Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1906-07-24


The holding back by buyers at Lew
istown has already resulted in the
shipment Of clips from that market to
Billings, and many of those who have
been holding their clips at Billings
have already decided to ship to east
ern storehouses. at liberal advances
by the Billings banks.
Already bids for nearly one-fifth Of
the wool offered on the Great Falls
market have been rejected and such
wool will be shipped to eastern store-
houses. It will not be consigned to the
wool houses. to be subject to sale by
them, with future drawbacks and ex-
orbitant charges for storage, insur-
ance and commission
| A Teton county grower who already
| has one carload of his wool in Great
Falls, yesterday announced his purpose
to ship his entire clip to St. Paul or
| Chicago, and others will follow his
lead
Several eastern houses that did not
| join the combine in Idaho and that
have not been operating in Montana
have been apprised of the situation
Ill this state and of the bitter feeling
on the part of the growers, a large
majority of whom feel that they are
/ getting decidedly the worst of it, and
if they decide to break into the mark
cts, the combination that is said to ex-
ist may be broken.
The buyers emphatically deny tha,
there is any combination, combine,
agreement or understanding to bear
prices, but the growers do not believe
that prices have been what the east.
ern markets warrant, and many feel
that the time has come to be independ-
ent, as they are in good financial con-
dition and have the banks behind
them.
The effort Of the Idaho growers to
! break the combine was, in part, a fail
ure because growers in that state ap-
pealed to Boston banks for aid, but in
Montana the growers may get all the
support they need from local banks,
and the prospect is that, unless prices
should be readily and greatly advanc-
ed. much Of the wool of Montana will
be held in the state until manufacture
ers are clamoring for it, or it will be
shipped to eastern storehouses, fire
proof, at little expense to the owners.
The receipts of territory wool in
Boston thus far this season have been
comparatively very small, the move.
ment having been very slow, and
growers figure that in a very short
time, manufacturers will be demand
ing Montana woods, and the buyers
will be compelled to come through
right. 1t will be as easy to ship wool
in November as in August. the grow
ers figure, and as soon as storage ia
cilities may be secured, the growers
of other parts of the state will follow
the example set by those of Fort Ben
ton and Miles City, and will hold their
wool until prices are made right
Prices paid in Montana since the
opening of the exchanges have been
lower than We're offered before shear
ing, and growers are unable to figure
out any reason for the slump, other
than an agreement which scared the
Boston banks out of a chance to get
interest on their boarded money whe
the Idaho growers applied for loans.
The sheepmen of Montana are no
longer at the mercy of the banks, buy
ers or anyone else, and there are Ii
able to be some startling withdraw
ais from the markets of the state
within the next few days.-Tribune