Evening star., 1927-11-14
GROWER HAS EDGE
IN WOOL MARKET
Holds Whip Hand for Once in
Contest With the
Manufacturers.
by j. G. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


NEW YORK. November 14.-The
wool grower hns obtained technical
advantage in tho never.ending contest
with the wooten goods manufacturer.
He declares he sees higher prices for
wool in the ofilng. and. whether he
does or not. he Ii demanding higher
prices. He IL strengthening his po.
sition daily. but whether he can main
tain his advantage after the new clips
commence to come on the market
next Spring remains to be seen. 1t
may be that the present contest, like
many chess games, will turn out a
draw.
At the moment. however, the grower
is firmly intrenched. Many raw wool
producers felt that the prices so far
this year were thoroughly unsatisfac-
tory, and consequently held a sizable
poundage off the market. They have
been able to do this, because their
general financial condition has been
better than for some years.
Not Finding Cheap Wool.
In the meantime, manufacturers
have been seeking cheap wool and not
finding it. The grower has had his
stand strengthened by the foreign
markets. The Australian markets are
firm, and very little wool is being Of
fered at Brisbane, and the other wool
centers which is suitable for Amer
lean needs. Bradford, Liverpool and
London are strong. with prices up ma
terially since the September auctions.
Montevideo prices are advancing.
The manufacturers on the other
hand aver that they fear to pass on
any increase in the price of raw
wool to the buyers of woolen goods
for fear of checking demand. The
cutting up trades have been buying
on a hand-to.mouth basis, but their
requirements have been increased
steadily by the number of recorders
which have come in for both mems
and women's Winter apparel. There
is a distinct demand for Winter cloth
ing and underwear and for wool and
wool and silk or wool and rayon
stockings and sweaters.
Hand.to-Mouth Buying.
The hand-to-mouth buying seeming
ly has spread panic among the fabric
manufacturers. They never have un-
derstood it or gotten used to it, &C.
cording to textile experts, although
it is a standard policy in nearly every
industrial line and seems bound to
continue. They complain that WOOL
ems are not so generously used now
as 10 years ago and that one can
buy a fur coat almost as cheap as
woolen one. They overlook the fact
that there are hundred-thousand
pairs of wooden golf trousers made
today. where 20 were made 20 years
ago.
The truth Of the matter is. ac-
cording to the efficiency experts. that
the capacity of the woolen mills. ex.
panded to furnish woolen uniforms
during the war. Is far in excess of
present requirements and that this
capacity is not curtailed to meet re-
quirements.
The leading interest in it's latest
report showed a total deficit after
payment of preferred and subsidiary
dividends Of $1.S43,414 for the first
half year. A score of woolen mills
have been forced to liquidate this
year and others are facing that pros.
pect since their machinery Is obso-
lete. The woolen fabric business has
turned into a struggle of the survival
Of the fittest and every elimination
of an unfit unit is bringing the in
dustry closer to a satisfactory basis.