Fergus County Democrat., 1914-03-17


same wool would bring if offered for
sale in the London free trade market.
There is, however, one contingency,
not by any means remote, which may
add to this price. If the mills can not
get needed stocks to fill their orders
at the free trade price less the cost
of export from this country to Lon
don, they will pay a higher price.
They will pay the going price of the
wool in London, and finally the going
price in London plus the cost Of buy
ing In that market and bringing it to
this country. That would mean very
much higher price for Montana wool
than those now current.
The wool buyers who are now pur-
chasing wool on the sleeps back in
Montana are Offering about 18 cents
for the best grades. That is about a
cent pound more than they were
offering when they commenced their
speculative buying campaign about
month ago. That would be 8 penny
wool in London, and it would cost
about 2 cents for expenses of pur-
chase and shipment to Boston to Lon.
don. There is no 9-penny, nor 18-cent,
wool to be had in London of a grade
equal to Montana choice wool. There
is no wool to be had there of equal
value for 10 cents, 20 cents, or even
II pence, % cents, if our information
is correct. Most Of the Merino is
quoted at 13 pence, or 26 cents, in the
grease, and would cost about % cents
landed in Boston. 1t is, therefore,
plain that if there is a shortage of
wool grown in this country to meet
the demands of the home manufactur-
ers the market is in the control of
| those who have wool to sell up to the
point of imported cost, and that point
Is good deal above the current rates.
For many years the Tribune has
sought to show the wool growers that
the tariff on wool had very much less
influence on the price they received
than they were inclined to believe,
and the Republican ortors and news.
papers told them was the fact. Some
years it had no effect in raising the
price at all. In years of unusual pros
perlty and heavy demand by the mills
with relation to the supply it did
serve to raise the price. Those were
the years when the Montana wool
grower got % to Is cents a pound for
wool. The wool growers know how
rare they were. Mostly they had to
sell their wool for the price it would
have brought in London. Some years
they sold it for less. Last year was
such year. This year the free trade
price In London is up at least one
cent and half over last year, and II
they can not purchase it for less the
mills can well afford to pay cents q
pound more than they paid last year
Then they would be buying Montana
wool cheaper than they could go into
the worlds market and buy any WOO
. of equal quality to take it's place. We
do not care to mix up any politics II
this matter. We might point out thu
fact that the price of Montana WOO
: is better this year under free trad,
than 1t was last year under a tarif
OF IL cents pound, and quote tn,
, Republican predictions of 7-cent WOO
under free trade, but we refrain from
that style of argument. The price il
not fixed by any political considera
: tions. The world price is advancing
l because the world supply is not keep
) ing pace with the world demand TIL
J Montana wool grower should know tn
, facts and govern himself accordingly
1t should be business question an,
not political question with him. w
want to see Montana producers ge
, all their product is worth because thei
/ prosperity is our prosperity, and tina
Is why this article is written.