Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-04-11
WOOL SHORTAGE
II. L. Marshall Tells of Wool Short
age and Average Wool COnsump-
tiOn In the United States-NO
Prospect of Lower Prices
n. L. Marshall Tells of Wool Short
a.

II. L. Marshall Tells of Wool Short
age in United States
january /, 1919, there were 310,-
10000 pounds of wool in this coun-
try" says H. NJ: Barfield of the H.
M. Barfeld Co., merchant tailors.
If the domestic crop is good we
shall get 30000,000 pounds which,
with the amount on hand, will give
four pounds per person. This wool
lis all coarse and no worstcd can be
made from it.
Government statistics show that,
for 80 years, during the period from
1880 to 1911, an average of betteN
than FIVE pounds of wool was used
in this country per person per year.
England controls all the better
grade Of wool The Argentine WOO
il not considered fine wool. Now
Se must wait for England to release
her supply for use in this country
This year we need 500,000,000 pounds
We are exporting a considerable
amount of woolen goods and made
up woolen clothing.
In an address to the Merchant
Tailors and Designers association
Of Chicago, H. L. Marshall said,
"The fabrics producing facilities of
Belgium and France have been de
stroyed and it will take those suf.
fering and unfortunate countries
wo or three years before they can
anywhere near approach a normal
Iproduction-as you well know what
the Huns did not steal they de-
stroyed with the hope and determi-
r<E all fhncn
out of all world commercial compe-
titio-..
We all know that supply and de-
mand make and establish prices and
with the present price of wool OR
even 10 per cent less than the pres
ent prices. with the existing price
of labor where it is, there can be no
reduction in the price of woolens for
at least one or two years, and not
then, unless there is a reduction
from the present cost of labor. And
that cannot come, and should not
be expected to come, until the cost
of living necessities is reduced in
labor. The possibility of producing
woolens for even the fall of 1919 is
lost in the midst of uncertainty. IT
is my privilege to be in touch with
the manufacturers of both Europe
and at home, and the best and most
reliable information obtainable is
that very little cloth will be made
for delivery in 1919.
The high cost of production will
compel higher prices for wooler
fabrics. And that is not the worst
of it. No manufacturer, either here
or abroad is offering scarcely any
merchandise for next year. The
goods are not to be had; the job
bers cannot buy them at any price
You merchant tailors, who have
good stock on hand. are more for.
tunate and you should appreciate
the value Of every article you own
And / caution you tonight not to get
frightened or panic stricken just be
cause a stray jobber here and there
for some good 'eason best known
to himself feels his burden of toC
much stock and would rather MAKE
a sacrifice of his legitimate prof
SO as to realize on his merchandise
rather than carry it over. And
can tell you positively there ar
very few jobbers who have an.
surplus stock. So, do not let thos
isolated cases alarm you. But priZ
your merchandise and when yo,
sell them, get what they are reall,
worth. Merchandise should be sol
on a replacement valuation; and
know I can truthfully assure you a
a friend and associate that you Wi
have to pay more for the few nev
merchandise that will be obtainabl
in 1919 than you have paid durinl
1918 and more than you own you
present goods for and more for mex
Years goods than you can bu
goods for today.
A very few American manufac
turers are showing a small and lim
tied line of patterns with no posi-
tive assurance of delivery and ar
demanding right now 10 to 25 pc
cent more than they asked last yea
for the same fabrics. And on fo1
eign goods the only quotations W
have range from 40 to 70 per Ger
higher than one year ago. 1t is mai
ural for the public to fight agains
even paying a fair advance for the
clothes while they should realiz
that on a percentage basis they al
paying less advance on clothes tina
upon any other necessity they bu,
much less than on shoes. hats, vi
derwear or any of their other n
\ quirements.
] My friends, anyone and everyor
. who is expecting just because tn
D war is over that they are going
Z buy any Of the luxuries or necess
ties of life in wearing apparel fl
the next year or more cheaper tina
they can buy it today are dreamin
Z and will wake uD and realize til
Z folly Of their dream.
The worlds demand will be S
great for all textile materials thu
' prices must inevitably go highe
Z than they are or have been up
this time