Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-08-27
OHIO WOOL GROWERS
ASSOCIATION

year and what did you pay for it?
Can efully gathered statistics
show that the world annually pro.
duces about three million pounds o1
wool. This does not include goat.
shair products, alpaca and the like
Now, so far as a world population
census can go, there are said to be
more than a billion and one-hla1
persons in the world. If, therefore
all the wool in the world were
equally distributed, each person
young and old would get a trife
less than two pounds annually.
But it is obvious that the dweller
in the North of Canada requires
and uses vastly more than his share
whereas the native of the heart of
Africa gets along swimmingly with
no wool at all. Farmers who pro-
duce wool, according to the Ohio
Farm Bureau Federation, assert
that if all the stuff that is sold for
wool, were wool then theele would
have to be produced for each in
habitant not merely two pounds an
nua'ly, but several dozen pounds.
The United States produces be-
tween 300 and 300 million pounds
annually. Consumption of wool in
the United States is $50 100000
pounds annually, so that each per-
son in America is credited with
using about six pounds a year. 1t
therefore becomes necessary for the
United States to import more than
half the wool that is used here.
Most of our imported wool comes
from Tasmania and Australia which
together produce 100000 600 pounds
annually. generally of a very good
grade. One-fourth blood wool is i'm
ported in large quantities from
South America. Prices paid there
by American importers is reported
at from IL to 18 cents pound.
Such wool is said to be very inferior
to Ohio wool.
Sheep men of Ohio, the Federation
saws, annually clip between 12,000,-
900 and $4,000 600 lbs. of wool The
Ohio pHoduot is the best produced
in America and the state ranks very
high in quantity.
Because of poor market and low
prices farmers all over Ohio are
reported to be holding their 1920
clip. In the warehouse of the Wool
Growers Association in Columbus
there has been stored S75 900 pounds
and the house is full. About the
same amount is stored in Wheeling.
Ten thousand bags. each of a capa-
city of little mo~e than 200
pounds have been sent out to grow
ers in Ohio to be filled and sent
in to the Columbus warehouse but
hitherto there has been no room in
which to store it.
The Association has purchased a
former buggy mandatory on South
High Street to use for storage and
expects TO be able to care for the
entire clip in the future should so
nruch of the product come into its
hands.
According to records of prices in
1919 most farmers received slightly
,(7der 81 cents a pound for their
wool. IN one rare instance. where
the wool was of&superior. grade. the
producer received SO cents. Time
of selling as well as quality, had a
great deal to do with the price and
much wool was sold as low as Sc
cents.
This year. however, according to
wool men, the price is more than
one-half less than that of last veal
with no activity on the part of buy
ers. Most of the wool sold this yeal
has not brought mere than 30 cents
Wool men assert they cannot
longer produce on such basis
Furthermore they declare that the
farmer who sells the same grade
Of wool at 80 cents that his neigh
Dor is forced to sell at 55 cents, is
competitor of his neighbor.
The Wool Association is putting
growers to pool their product ant
selle through the association.
TIhisa the Association asserts,
would stabilize the wool prices
throughout the year not only to the
producdr but also to the manufac
turer, eliminate the wool buyers
care for the transportation anC
storage problems and handle thu
question Of financing.
The Association believes the mil
men would welcome such market
ing system, because it would enabl,
them to deal in bulk and at on,
time for the entire clip Of thu
state.
Wool at 80 cents a pound and un
certain at even that price, say woo
men, "can result in only one thins
the reduction of focks and con
sequent reduction in the quantit,
and quality. Farmers will no
continue to produce at any sucl
| price"
4 Advantage is not being taken b
numeEous banks, it is asserted o
the Federal Boards ruling as to dis
counting wool paper. This is sal
to be rue especially with countr
banks, some of which, it is admit
ed, have not the necessary resourt