
they have ranged from As to SOC, with
some selected fine stock selling at SIC;
but a considerable portion of the bust
ness put through in fine medium has
been done at about 46@47c, and some
consumers claim that they have bo~ght
at 45c, and "a buy now at 45c. Some
sellers maintain, however, that the
manufacturers will find that the woods
will cost them 47c Or 48c. The sale
of a million pounds referred to con-
sisted of both fine and fine medium
in the original bags, and is understood
to have brought about Acc, clean. A
considerable amount of fine wool has
brought 48@50c, clean.
Sales Long Pending. 7
Some of the woods sold the past
week have been under negotiation for
some time, and could have been
moved before, it is claimed, if holders
had been willing to accept offers made
by manufacturers. Holding prices for
some time have been a47@50c for fine
medium. and some business in nice
woods has been done within that
range; but, to move average woods
freely, lower prices would have to be
accepted, as manufacturers views for
some time past have apparently been
centered on 45c, at which price they
would probably in some cases buy
freely; but, as much of the wool held
by merchants cost the latter more than
45c, even as much as SOC and upwards,
they have been 10th to grant the re-
duction in price asked tor. The re-
suit has been that they have been
carrying the woods, hoping for a tav-
orable turn in manufacturing affairs.
QuarterbIoods Were Active.
The strongest woods the past week
have been quarterbloods, and of these
sales are reported at full figures, al
though prices have not yet advanced
to a point which would let out whole
some of the holders, who purchased
their woods in the country late in the
season, and paid pretty stiff prices for
them. The market for these woods
will be naturally affected to some ex-
tent by the course of crossbred woods
abroad.
Advices received this week from
London indicate that at the London
sales, on woods suitable for America,
there has not been much of a decline,
II any, although on medium crossbreds
the market is claimed to be 5 per cent
on and on low crossbreds 10 per sent
on, while good merinos (64s) cost to
land TIC against 7Sc at the last sales.
Some cables report that merinos and
1ine c~rossbreds suitable for America
are unchanged.
In Melbourne the market appears to
IA ah0ut the same as last reDOrted.