Show sheep shee p population P 0 ion lon decline noted thio the tho of ab sheep a and n d lambs on farms armmand and raner ranches es haade d dined flom from 56 million in tho the peak ik year 1942 t to 0 o 5 5 million fi this year and meat meal andt ands and wooi wool traders hava have expressed the opinion that BO so crit erit critical leai leal a ade ado de crease Is a matter of grave con cern to according to w ord chiji week froin oklahoma ss city with an increase in iheke the dc mand for fok fine tine wo wools ois the tho united states finds itself dependent up on australia several several chousa thousands nois of miles away awny and on other large overseas suppliers kuch such as new zealand south africa and gc gentina genuina ntina some experts have esti estu mated mate thui thai demand has In ed as much as 50 percent and that the wool shortage has bas been responsible for a price rise of 01 la 15 to 20 percent or more in the australian market livestock men attribute the drop in d domestic sheep numbers f to 0 several fac tac factory 0 the moat most important being the oh of nabo rabo labor other factors teeters I 1 include the high coat coati of operation in re rela rele uon to prices oz of cheep ee and woo boo wool wooi ab the comparatively low tow W return ret UM kaj sheep citing com compared ired with cattle cattie raising railing and the 1 l in grazing C allotments ments menti on national forests orests miny i i kaniers ka i liers tiers i who i seid ut gaudh of thel istock iti the V st 0 war berios o of h ock prices have indicated their thein to await awalt loy lor before renewing operations i |