The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-06-19
In oregon and Other Places There is
Quite a Scramble for Staple Clips.
outlook Much Brighter Than Month
or Six Weeks Ago.

quirements, Is selling with fair ease at
late prices as q rule. any attempts to
get a substantial advance ending in
failure. Still 1t can be said that the
position Of staple woods ~ strong and
the small supplies left on hand meet
with ready sale. There is no pressure
to sell in this department, as prices at
the best are low compared with those
ruling last fall, when the bulk Of last
seasons supply was marketed and re-
ports from the west indicating an
other shortage in this years territor.
ial clip.
Clothing woods forming the bulk Of
the supply on hand here, and q good
sized bulk too, show absolutely no I'm.
provement either in their selling abil.
ity or in the prices that a be OBJ.
tanned for them. The sales this week
made by n house were at low prices.
1t is not SO much the matter Of prices
for these woods, for owners have made
up their minds that they will have to
accept low prices in order to move
them, but more a question Of finding
someone to buy them.
Therefore with no general improve
ment in trade and prices difficult to-
advance, even on those grades most
In demand and scarcest, 1t cannot be
said that there Is complete recovery
from depression. Still there is no
doubt but that the situation has start.
ed fairly on the road to recovery and
that the outlook is much brighter than
it was a month or six weeks ago.
In the West.
According to reports disseminated
through the trade, there has been q
stronger reflection of 'bullish senti-
ment in the west than in the east.
Eastern manufacturers, while showing
more interest in local stocks, are not
operating extensively, most of the
sales Of the week having been in lots
of 5000 and 10000 pounds each, but
eastern dealers have started buying in
various producing sections, having
abandoned efforts to induce growers
to consign their clips. In Oregon and
other places there is quite q scramble
for staple clips. Up to 14c is being
paid in oregon and l41Ac in Idaho for
staple. Sales are also reported in Or
egon at IL to 13c and in Idaho at II
to 12c.
The secured landed cost in Boston
of the Oregon purchases Is estimated
at not less than SOC; and many au.
thorities place it SIC or 53c., For a
sweek past the tendency has been
stronger throughout producing sec
lions. But 1t Is stable that buyers are
after, they feeling pretty sure Of tind
ing q customer for such woods, ever
though the margin Of profit is small
Buyers are fighting shy of clothing
woods, except the best, and well they
might, in view of the large supplies OF
hand here and the diflculty exper
fenced in cleaning them up
The Mills.
With the worsted mills the situa
tion is fairly encouraging. Recent de
velopments point to a dearth of good
in second hands and increasing re
quirements, so that the mills hav'
been booking a fair amount Of order
which will give them a chance to pu
more machinery in motion. Report
from the American Wooden compan;
and other large and small corporation
show that the percentage Of idle ms
chinery has been greatly reduced dul
ing the past few weeks. Still fe,
manufacturers find promise Of keel
ing their machinery in operatio
throughout the season. The latenes
Of duplicate ordering Is expected to b
the prime feature Of the year, an
much uncertainty Is likely to preva
until well into the fall. It is the pr
vailing opinion that q deal more d.
plicate business must be done befol
the season is over, as clothiers hav
not crowded for anything like the sul
plies they will need. All lines q
secondary to worsteds in the consi
Grafton OF the buyer. Still, certai
lines of wool goods have attained
fairly satisfactory results.
Texas Wool.
Small lots Of fall are reported so
on the basis Of 43c secured. and a i
tie spring has been moved at 45
4sc. But the demand is limited al
offerings quite large.
California Wool.
Good spring can be bought on Z
basis OF ~ to 43c, clean; free tall
around 35c, and defective at a TO q
Buyers show little interest in the /
ferings, which are quite large.
Territory Wool.
Business is larger than last We
and fairly well distributor. Abo
INZ HL.