The Bourbon news., 1909-12-31
KentuCky'S Wool Clip.

The Farmers Home Journal of De.
cember II, under the heading Pooling
Kentucky's Wool Clip; Some Remark
able Claims" says.
''We learn from publications in the
daily papers of Louisville that move
ment has been launched to pool the
wool clip in Kentucky next year. A
meeting is said to have been held at
Lexington last Tuesday, December z,
at which temporary organization was
affected with Mr.. J w. Newman, of
Versailles, as temporary president and
G. E. Crecelius, of Pendleton county,
as temporary secretary. The object of
the pool, it is stated, is to sell the Ken
tuchy wool direct to the manufacturers
instead of having it pass through the
hands of four middle men, who, it is
it is charged, each have take out of
from one to two cents.
THE Farmers Home Journal al
ways stands for any and all movements
having for their purpose help for the
farmer, financially or otherwise. We
believe if Kentucky's wool clip could
be pooled end sold as a whole to the
manufacturer it would be good thing.
but every movement having for It's
purpose to Lenefit farmers should deal
frankly and truly with them, and great
care should be taken by the
promoters not to mislead them We
regret that the promoters of the pres
ent movement seem to lack information
as to the wool product of Kentucky or
are making some reckless statements
about it.
''The alleged meeting at Lexington
issued Call to Wool Growers which is
being published in our city papers and
perhaps others. In this Calf it is
stated thac the annual wool clip of Ken
lucky sheep men would be from half
TO a million or more dollars. S1ch fig
ures do look tempting, but they are
very far from stating the facts. We
learn from the published report of the
United States Government that the
total number of sheep in Kentucky is,
In round numbers. 600, 900 and that the
average clip is 5 pounds per head, Civ
ing total wool clip for the State of
three million instead of ten to fifteen
million.
I'VE find that the County Assessors
practically confirm the government re-
port, as they give the number of sheep
in the state at 636, 343. Taking the
average total clip of the State at 8, OO0,- :
900 pounds and say it should sell for 80
cents per pound (which would be high
average) the entire State clip would
only bring $500, 600. Yet the alleged
Lexington meeting proposes to save
sheep men million dollars, or more
than the entire States clip will sell
for. According to the Assessors re-
ports for 1909, the value of all the sheep
IN the State is placed at 81, 78l, ,694.
eve give these facts taken from off
cial Government records to show how
reckless men sometimes are in their
statements. The Lexington meeting
probably had more enthusiasm than
facts. But in such movements conser-
vatism and truth will win, where wild.
visionary and reckless statements will
injure the cause lin the end and will
make farmers suspicious of movements
which may result to their good.
''The pooling Of Kentucky's wool clip
might save some middle mems commits
sion, btu it could not affect the general
price of wool in the United States.
''For example the United States pro-
duceS, in round numbers, about 300
million pounds of wool annually and
ports az OFT the same amount. So
SO that we see that Kentucky's clip
amounts to only one-hun6redth part of
this cOuntry's produce and only Ione
two-hundredth part of what is consumed
in the United States. Let's pool the
wool if We can, but tell the farmers the
the situation