East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-02-16
SHORTAGE Of WOOL
so SAYS THE TEXTILE
RECORD OF NEW YORK.
Textile Materials Of All Kiuds Are
Running Short, Yet the Fact At
tracts But Little Attention Even
Among Woolen Manufacturers--A
Writer in the Publication Mention
ed Urges More Solicitude on the
Part OF the Government Toward
the Sheep and Wool Industries.


textile materials, especially in case of
wool, is asserted by an editorial writer
IN the Textile Record New York.
january. The writer calls particu-
lar attention to the fact, which
he calls "a curious and regrettable
feature" that this shortage Of wool
excites no attention, whereas SINH
lar shortage of cotton would be talk
ed about everywhere. He says:
There is a scarcity of textile ma
terials of all kinds. The demand for
silk, hemp. jute, cotton and wool has
advanced the prices Of all of these
products, and with none of them Is
the scarcity more serious than in the
case of wool. The attitude of the
general public and of the textile trade
itself toward the wool supply is. how
ever, one of complete indifference.
The trade is, apparently, no more
concerned about the scarcity of wool
than about the high price Of cam
phor. II there Is a shortage of cot
ton a general alarm is sounded
throughout the world; national and
international cotton federations are
formed to ward off the peril; private
and public commissions are sent to
investigate old sources Of supply; the
| hat is passed around among rich and
poor alike to raise money for finding
new sources Of cotton supply, which,
when found, are straightway subsi-
| died hy the government: there is a
| strenuous effort to bring the planter
| ana manufacturer together that the
cotton supply may not be jeopardiz-
ed by lack of friendly cooperation
| between them; and there is a wide
spread and strenuous demand for sta
tistics of cotton production and con-
sumption, that the world may note
even the slightest change in the bal
ance between the supply and con-
sumption Of this textile material"
The author finds no fault with all
this; he simply contrasts this extreme
solicitude regarding cotton with the
indifference regarding wool. No one,
he says. thinks of forming an inter-
national wool federation to provide
for the scarcity of wool; a commits
sion to visit the sheep ranches of
| Australia would be ridiculed out Of
existence; there is not a woolen or
worsted manufacturer who would
give a cent to increase the number
of sheep throughout the world; and
az for wool statistics, like snakes in
ireland, there are none. and few
| people seem to want any. He goes on
i to say:
"The neglect of the wool supply
and the attention given to the cotton
supply are explained by the fact that
wool can be used an indefinite num-
Der of times in the manufacture of
clothing, while cotton can be used but
once. The remanufacturing of wool
into clothing results, however. in
decrease in its value for that purpose.
For this reason the Importance of in
creasing the wool supply. to which no
attention Is given, is but little less
than that of increasing the cotton
supply, on which SO much effort Ia
expended. This development of our
wool supply is a work which the gov
ernment should take up at once. The
officials at Washington can find many
precedents for it in the extraordinary
expenditure of official time and
money in studying the cotton plant,
operating model cotton plantations,
and compiling the great variety of
cotton tsatistics with which we are
regularly and irregularly favored at
frequent intervals. The department
of agriculture realizes the need Of
work in behalf of the wool industry
and is ready to take 1t up as soon az
congress shall make an appropriation.
IT would seem that congress that
expends money so freely for exploit
ing foreign markets as the present
one has done might be induced to re-
spond to this excellent suggestion
! from the department OF agriculture"