The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-04-22
HAS HARD TASK
IN GIVING SHEEP
MEN RIGHT SUM
Bureau of Markets
Faces Financial
Problem.

washington, April ll.-lHe SoN-
ernment, which lately has been
having difficulties in getting money,
also occasionally encounters diff
Guilty in getting rid of it. The lat
ter difficulty faces the agriculture
departments bureau of markets
which is trying to distribute half
a million dollars among wool grow
ers and distributors. The job has
been dragging along for months
without coming to an end.
Under wartime price regula-
tions, the government bought all
the wool produced in the United
States, fixed the commission to all
dealers and buyers, and undertook
to see that the sheepmen got the
exact amount due them on their
entire flock growth. In view of the
tremendous weight of wool handled.
small mistakes in weights and esti-
mates accrued during the two years
the system was operated, and in
the end the audit of the joint ac-
counts showed that dealers had
$556, 6,013.98 on hand in excess of
their allotted profits and commits
sions. This, it was decided, should
60 back to the producers, in ac-
cordance with the amount of wool
they furnished the government.
But it has proven easier to decide
the problem than to work it.
The government to date has dis
tributed $1O1, $685. to 34,53O wool
growers Most of the excess prof
its originated in the territory east
Of the Mississippi river, where
small sheep flocks are somewhat
Of a side line for farmers. Big
producers in the west were easily
accounted for.
The government thus is up
against the job Of paying the
money out in amounts ranging
from 80 cents upwards to IS. Also,
it has been discovered that while
$500 country buyers took out
proper licenses and came under
regulation, 1859 storekeepers,
bankers, and others bought small
lots of wool, but didn't handle
enough to acquaint themselves of
the requirements. The balance of
the half million is likely to lay in
the treasury indefinitely as a con-
sequence.
Sample Wool Suits.
Chicago, April 21.-Il1tnois farm
ers may soon be wearing suits and
overcoats made Of virgin wool
from their own f1ocks. The live
stock marketing department OF the
Illinois Agricultural association is
having a number Of sample suits
made for members and will extend
the service directly to farmers
through their county bureaus
should the project prove success
full.
Trial suits at three prices have
been ordered-$29.5O, $3.50 and
$3.50. The difference in prices is
determined by the quality of the
lining and tailoring, the wool in
each being of the same grade.
About six to eight pounds of
wool, according to manufacturers,
go into the three and three-eighths
yards Of cloth required to make the
average suit. The average price
received by the farmer for his
wool this year is about 26 cents a
pound, as shown in figures of the
1920 Illinois Agricultural associa-
ton wool pool.
This means that the farmer re-
ceives less than 5 per cent of the
price OF a suit costing $75," said
Herbert w. Mumford, director of
the live stock marketing depart
ment of the Illinois Agricultural as
sociation. when it is considered
! that many suits even at that price,
are made Of a combination of yir-
| gin wool and shoddy which is many
processes removed from virgin
wool, the farmers percentage is
even lower"