Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-10-17
TO ORGANIZE
W00LGROWERS
Definite Plan is Advanced for Form.
ing q Commission TO Cover
the Whole state.
WOULD SAVE BUYERS PROFITS
Some Weak Spots In the
Plan.

vanced for the organization of the
sheep men Of Montana into commits
sion for the purpose Of handling and
marketing their own wool, the object
being, Of course, to save the profits
now made by the eastern houses who
buy the clips and sell them to the
mills. Those who favor the plan as
sert that it would result in adding an
average of at least 2 cents a pound
to the prices that would otherwise
be obtained for the clips. Theoret-
ically, the proposition appears to be
all right. On the surface there does
not seem to be any reason why the
growers could not market the wool
to just as much advantage as the buy
ing houses. But it is not only to save
the usual profits that this plan is pro-
posed. Several newspapers are TAX
ing up the matter of uniformity of
bids made by buyers in this state dur
ing the past six weeks, and from this
they argue that the buyers have a
perfect understanding on the matter,
and that there is really no competi-
tiOn whatever in the bidding. BY
forming themselves into commission
it is argued the profits of the buyers
would not only be saved, but higher
prices would be obtained in a great
number of instances.
State Senator J. D. Waite, who is
not only one of the large wool grow
ers of Fergus county, but one of the
best posted men the state in re-
gard to the business. when asked
what he thought of the plan to form
the growers into a commission, said:
I'VE have tried these things before.
In fact we have had sheep organiza-
tions in Montana ever since we had
sheep. The net result has been to Gre
ate a position for a secretary at a
good salary, and in a short time the
organization has come to an end. The
plan proposed might work all right
as purely local proposition in the
various sections, but it would not
work at all with a state organization.
In the first place. the growers are
SO widely scattered that it would be
next to impossible to keep them to-
gether. One reason for this is the
difference in the grades of wool pro-
duced in the different sections For
instance, the Fergus wool, taking an
average, is worth more than that
grown in Yellowstone, yet the grow
erS in the latter county would Ger.
tainly think they were entitled to just
as much as the Fergus growers.
Needs Of the Mills.
"The needs of the mills would have
to be considered. The big buying
houses have hundreds of thousands
of dollars invested in their business
and have perfected methods of hand
ling the wool at the least expense
and to the best advantage. They have
all grades and kinds of wool on hand
and can meet the needs of the differ
ent mills. One mill wants one sort
of wool and one mill another. This
commission would have nothing at
all but the Montana woods to meet
all these varied needs. Still it must
be remembered that we grow many
grades of these same kinds of wools
and it may be argued that the farm
ers' cooperative elevators in Kansas
and Nebraska are a big success. But
they have only three grades of wheat
to handle, while here. in handling
Montana woods, we would have many
grades.
Interests Not the Same.
"Then we have the very large grow
ers. who produce, say, 100000
pounds, and the small growers, who
produce 1900 pounds. The large
growers naturally produce the better
grade of wool, yet you can never con
vince the small grower of that fact
and they would not be satisfied with
a lower price, and that is what they
would get.
"Take another instance. Say
grow certain grade of wool, and II
has shrinkage of so per cent. An
other man produces exactly the same
grade, but it has a shrinkage of onl!
IS per cent. The buyer bids ON thu
basis of the shrinkage, but the grow
er cannot be made to see that hi:
wool with so per cent shrinkag'
should not bring just as much as th'
wool having a shrinkage of 35 pc
cent. because they are both of th'
same grade.
Uniformity in Bids.
"The buyers are. of course. expert
Ill IHeSe mdII0rS. 10 Cnem the Snr1nk
age is apparent because they hav'
made a long study of it and under
stand it perfectly. Having PRACTICAL,
the same knowledge. they naturall,
reach about the same conclusion, an,
in such cases. of course. the bids ar
bound to be close. AS to any def
mite combination among the buyers
such as has been strongly claimed b.
the papers outside of this county, II
dealing with the contracts that hav
been made for next seasons clip.
do not think it exists. In fact. l fee
certain that it does not exist.
10 Better Method.
Personally. l feel satisfied that be-
ter results are obtained under tn
competitive buying system than ca
be expected from such an 0rganizatio
as the one proposed. We have ha
some experience in this county l
shipping direct. and the results hav
never been satisfactory. believe ths
we. in Fergus county. got about a
our wool was worth this year. an
the same prices. practically. can b