The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-01
MONTANA WOODS LEAD ON Bos-
TON MARKET.
GENERAL 1RAuE IS QUIET
Small Supply to Draw from Keeps
Prices Steady-Arizona
Shows More Life.

In a quiet way there has been a
good deal of wool selling this week,
some good sized lines of Montana and
Oregon having been taken by manu-
~facturers, says the Boston CONNER
cial Bulletin. The general market,
however, is quiet, as the large bust
ness of the week was confined to a
few houses. There has been a good
attendance of buyers, including rep
resentatives of the large consumers
and many of the small fry. All have
been buying more or less and order
ing out supplies previously contract
ed for. There is a good, healthy
tone to the market with a compare
lively small supply to draw from and
prices steady all along the line.
Perhaps the most important event
of the week is the failure of the
Clinton Worsted company, the first
important trouble of the kind for some
time. It is said that the company is
indebted to the wool trade to the ex-
tent of $4,000, distributed among sew
eral houses. While an unfortunate
occurrence, the failure has had nc ap-
preciable effect upon the wool mar
ket.
New Clip Moves Lively.
Out in Arizona the new clip has
been moving lively. Fully three-quar-
tiers of the clip of 2,O00, 900 pounds
is said to have been either bought
| or consigned. The principal purchas-
es are reported at 13@14c. This
means a secured basis OF about 45c,
landed in Boston. The opinion pre-
walls that the clip is selling at it's
full value. To be sure last years
clip was gobbled up quickly by enthu-
siastic Boston operators at about 2
cents more money, but it is a well
known fact that not a dollar was
made on the woods.
On this market prices are in statu
quo on everything. They neither ad-
vance nor decline. Ohe-quarter blood
fleece, the strong feature of the mar
ket, does not bring higher prices. 1t
is scarce and wanted, but imp%ortations
of competing woods from Australia
and South America are increasing
and will probably be cheap enough
to relieve the stringency.
The Mills.
The developments of the week in
the mems wear goods market hav
had little innuence in changing the
condition of affairs at the mills. The
initial business in heavyweight fab
RIGS has been of fair volume and while
not meeting the most sanguine expec
tations of manufacturers and agent
= has been extensive enough to keel
machinery more or less occupied TO
some time TO come. There is n
great amount of idle machinery in tn
wool goods mills and from all az
COu1tS CAO WoAoCCu AhAAAS ~S
better that they were. The failur
) of the Clinton Worsted mills is NO
.. significant of decentralization in tn
. industry. There are a number c
worsted and wooden mills that hav
. all the business they a handle an
] the industry as a whole is in SCUM
shape. @
We have had an old-fashioned viii
j, ter and the consumption OF heav
clothing must have been large.
linen buster has not been a populs
e fabric for many months and the bacl
bone of winter is still stout an
straight. So far these condition
" more seasonable than for many year
have not been felt either in the clot
d ing or the piece goods trade. Soon
le or later they must be felt in a mo-
t. active demand for the latter and
l heavier distribution of made-up ga
y ments to the benefit both of the nan
f~acturer Of goods and the dealer
wool.
I'd Foreign Markets Strong.
= There is a strong tone to foreiI
markets. London letters say that II
war in the far east has had no app
ciable effect upon business and tn;
e. if there has been any check to bu
II ness from that cause, or from t
rs possibility of foreign complication
it has not been serious.
If there has been any change
the London market it has been
be hardening tendency. Boston imp
VS. tiers have found it impossible to b
at private sale on the basis of t
le Lotto arotion nricnS The second