The Tomahawk., 1922-01-12

MANUFACTURE ADDS 80 II
PERCENT TO COST OF WOOL
Producers Pooling and Selling Organ
Izations Only Road to Eliminate
- = ~ Handling Costs.

Producers Pooling and Selling Organ:
lzations Only Road to Eliminate
: I = Handling Costs.
prepared by. Office Of Publications,
45 University Farm. st. PAUL. -. s.
That there are never more than five
to ten pounds of raw, clean wool in
the average suit or overcoat, and that
the original cost of the wool to the
manufacturer of the cloth for q suit
or overcoat is never more than: from
S. to S., is the assertion Of w. II:
Peters, acting head of the animal hus.
bandry division of the University Of
Minnesota. \ 49,. - 49, - .,, !
This means, according to Professor
Peters, that when we buy a suit Of
clothes at $25 to $40, about 10 per
cent Of our money goes to pay for
the wool in the suit and the remaining
80 per cent for the cost of manufac-
ture, distribution, retail and profits
all along the line. \. %y@zs <s.z
Entire Product Sold to Few. 81
i Prot. Peters says that the wooden
industry is similar to the meat pack
ing industry in that the entire wool
product of the country must ultimate:
ly be purchased by a few large manu-
facturers. England is the home of
the largest wooden goods manufactpr-
ing industry in the world. The great
er part OF the wool manufactured into
goods in England has to be imported.
Some American wool is exported to
England, but it is principally wool of
a grade that the American millers do
not care for so they really do not
compete with the English buyers
for it. = L - .:s.5 go.
= American millers also import a
great deal Of fine wool principally
from Australia and New Zealand.
This wool is produced SO cheaply,
however, that it doesn't cost much
and the American sheep grower has
to compete with it III selling his own
wool here at home. ..;s: III. d. IS
Adverse Price Influences.
This circumstance has led congress !
frequently to put duty on imported
wool. This duty, however, has been
just as frequently removed again. An:
other factor that has q decided effect.
on the price OF wool is the abundance
and price Of cotton. Still another IS
the constantly growing use Of '.shod-
dy' in the manufacturing aof wooden
goods. Still another factor that has
affected the price Of wool adversely
in the past has been the method by
which wool has had to be sold.
There have been commission firms
to whom one could ship wool and
have it stored and these commission
firms would sell it to manufacturers
as opportunity afforded" Mr.. Peters
says There have also been many
wool spectators who would buy wool
In the spring Of the year and hold 1t
while, expecting the price to go up
on It. It was to one Of these specu-
lators that farmers usually sold their
wool II These men have now nearly
all quit the business, however. and In
their place and rapidly replacing the
commission men, also we have the
county, state and national wool pool
ing organizations to which the farmer
conslgns his wool and waits for the
moeny until It Is sold. This promises
to be the method by which practically
all the wool IN the United States win
be marketed in the near future.
Handling Difficulties.
.Wool Is difficult product to deal
in because its value is determined SO
inr0ol,, nv tho find NJ sheen IL comes