The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-24
HOLDERS INCLINED TO SHADE
PRICES A LlTTELE.
GOOD SIZED LINES MOVED
Inquiry Better and Indications for Fu.
ture Regarded as Encourage
ine-SuppIies Small.

Sales of wool for the week on tn,
Boston market aggregated 1855, OO
pounds, including LOO, 900 pounds ter
ritory at from IA to 20 cents pc.
pound.
The inquiry for wool has beef
slightly better for the past week
Quite a number of manufacturers have
been in the market, testing it, most
Of them representing moderate sized
concerns. Their takings have net been
very large, however, as their ideas OF
values have been in a number of in.
stances, below those of holders of wool
says the American Wool and Cotton
Reporter.
Good Sized Lines Moved.
A few good sized lines have been
moved..schiefy Of pulled woods, and
at least-Dne stable line of territories
was. dispesed~of. The demand is not
yet what might be called lively, but
the tendency seems to be towards
rather more activity and it is thought
that in the cours of a few weeks a
fairly satisfactory business may be in
progress. As yet, every one is NOV
ing cautiously-the buyer of clothing,
as we'll as the buyer of wool. The
initial business in mems wear goods
is pretty we'll over and the disposition
is not to purchase very heavily until
manufacturers have some light on the
question as to what will probably be
the extent of the recorder business.
Worsteds have been generally slow
sellers. Woolens have done better.
There are those who believe that the
duplicate business on worsteds will
shdw up better, but there is not as
vet sufficient indication that it will
warrant any extended purchasing of
staple woods.
Market Favors the Buyer.
The market continues to favor the
buyer, and it is possible to buy GER
tain kinds of wool on somewhat easier
terms than would have been possible
a week or so ago. This is especially !
true of medium and quarter-blood
woods, pulled woods and territory
woods. The frmest woods are fine
clothing woods, and this is still appli-
cable to both fleeces and territories.
The market is, in short, somewhat ir-
regular. Some houses are willing to
accept lower prices than others. Thus
one large buyer had staple territory
wool offered him one cent per pound
lower than he could have purchased
he wool at two weeks ago. On the
other hand, some houses will not
shade quotations even f~ractionally
from those at which they were holding
is possible to buy territory woods
cheaper than it was then. Prices IA
vor the buyer the most on those
things which are not in small supply.
Houses which are more largely
stocked on certain lines than others
are naturally more willing to make
concessions than the latter.
Supplies Are Small.
Supplies of wool generally are in
such small compass, however, that no
very radical reduction in prices has
yet been effected. On a number of
lines selections have been so broken
and the available stock is so very
small that there is no inducement for
the holder to make any concessions,
and on such lines quotations are large
~ nominal. Quarter-blood woods are
decidedly slow and Missouri combings.
which not long ago were held at 23c.,
are reported to have been offered the
past week at 21kc.
Mills Continue Busy.
The mills are generally quite busy,
the worsted yarn mills on old orders,
and the mems wea mills on orders re-
ceived for heavy weights and duplicate
orders for light weights in some cases.
Whether the business in hand will
be sufficient to keep the bulk of the
machinery going is a question which
time alone can determine. There is
some apprehension, here and there,
on that score, but it is not pronounced
enough to have any appreciable eff
on the market as yet. The high
cost of living and the discomfort
among the laboring classes are re-
to as factors which may be re-
fected in a decreased demand for
clothing Or in a refusal on the part of