The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-12

continue to be at advanced prices as
compared with a year ago, which
means that either the purchasers of
these woods will have to take a loss
on them, or that the markets at the
seabOard are to be quoted on a ma
terially higher basis than at present.
The latter alternative is certainly not
now indicated by the outlook for the
goods market, for the recorder demand
is slow in Undertaking. and the light
weight easOn is as likely to open on
a lower as on a higher price level, it
it believed by many, than a year ago.
Montanas Are Lower.
The weakness in the market has
been most pronounced or such woods
as are in plentiful supply, and as Mon
tana woods are in the most liberal
supply it has been on these that prices
have SO decidedly fvaored the buyer.
This condition is in marked contrast
with that prevailing abroad, where a
decidedly more cheerful feeling pre-
walls. The Antwerp sales opened
April 20 at 5@7h per cent advance.
London Sales.
The London series of auctions open
ed on Tuesday of this week, with good
competition and a number of buyers
represented. AS compared with the
close of the preceding series, merinos
and fine crOssbreds showed an adj
anc of 5 per cent, and average
and Lincoln ~crossbreds, 10 per cent.
1t would seem as though the effect OF
this would be to stiffen the price of
domestic stock of corresponding grade.
what effect this will have upon the
western grower remains to be dis.
closed. One trouble in the local a
kets is hat the woods, of which there
are any large supplies here, are too
good 4or what the consumer wants
them for.
Texas and California.
Texas woods are practically lifeless.
Eight months woods are reported as
selling in Texas along the line of the
Southern Pacific at 14@15c. Nothing
Kerrville. The new woods are said to
as good as those of last year. Local
supplies of Texas are limited with
buyers and sellers apart.
OF California woods there are
scarcely any here and no business
worth referring to has been done.
Prices are nominally unchanged. Ore
gon woods are likewise quiet, with
good average eastern staple not quot
able at over 1870.
Territories.
Territory woods have been in larger
movement, holders, especially Of Mon
tanas, accepting manufacturers ideas
and letting some of their woods go.
We have already referred to the sale
of Idaho wool in addition to which it
is estimated that about 1000, 900
pounds have been sold, including
about 500, 900 pounds of Montana
clothing at a clean cost Of about Acc,
and a good-sized line OF fine and fine
medium at a clean cost ranging from
ACC to SOC. The bulk of the business
done has Deen at a clean cost of 400
48c. 1t takes an exceptionally choice
territory wool to bring over SOC, but
| some business in the best of terrific.
rial stock is reported to have been
put through at 52@53c On the clean
basis territorial wool is worth, today,
46@48c for fine medium and 48@5Oc
for fine, the latter for strictly fine sta
| pie. Medium wool brings a relatively
better price and some business has
been done in this grade at 45c, clean,
$1,000 pounds of high medium with
the staple in, at that price, being one
of the transactions of the week. In
the grease Montana woods have sold
at 18@18kc for choice staple stock,
which is 2@2Ac below what the
woods were held at at one time. Av-
erage fine medium has sold at 16@17c
and choice at 1Sc. Medium has sold
at 17@18c, or a. prices ranging from
42@45c. clean. according to grade,
staple and condition.
In Cheyenne, Wyo., the opening OF
the wool season., April 20, was marked
by sales at 13@14c, and during the
past week one good-sized line of wool
in Wyoming is reported to have been
moved at 14@14hc, but the woods
are not selling as readily as they were
a year ago.
Receipts and Shipments.
The receipts of wool in -OstOn this
week. last week and for the CORE
spending week of last year are as
follows:
This week-5,O37 bales domestic,
1891 bales foreign; total, GAPS bales.
Last week-9,671. bales domestic,
1924 bales foreign; total. 1915 bales.
Last year-1O,528 bales domestic.
1.767 bales foreign; total, 1925 bales.
The total receipts since January l
have been 134,1l5 bales domestic and
1884 bales foreign, against 49, S6
bales domestic and 69,O74 bales for
eign for the corresponding period OF
1902. This is a decrease o. 47,57l
bales domestic and an increase OF
1O.9 a4 bales foreign.
Shipments of wool for the week
ending May 4 are as follows: Tues
day. April zS, 23S.39O; Wednesday,
Anril ~, 146,874; Thursday, April 80,
575.115: Friday. May 1, 699, 100; Sat
urday. May 2, 397,85v; Monday,
May 4, 468. $50; total, 3,125,859.