The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-26
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FINE WOOL
Z MORE MORE ACTIVE
s'osTos REPORTS LITTLE
CHANGE IN MARKET.
PRICES ABOUT THE SAME
Territories AZ oulster with Business
Confined Principally to Move.
ment Of Small Lots.

Sales Of wool for the week on the
Boston market aggregated 4,265,0OO
pounds. This included 100000
territory at from IA to 1871 cents. /.
The market has been slightly more
active the past week, although the
increased business accomplished has
been confined almost exclusively to
one class OF stock-wool of quarter.
blood grade, says the American Wool
and Cotton Reporter.
Some Features.
The features of the market have
been the purchasing Of nearly a mil
lion and a half pounds OF quarterblood
f~leeces, comprising Missouri and Hi
nois, Michigan, Ohio and Maine and
York state woods by two manufactur-
ing concerns, one of which, the Man
chester mills, took the great bulk of
the woods; the purchasing of about
100000 pounds OF Australian quarters,
reported to have been taken by the
same concern; and the sale OF a large
line of medium combing pulled woods
to another large dress goods mill. The
Manchester mills corporation is UNI
derstood to have worked down to prac-
tically bare boards, as far as. its sup
plies of stock were concerned, and
having secured liberal orders for
dress goods, which, it is reported,
will keep its machinery well employed
for several months to come, found
it necessary to take on a large line
Of raw material. In doing so 1t was
Obliged to pay full market prices
22@22hc for the Missouri and Mich
igan woods and % and even 23kc for
the Ohio woods. This class Of stock
is firmer than it was, being influenced
largely by the somewhat excited con-
dition and advancing tendency of for
eign quarter-bloods at the London
auctions. Compared with the prices
which it costs to import Australian
quarters, domestic woods of that grade
certainly look reasonable. The sales
in the local market referred to were
made at a clean cost OF about 4Uc,
the Ohio woods, it is reported, costing
about 42c, but from advices received
this week from London, it will cost
to import Australian quarters 45@46c
A Generally Quiet Market.
Aside from the sales referred to,
the market has been quiet. The tone
is, If anything, slightly improved, as
offers have been made from mills
which ten days or two weeks ago
could hardly be induced to look at
wool, and a number of manufacturers
have been in to test the market, but
they are not as yet willing to take
hold very freely. The worsted men,
as a rule, report that they cannot see
any improvement in the goods market.
They are receiving some duplicate or
ders on heavy weights, but the de-
mand is not very lively, and in view
Of the fact that they are so nea the
end of their initial orders, 1t will take
a good many reoruers to keep them
going until the lightweight season
opens. Reports from New York dry
goods commission houses, indicate IN
Improvement in the tone OF the goods
market, but manufacturers who come
into the wool market, notably the
worsted manufacturers, are skeptical
regarding this reported improvement.
The dress goods mills and mems
wooden mills do not deny that there
is a good business in progress. In
the worsted industry, however, there
is still a great deal of idle machinery,
and some worsted men intimate that
the number of idle machines will be
increased, some claiming that they
are contemplating a stlll further re
auction of output. 5t
Tone Remains Firm.
The tone OF the wool market, how
ever, as far as prices are concerned,
is firm, as there is comparatively SO
little old wool available and the grow
ers are asking such relatively high
prices for the new woods. Then, too,
the course of the markets abroad, es-
pecially of the London sales, which,
by the way, close on Friday of this
week. has been and is steadily up
ward, especially on the crossbred a
%rieties, which tends to accentuate the
firmness Of holders in the interior.
Some of the local wool merchants talk
in a %disparaging way regarding the
future of the wool market. and yet
these very persons are among those