Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-04-08

"The Boston wool market Is without
material change from the course OF events
earlier In the week" says MURRAY. r.;
stebblns. secretary of the Montana " ooi
Growers association. In his builetin 70
members sent out recently. "Business IN
this country at the moment Is admittedly
slow, and not altogether strangely so,
although the wool trade, naturally, could
wish for much greater activity.
Foreign Markets Strong
ain contrast with conditions here. the
foreign market continues very strong, Lon
don is maintaining prices and possibly Z
bit higher; in fact, the market there Is
against the buyer. with 90 per cent OF me
offerings being sold and the Withdrawals
due TO high limits imposed by the owners
1.-THE Jerico pool is not sold.
Meanwhile. fundamental conditions are
as they were and the outlook not too pau
probably. il one could pierce beyond the
gloom Of the monetary inactivity.
Consumption Not DEFINING
"A study Of consumption statistics as
applied TO our own country Is interesting
1t is continually stated that owing 10 the
increased use of furs, silk and raSon ahu
che short skirts the women have been wear
ing the last few years, the per capita con
sumption of wool In the United States has
declined. Undoubtedly the women living
I'm our cities and big towns are To-Day. using
considerably less wool than formerly. a
certain percentage of the men are using
less wool per capita than formerly. owing
To their usinr cotton underwear in winter
as well as in summer. Probably the rlchesl
10 per cent of the men and the rlchest %
per cent of the women in the United states
today are using materially less wool than
che same classes of men and women USED
80, 20 or even 10 years ago.
Buying-Power of Wage-Dollar
wages are comparatively higher today
In the United States than the price or com
modities as compared with the pre,war
period. Today the wages OF the working
man will buy more food and more clothing
than the same mans wages BEFORE the war.
While undoubtedly the richer half OF the
population are consuming less wool per
capita than in the pre-war time, the poorer
half OF the population are consuming more
wool. An examination of the wool con-
sumption figures Of the United states Tor
the past &c wears will show as follows.
1.-THE population on June 80. 1906, was
"a million. The average annual consump-
ton of wool during the succeeding nye
years was 149 million pounds OF secured
wool, or a per capita consumption OF L9o
pounds per annum =.
"The population on June 80, 1916, was ~
million. The average annual consumption
of wool during the succeeding nye years
was 1917 pounds of secured wool, or a per
capita consumption of 203 pounds per an
mum.
Leaving out the war period and starting
again on June 80. 1920, we find the popula-
ton to be los million. The average annual
consumption of wool during the succeeding
five years was 225 million pounds of
secured wool or a per capita consumption
of 2.09 pounds per annum.
Average Consumption Larger
s'The average per capita consumption OF
wool during the 15-year period before the
war was 200 pounds Of secured wool, and
for the FIVE years following the war the
average annual per capita consumption was
200 aounds-actually an increase in the
consumption, much to our surprise and con
trary TO general belief.
This proposition probably holds true
all over the world today to a greater OF