The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-03
HBosToN WOOL MARKET SHOWS
NO CHANGE.
KEEP UP THOUGH
MANY Contracts Are Reported in Ari-
IONA and Idaho at Top
Figures.

Sales of wool on the Boston market
tor last week totaled 2,127, 900 pounds.
If this amount 5000 0 pounds was
erritory, which sold at from 14@l9
ents.
THE market is quieter even than it
las a week ago. OF course, the holi-
day has interrupted business to some
extent. but aside from that the de-
mand except for some speciality, here
and there, of which some manufacture
er may happen TO be in need, has been
{ nil, say the American Wool and Cot
ton Reporter.
No uneasiness in the Trade.
This-aimost lifeless condition of
businesss@hewever, is apparently Civ
ing the trade but little u~neasiness.
i Wool merchants, fortunately, are light
ly stocked. Some Of them are in fact
practically down to bare boards, and
If there was a very broad and large
demand, it is doubtful if many of them
would be in any position to fill it. II
it we're not for the exceptionally light
stocks on hand for this time of the
year, the long continued q%uietness of
the market would, without any doubt,
have left a more decided impress on
the level of wool values, and a lower
range Of quotations would doubtless
be seen than is now current. But, as
it is while here and there a consum-
er can buy on slightly better terms
than he could (Which statement is
especially applicable to delaine and
Quarterblood woOls), there is as yet
no general shrinkage of values worthy
of note, and the range of prices as
given in our tabulated list still re-
mains ~unchanged; but a continuance
of existing conditions, however small
may be the supply, will naturally re-
suit in slightly lower prices, for in a
dull market there are always those
5M WHO Ill LuClI dllAlCIy " w DuoA4Coo,
are willing to hold out some induce
f ments to manufacturers who would
not otherwise buy.
81 Goods.
Reports from the goods market are
variable and not altogether satisfac-
Il tory. Worsteds are moving slowly,
the volume of the demand not having
come up to expectations, and aside
from yarns which are being spun on
contracts made ONE time ago, the
worsted yarn business is reported as
very slow, there being scarcely any
new business. The closing down of
some worsted looms, to whatever
cause it may be due, means of course
a decreased consumption of worsted
woods, and there is for the time be-
ing a small demand for staple stock.
L These conditions with reference to
worsteds may of course change-it is
quite possible that as the season goes
on, business may improve, but for the
time being the worsted business is not
satisfactory. On woolens, on the 9TH
err hand, many of the mills are con-
tracted well ahead, a number of them
having already sold their entire sea
sons production. The excellent de.
mand for woolens is, reflected in a
comparatively good request for fine
clothing woods, which nave sold dur
ing the past week relatively better
than the staple woods.
The conditions in the manufacturing
situation as briefly outlined and the
general indisposition on the part oil
consumers to take on any large lines
of wool, many of them being wei.
stocked with raw material, naturally
have created more disposition on the
part of the holder of wool to seek the
@tuyer, and the market, as was stated
Nslast week, favors the latter.
Quietness Believed to Be Temporary
That this q~uietness in the trade il
&Ssbelieved to be but temporary, is man
! Tested in the disposition of some O
the members of the eastern trade t.
contract for next seasons wool in tn
west at pretty good prices. Sixt.
per cent of the Phoenix, Ariz., wool
are reported to have sold at price
which in many instances, mean
clean cost, landed in Boston, rangini
from 4S to sic. The buyers of thes
woods evidently have faith in the fu
ture of the wool market. According
to adyices received. from Weiser, Ida
under date of February IA. a vel
known Boston house bought abou