The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-09-15
fine woods do not find it an easy mat
ter to secure concessions.
Expect Higher Prices.

AAO "OoAS w AOl Auu II I'LL easy mdI-
ter to secure concessions.
Expect Higher Prices.
At current prices, there is little, If
any, profit to some holders of terri
torial woods, as the clip was marketed
at too high a price at the opening Oh
the cas- to allow a wide margin OF
profit; and as the wool trade, as a
whole, are not pushed for money, their
obligations being smaller, if anything,
than they were a year ago, merchants
at present feel that they will do bet
ter not to let their woods CO.. But, OF
course, the natural consequence OF
such a long continued quietness as we
have had is to make some members
of the trade a little more anxious to
sell. In such buyers might
be able to do trif1e better than
they could a month ago, but the dis
position to let wool go is not yet suffi-
GENTLY pronounced to result in any
general decline of prices, and there
are many in the trade who confidently
believe that it will not be long before
domestic fine and fine medium stock
will be selling on a higher basis.
Where Opinions Differ.
Those who are bearishly inclined on
fine wool point to the comparative
slowness of fine woods abroad and
claim that merino woods at. the London
sales will do we'll if they hold their
own. The holder of domestic fine ter
ritorial wool, however, points to the
fact that there is a very wide differ
ence between the cost of foreign fine
woods and foreign crossbreds-much
greater than is the difference between
the domestic fine territory and the
lower grades, and that in the case OF
foreign woods fine stock can decline
much more before it will be relatively
as low as our fine territorial woods.
The market, in the meantime, con-
tinues in a rather interesting position
and the final outcome of the situation
it would be very difficult to foretell.
AS far as the local business is con.
cerned, while continued complaint
continues to be heard as to the SLOW
ness of trade, now that the summer is
over, and people generally are getting
back to work, a feeling which is by no
means one of encouragement seems to
pervade the trade. The worsted people
are still faring badly, as compared with
the makers of wool goods, but some
of them show a little more disposition
to look at staple woods, and at least
one good sized trade is pending on
staple woods, and some strictly staple
stock has been sold the past week.
London Sales Prospects.
The prospects for the London auc-
tons, which will begin on Tuesday OF
next week, appear to be good, espe-
cially for woods of c%rossbred descrip-
tons. Stocks in the hands of consum-
ers cannot be large and the quantity
available for the sales will probably
amount to not more than 10000 bales
as compared with 10000 bales at the
corresponding time last year. OF this
amount probably about $4,000 bales
will be New Zealand wool. According
to latest advices from London, not
withstanding the absence of business
since the close of tho last auctions,
holders are content to await events.
The demand there is Still running
most strongly towards crossbred Wools
and prices for medium and lower quail
tiles are gradually tending against
buyers. Spinners, being able to get
better prices for their yarns, are now
more disposed to follow the advance.
Merinos also keep firm and have been
more inquired for of late. The Ant
werp sales opened on Monday OF this
week with merinos unchanged and
crossbreds UPS per cent.
Territory Woods.
While the volume of trade in terri