The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-04-04
BUYING A POUND
OF WOOL


pose being to relieve the congested
condition of the wool market and
probably to direct peoples attention
to the subject so they will study il
with view of having our nation
legislate for protection for the home
producers against the producers in
foreign countries The old saying is
that where our treasure is, there our
heart is also, or words to that effect,
and if we have a pound of wool that
he have purchased especially to re-
lieve the wool situation, we might
give little more thought to the sub
iect and be more active in bringing
about remedy, if remedy can be
devised
The mere purchase of pound of
wool by every individual in Idaho
would not affect the worlds market
or the nations market. Five hun
dred thousand pounds of wool would
be a great deal of wool to have in
ones parlor, but it is not noticeable
in the worlds market.
America ought to study the wool
situation as it confronts them today
and study it with the idea that 1t is
a great big question. The sheep men
of our country pay grazing fees In
summer with herders wages and all
the expense of the camp while their
herds are grazing in the mountains
and at the same time they keep up
an expensive equipment raising hay
to feed them during the winter or
else they buy their hay of somebody
that does keep up the ranch sum-
mer and winter Then during the
winter season they keep men en-
ployed to care for the sheep. 1t is
very expensive as compared with the
way sheep are raised in some foreign
countries. Australia with its mild
climate, raises sheep in the open, the
year round without having to feed
them any hay but merely grazes them
in the open country. In Australia
they have on average of $500 sheep
for every man in charge, or one man
taking care of $500 sheep whereas in
America it takes about two and a
half times that many men to take
charge of sheep in the summer sea-
son, where they are handled on
large scale. Then there is all the ex
pense Of raising hay and winter for
age. Australia has about one hun
dred million head and has the lands
for three hundred million more.
There is very little expense in rails
ing and caring for sheep in Australia;
they do all their shearing by ma
chin,ery and the cost of water trans
portation is not very great in these
days.
Australia has some of the finest |
harbors in the world. The single
harbor of Sydney has coast line OF |
5000 miles, many inlets reaching !
far into the continent There is deep |
water right up to the shores, water
fifty feet deep where any ocean
liner can 60 right up to the bank
and load on freight. All around that
great continent, are fine harbors and
they can float their products to any
point in the world where there is
water service They can float their
wool from Australia to Boston
cheaper than the producers in Idaho
can ship it from Idaho to Omaha.
Australia is already shipping fresh
fruit and vegetables into California
and other asst states. BY reason
Of it's splendid climate and it's ship
pirg facilities, men can raise fruit
and vegetables in Australia and COM
pete with the producers around the
big cities and towns in California.
The growers of fruit and vegetables
IN Australia are looking forward to
he day when they can also compete
with the producers ON the Atlantic
yea board in the markets of those
titles! Australia not only ships wool
'rd f't1't and vegetables. but she
hips agricultural products of all
linds to America and feels secure in
our MARKETS. because Of her
heap production due to her splendid
oil and climate Australia already
PRODUCES about six hundred million !
'ounds of wool per year and uses
'nly one and half per cent Of 1t in
ocal factories, the rest being ship IA
led to other parts Of the world. She
s rapidly breeding up her sheep and ,
s som as they have occupied all of {
he ranges, the wool production
hould be 2,400,O00,0O0 pounds. II
australia has thirteen million cattle 3
nd ii is Increasing in beef production :
erv rapidly. 1t has two and a half d
million horses and can raise them q
or infinitely less money than we can i
aise them on our Idaho ranges be- q
ause we have to feed them in winter '
nd they do not It's annual pro- I
luction of wheat has passed the hun q
red million mark and 1t can expand Ia
hat production almost Indefinitely.
People in America are not well in n
ormed as to Australian climate; q
hey think 1t is hot and dry, but It is '
IL things from very wet down to q
cry dry. Australia has about four .
hundred million acres such as we II
peak Of here as dry farm land. It'll
as about $50 million acres of what d
yOuld be considered here the first A
lass dry farm land which has q \
recipitation of fifteen to twenty q
1ches per year that makes crops O
ertain. 1t has over three hum A
red million acres of fine agricul- e
lral lands that have from twenty to Ii
lirty inches of rainfall per year and O
hey can raise almost any crop they L Fl
ant to- They have about 1870 mill a
on acres of still wetter lands that A
ave precipitation Of from thirty il