Sheep Breeders' Association. 355 



Boston and other wool centers, wool is received far remote, and 

 is carted and hauled through the streets to the merchants' store- 

 houses. Here it is moved about, handled, hoisted and sold, and 

 then carted back on its way to the mills. If the wool is largely 

 sold through our warehouses with connecting tracks from all rail- 

 roads, the wool will be received and reshipped without rehauling. 



Another important feature of our proposed warehouse propo- 

 sition is that our clips will be concentrated and offered for sale 

 collectively, instead of being scattered in a thousand different 

 places all over the inter-mountain region. This will enable the 

 merchant and manufacturers to dispense vdth the bevy of solicitors 

 who go out each year to the farm and ranch and purchase and 

 solicit consignments in small lots. Just what it costs to support 

 this method I am not in a position to state, but judging from all 

 outward appearances, I feel safe in estimating that it is not less 

 than one hundred thousand dollars per year. Who will be directly 

 benefited by this great saving I cannot say, but I have reasons to 

 believe that a small portion would eventually revert to the industry. 



By selling our clips through our own agency the result is 

 advantageous to the merchant and manufacturer, as it enables 

 them to eliminate many expenses and to purchase uniform lines 

 as are usually required to meet their demands, and it affords us 

 the pleasure of dealing directly with the merchants instead of a 

 bevy of subordinates. 



The plan proposed is in accord with the progressive business 

 methods of the twentieth century and commends itself to the 

 eastern financiers, and we have the assurance that abundant capi- 

 tal can be secured for this purpose if needed. 



Combinations are arising among merchants and manufac- 

 turers, and if they combine while we are divided, the producer of 

 wool will have all the disadvantages which come from ruinous 

 competition among themselves, arranged against concentration 

 among the purchasers of their product. 



Another matter worthy of consideration is that we must en- 

 deavor to produce the kind of wool that the market demands. 



The individual sheepman who sells his clip to a local buyer or 

 sends it to the eastern commission house, has no opportunity of 

 knowing how far his clip corresponds with the requirements of 

 the manufacturer, or what changes should be made in the method 

 of breeding or handling the wool. 



That there should be an improvement in our present method 

 of handling our wool, no well informed and progressive producer 



