OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 66, 11 December 1907, Page 4

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

TI-TE WOOL INDUSTRY OF BRADFORD. (from oun srEciAi, con respondent.) Bradford, October 25. It has been well said that the foundation of Bradford is wool. Just as Manchester has grown out of cotton, so Worstudopolis is tlio direct product of wool; the whole city, its history, and present attainments being sololy built on the fleece of the sheep. Exactly why the wool industry of Groat Britain should lie centralised in Bradford and district is hard to say, for geographically everything would seem to have been against it. It has been pointed out that Bradford, to use a railway phrase, is on " a siding," for the city itself is in a hole and away from the main trunk lino of all the railways of England | Exactly wlion the textile industry was founded no man can toll, but as long ago as tho 12th century the spinning and weaving of wool was being followed in Bradford and district. This was entirely done in the homos of tho people; in fact, there aro many individuals living to-day who were formerly hand combers, spinners and weavers. Iceland, in tho time of' Henry VIII, had noticed that tho town, or rather tho village, was ' praty quik," and that quickness has proved the incentive to a marvellous advance during the past 100 years. In 1342 the population of the township of Bradford was then not far short of 600, while the poll tax of 1378 gives a record of 26 married -couples and 33 adults. In 1780 wool combers earned 12s. for a full week's work; women spinners 2s, and girls as piccers from ICd. to 18d. History chronicles the fact that a man weaver who tho-: roughly understood his job earned about Ss. to Bs. Gd'., but the general average was from us. to 6s. Of courso, the cost of living in thoso days and oven tho style of living was quite, difforent to the present time, both' masters and men faring very much alike; oatmeal porridge, oat or "havoi" cake, home brewed beer, homo fed bacon, potatoes, and plenty of milk constituting the staple articles of food for all classes.

THE FIRST WOOL EXCHANGE. Ever since the beginning of the 17th century tho manufacture of wool has been continuous. The people then wore an industrious, hard-working lot, and thoir descendants have .undoubtedly inherited the sanio push and spirit of enterprise. In tho year 1773 tho manufacturers found it to their advantage to set apart a building exclusively for the sale of worsted goods, and what is known as tho Piece Hall in Kirkgatc was erected, this proving to be the forerunner of the present Exchange in Market Street. In this hall various kinds of worsted tops, spun yarns, and a large number of pieces were weekly exposed for sale. Precisely at ten o'clock every Thursday morning the marJ;ot was opened by the ringing of a bell, and punctually at 3.30 in the afternoon' it was rung again to announce the closo of the market, fines being imposed 011 any who ventured to do business before or after the appointed time.

Tho prosperity of the town was undoubtedly enhanced by the construction of tho Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Bradford being linked up i'll tho year 177 C. From that date to tho beginning of last century population began to increase at a fairly rapid rate, and with the founding of large iron works between Bradford and Low Moor somo five or six miles distant, the city began'to flourish. About the year 1810 a Bradford manufacturer. of the name of Buckley conceived tho idea, of introducing steam power into a worsted factory. Tho writer of an historical sketch which appenred-in the, Bradford Directory, gives tho following, interesting particulars: "Mr. Buckley accordingly purchased a plot'of land in Manchester lload, and was about to proceed to the erection of the proposed mill when r ; number of influential inhabitants (including somo who afterwards wero prominent proprietors of. worsted mills) met together and subscribed their, names to a notico, threatening • this worthy pioneer with all the terrors- of tho law should 110 'presume to erect or, build any steam engine for tho manufacture of-cotton or",wool in the place nr.mcd, if the same should be found a 'nuisiinco.' Mr. Buckley had not the courage to face such powerful' opposition, so he gave up his project and removed to Todmordcn. In 1794 Mr. James Oarnett, the founder of the present firm of Garmitt and Co., erected a couple of spinning machines in the old mansion called the Paper Hall, in High Street. Soon afterwards Mr. Robert Ramsbottom, who occupied a house in KlYkgate, worked on bis premises several spinning machines by means of a gin horse, and about the same time introduced tho first combing machine into Bradford, which was so far from being a success that the owner is_ said to have taken off his .-hat to it and wished it- a . long farowoll as it was carted from his yard. Five years aftor Mr. Buckley's ineffectual 'endeavour to start a stoani factory in Bradford, a more successful attempt was made by Messrs. Ramsbottom, Swainc and Murgatroyd, who, in 1798, proceeded to. erect « mill in the Holme. The. inhabitants still looked with disfavour upon these projects, and would tain have prevented thorn from being carried forward. The. mill, however, was completed in ISOO. It had an engine of 15 h'orso power. The way having been thus paved, other mills were, speedily erected. In 1801, Mr. Richard Fawcett built one; iu 1802 another was erected by Messrs. Benjamin and Matthew Thompson; and in 1803 one was built by Mr. John Rand. As yet it was only spinning machinery that was. worked by steam; .more than twenty years elapsed bofore the introduction of power looms into the worsted trade. In 1800 the average number of pieces exposed for sale in the Bradford Piece Hail was about 3000. A few years afterwards the number was trebled. Mills continued to multiply, and the population increased at an enormous rate. In 1810 thero were five mills in the town of an aggregate horse power of about 250; in 1820 twenty .mills of about 538 horse power; and ,111 ' 1833 thirty-four mills, of 114S horse power; In 1824 the woolcombors within a radius of six miles round Bradford numbered about 6000, -and in 1825 there -worn from 7000 to 8000; and the weavors were estimated at three times the number of combers. In. 1822 Mr. James Warbrick, a Bradford manufacturer, had had a power loom secretly made, and had erected it and put it in motion in a mill .it' Shipley. The news oozed -out, . however, and a mob of weavers surrounded the mill and threatened" the bidding with destruction unless the loom was instantly removed. Mr. Warbrick 1 was thus compelled to take the loom down. He had it placed in « cart-; under an oscort. of constables, but as the loom was being conveyed*away the excitod weavers made an attack upon the party, routed tho constables, destroyed the doom, .-nti dragged the roller and warp in triumph through Baildon: Shortly aftorwards Messrs. Horsfall set up some power'looms in their mill, in North ■Wing, and in May, 1826, their factory was tho scouo of a serious riot, resulting in two persons being killed and a largo number wounded. After this unfortunate affair, tli-j Bradford manufacturers wero permitted to ' carry 011 -thoir experiments without molestation, and the adoption of machinery became poneral. Improvement succeeded iiiiprov> mont, and the demand for stuff goods grow with tho oxtension of the capacity for production.'- ... BRADFORD TO-DAY. ; Bradford since the dates previously mentioned has forged ahead at • considerable ' speed. Tho present Exchange has a member- { ship of over 2000, and the Exchange lloor 011 market days—Mondays and Thursdays— is always filled. The industry to-day is en- 1 joying a period of great prosperity, and the 1 city shows 110 signs whatever of decay; in ' fact, an air of prosperity is manifest on all sides. 1

It is very .difficult to state what it is that gives firadford its pre-eminence, in tho production of textiles. Tliero is no doubt that tho comparatively soft, damp atmosphere is an important contributing factor both in spinning, dyeing and finishing. A. competent writer said a short time back that "there, is uo English town that enjoys so littlo sunshine," and this ivill j explain at onco those atmospheric conditions which undoubtedly help to feed the wool fibre, ail conduce to its manipulation in as perfect a way as possible.

Tlie Bradford Corporation, knowing the absolute necessity of a plentiful supply of soft, clean water, have spent very large sums of money to provide such a supply. In 1854 the Corporation took over at a cost of £102,000 the undertaking of tho Bradford Waterworks Company, paying the shareholders £'10 for their £20 shares, and immediately sot about extending and developing tho water supply of the city. So recently as 1899, recognising the heavy demands of manufacturers, the Corporation received the sanction of Parliament to inaugurate a now sehome, and the construction of three storage reservoirs, with an aggregate capacity of 2,596,000,000 gallons, constructing a main conduit 33 miles in length, with 6 miles of branches in order to further augment the water supply of the city. The mill help is'of tho vory best, and moro than eveiv tho technical sido of manufacture is being studied, while anything brought out to aid or develop production is instantly adopted. There is no question of a doubt that the inhabitants of Bradford have inherited from their fore-elders tho natural gift and intuition which' is so essential for tho successful manufacture of wool, and the mill help is of the best character possible. The population at the last census (1902) was 279,707, and to-day, in round figures, it is nil about 300,000.

SLACK BUT FIRM. Tho past week's business has been very much of a "marking time" character, and evorybody seems to be waiting patiently for something to turn up. It seems to be a case of general slackness, with.a united firmness for overy quality of wool and tops. ■ I daresay, if anything, topmakers of 40's to 4G's are just a little squeezable,' business hero keeping very quiet. During the pnsf, ton days there has been. a good deal of talk about Continental buyers coming in again both for tops and yarns, but while no doubt some sales of tops have been made, yet there has been no bulk. In this department German buyers aro wanting to get in at less money, and as this is not Bradford's idea, things somewhat stick. I daresay Id. loss that what is now quoted for tops, and a penny less for yarns would see done a big business, but noither topmakers nor spinners can see their way to work on such a basis. At tho same time,' nobody need pay more than 13d. for a good average' prepared top, and 16Ja. will buy"' to-day tho' best -lO's made in ' Bradford. If topmakers had not on hand some contracts, the end of which they have not yet seen, coarse crossbreds would bo very listless and certainly drort'p, but at present there is little disposition to move lower. . Many fool that by the end of the year all stocks of good wool will be wanted, and that prices will be no less; consequently there is no .disposition to sacrifice anything. ■ 1 v

Merinos aro well held, though oven hero now business is slow. Th<it cable from Melbourne last week announcing burry, seedy parcels 5 per cent. down, has undoubtedly chocked now business, and everybody, now has. resolved to wait and see if good combing wools follow. Nobody will accept any less price, but to affirm that colonial markets are a penny above this msiritet is a state-, ment which I cannot endorse, in the least. Bradford buyers, in Australia have sent home cables stating that' super CD's tops will cost what is about to-day's quotation here, and some nice weights of wool havo already been 'bought. Everything is hinging upon whether 'or 110 . to-day's rates are going to last, and . with the industrial outlook' not being of the brightest, it is making ev«rybody in Bradford very much opposed to following such prices as London, recently established. It is that standard which overybody feeb. at the moment an unreasonable uiia.'and which to some extent .is regarded as being artificial. Tliore is loss doing in mohair, but everything. is. firm. . ' -