"Wolf! Wolf!" on Wool

Rationing of woolens for civilians may not be necessary despite the year-long cries of "Wolf! Wolf!" Since the Truman Committee clamored for an inventory of Army textile stocks, the Quartermaster Corps decided last week to clamp a brake on its buying. For four months, beginning September, woolen mills will be permitted to cut their scheduled Army production by as much as 50%. (The Army orders are deferred to the first part of '44.)

This temporary reconversion may result in a windfall to civilians of as much as 24 million yards of woolen and worsted fabrics, some of it for pre-winter-rush delivery.

But the civilians' gain is the U.S. wool growers' loss. Sheepmen have enjoyed two years of Government orders, because domestic wool has been preferred in filling Army orders. This large demand sent U.S. wool prices up 33% from 1939 before ceilings were clamped on. Now the woolen mills, trapped in a price squeeze between OPA ceilings on finished goods for consumers, and high domestic wool prices, will use more of the enormous stocks of lower-cost Australian raw wool that cram U.S. warehouses.

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