The Coconino sun., 1919-04-25
WOOL GROWERS NEED NOT FEAR
 LOWER PRICES

Ddd, Ddd, Dldck Sneep, nave you s.ny wool? ?" This query from the best, known poet of the English-speakine peoples, Shakespeare by no means eA. cepted, is pertinent at the present time, when so many interested per- sons seem to be in doubt about the answer. Predictions of a wool fam inc, quoted not so very long ago in these columns, and consequent appeals to Red Cross knitters to stop knitting together with subsequent denial of the fact alleged, in various keys of indig- nation, will be remembered by our readers. And now, we read that the hearts of some wool growers are fail ing them, because of published state ments that the government has on hand 450 million pounds of wool, with more still coming. These fears also are groundless, according to w. w. Reynolds, of Licking County, Ohio, who writes to The Breeders Gazette, February 6. There is still, he says, shortage of wool--an assurance more comforting to the grower than to the user. Writes Mir Reynolds:
 "The figures can be discounted one third, and with our clip, when it comes, the sum will not equal our normal yearly need. There have been reserve holdings in all other years of fully half as much as the government has on hand, but there are no stocks with dealers, nor in growers hands, so that we know what the holdings are this time. The fear is that our clip will bring almost nothing on account of a glut of the tremendous accumulation so soon after 'an appalling wool short age.' Our clip is not on the market yet, nor do we want it there until the friendly bidders are nearer through dealing with Uncle Sam. 1 give the figures for normal year, but this one is abnormal. The demand will in- crease fully one-half about any year we have had. Every one of the 100000 soldiers will want a suit or two this year, and about 100000 civilians who found clothing advanced have bought no clothes for two years. They must buy soon.
 "There is not enough wool in the governments hands, with all that will be on our sheep, for the home demand this year. Further, there are not enough reserve stocks, with all that will be clipped in both hemispheres, to supply the world. When wool was most plentiful there never was enough raw wool in the world to supply the call this year. It will be fully half a billion suits. 1 saw trade estimate that put it 50,O00,000 higher. These sfc xxysl tnl pounds of raw wool (more than ever was on the earth at any one time) besides what is needed for overcoats, carpets, rugs, blankets, upholstery, un- derwear, and hosiery. The Geogra- phy of the World issued in Washing ton in 1917, gives the total number of sheep in the world as 55S,O00,000. Wars needs and destruction have not left above a half-billion. At six full pounds per head these would yield just 5000 100000 pounds of raw wool enough for 300, ,O00, ,OOO suits of clothes. That was the regular yearly supply, but war has sent the stocks to hard pan. The ends of the earth have been combed, and every spare ship em- ployed, and all that was available was manufactured. Further, quite quan- tity of that has been worn out. Amer ica will be short, and Europe, with all it can glean in the southern hemi- sphere, will have a dearth. The state ments about the appalling wool short age will apply now. We do not need an embargo or tariff for protection. Foreigners are welcome to dump all they can of their little holdings on us. There are no tremendous supplies in Australia nor anywhere, and Eng land may release wool for nobody, un- less her suffering friends. Manufac- turers are living from hand to mouth, drawing dribs from the government, hoping to get them lower. There is no need for any sheepman to be disheart- ened. Sheep and wool will bring good prices; they must in Ohio to pay for $30 hay and $2 corn. Sheepmen never had such prospect. The world can not reach normal in three or more years, and by that time the sheep in- dustry should be on a solid basis. Our slogan now is, Hold Wool. ."-Liter-