The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-05
BUT LITTLE TRADING IN WOOL
At BOSTON.
OUTLOOK FOR new SEASON
Present Small Demand Inclined to
Make Eastern Traders conserva.
tive as Regards Buying.

Sales Of wool for the week on tn,
Boston market aggregated 3,548, OO(
pounds. OF this amount there wa!
1,420,000 pounds of territory at from
IA to 10 cents.
The market is generally quiet, a:
it usually is at this time of the year
Quite a number of the large mill.
have been represented in the market
but they have as a rule done little
more than feel of the situation" and
make some low offers on wool, says
the American Wool and Cotton Re
porter. Two or three good-sized tran
sactions have been put through, how
ever, including, it is reported, some
thing like 100000 pounds of fine
medium territory to a Pennsylvania
mill for use in the manufacture Of
goods to fill army contracts and about
a half million pounds of Montana tc
another large concern; also a good
sized line of clothing Oregon-some
300, 900 pounds; as we'll as a few hun.
dred thousand pounds of fine territory.
An Inactive Demand.
But the demand for domestic wool,
as a whole, is any thing but active;
in fact. with most houses 1t is posi-
lively dull. A year ago the same dull
ness prevailed, as will be seen by ref
erence to the sales reported at that
time. The month of April is a be-
t-ween-seasons period, the initial
heavyweight ordering being over and
it being to early for the recorder de-
mand to show itself; and until there
is more substantial evidence than
now exists that the demand for goods
is to improve manufacturers are quite
likely to be conservative purchasers
of wool. They are today taking only
such woods as they actually need; but
for such woods as they want they are
generally willing to pay currently
quoted rates. The big mills are look
ing around for things which are
cheap, and will take up bargain lots
which will enable them to get up
cheap yarn. There is not enough de-
mand for high-grade fabrics to war
rant Them laying in large lines OF
high-grade and costly woods.
Worsted Looms Idle.
The heavyweight worsted season
has thus far been a disappointment,
and a considerable amount of wors'
ted machinery is reported as shut
places plants are said to be running
on slack time, and the outlook for
worsteds is not considered especially
aattering. In one of the largest wors-
ted plants in Rhode Island there are
several hundred looms idle; in GER
tain other mills there is an equal per.
centage of looms idle, and the output
of the plants has been remarkably
small. This is applicable only to mills
making certain lines of worsteds. The
wooden mills are doing and have been
doing for some time a comparatively
good business, some of them being Sc
we'll sold ahead that a market is as
sured for all the goods which they can
turn out this season, although a nun
Der of these concerns are not today
receiving the business which they
were at one time.
Making Much Shoddy.
The character of the demand for
goods has been such that many thou
sands of yards of cheap goods are
being turned out, which have a small
percentage of wool in them, out they
satisfy the Purchaser and they take
unaer ruling prices, cost too high
Possibly this accounts for the com.
paratively good demand for medium
and low grades of wool which has
been in evidence for some time and
the fact that there is an exceptionally
80
good inquiry for carpet woods to be
used in the manufacture of clothing
fabrics, which. taken in connection
with the unusual demand from the car
pet mills, has contributed to the plac
ing of carpet woods in such an excep
,icnally strong position.
Prices Changed Little.
Prices of wool, as a rule, are moi
notably changed. Some of the terri
tory woods have been moved on. fully
as favorable terms as were current
last week. but prices hold pretty steady
in view of the long-continued quietness
which has prevailed. Were it not fol
the strong statistical position of wool
= A.