The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-08-09

Foreign wool markets continue
very firm. There is q real scarcity
abroad, particularly Of c~rossbreds, and
no possibility of any relief until Jan
uary at least. The mills are aal rum
ming and all the wool sold and sell
ing goes into consumption. Bradford
manufacturers are said to be short of
raw material. While the tendency is
toward the finer grades 1t Is believed
that the staying powers Of crossbreds
are good to the first Of the year as
there are orders ahead for all the
available supply to that time. Offer
ings at the London auction sales in
September and November will be very
light. What is usually sold in No
vember was this year sold i'm July.
The latest mail report from Brad
ford says:
"The position of the wool market re-
mains one of great tension. 1t is not
possible to say that there is g keen,
healthy demand for anything, for buy
ers to be determined to do as
little business as they can at present
prices. At the same time, when
sactions take place at all, about cur
! rent prices have to be paid for me-
dunn and low cr~ossbreds, and also
for most classes of homegrown sorts,
though with respect to the latter some
little speculative buying has ceased
in some directions. Both mohair and
alpaca remain steady, with a quiet
business. Camels hair, especially Chi
nese. has somewhat appreciated. The
cashmere trade is a little slow just
now.
"In the export yarn trade some mer-
chants do not seen to have the same
confidence in the prices of the raw
material as they have had, but they
certainly do not find spinners at all
yielding in their attitude. AS in the
wool branch, the situation is largely
one OF strain, and the demand from
abroad is not sufficient to settle mat
ters locally. In the home trade there
is no revival in Botanies which can be
called a return to average business.
Both as to mohairs and alpacas there
is a complaint as to lack of particH-
lars. pF.I
"There is nothing. new to say as to
the piece trade in staple things; but
there is a fair business doing in mis-
cellaneous mixtures for export"
Territory Less Active.
Territory wool is less active than
for some weeks, yet it has been by
no means dull. Aside from the out.
ward movement on old contracts there
has been a fair amount of new bust
! ness, and the weeks sales include
at least one line Of Montana that car
be classed as big. There have been
a few other good sized lines and
: fair number of small lots sold. Be
sides there is quite a little business
under way to be probably closed later
Manufacturers are getting accustom
7 ed to 6O-cent wool. There has been
|, quite a little business closed on thai
basis during the week, NOT by esti
mated but actual test of the buyer
:. Ordinary fine clothing sells steadily
!. on the secured basis of 57@58c, ant
} fine medium at SIC, though the range
I of the latter is more fittingly from
I 53@55c. The medium grades are SOLE
) away ahead, and are very firm on thu
basis Of 50@52c.
Secured territory woods have beel
in active request and quotations 0
5INew Mexican and similar woods ar
marked up on actual sales, with Nc
>I1 at 49@51c, No. 2 at 46@48c am
No. 8 at 40@42c
Texas, Oregon and California.
Texas wool has not been selling il
any big way, but there is q a
for eight months at TIC to 18c in tn
grease and steady movement from da
to day. 1t costs clean around 52t
}There is a little IL months wool o
{the market that is held at a price t
make the secured cost we'll above 60
Oregon wool is very firm and a goo
sized line of staple is among the in
portant transactions of the week.
sold at close to zoe and better tina
19c. The secured cost is not far frOl
SIC. A sale Of baled secured wot
was made at as high as 53c.
California wool is fairly active.
good business in northern that sell
at 21@22c, and in NOODLE county 9
\17@19c is still reported, the secure
basis running up to 55c for the TO
{ mer and SIC for the latter. SECURE