OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 209, 28 May 1908, Page 10

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

' VEGETABLE FIBRES IN WOOL.NEW* BALES RECOMMENDED. . . : : (FEOII OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT;) ■ Bradford, April 10. The wool , world' during the past twelve nonths has heard a great; deal about the vexed juestion of vogetablo matter in wool,' and I lon't think; tho last word has been spoken by any means. Tho. subject is as yet "in its infancy,\ and, as 'far as we. can see, we are likely to have the matter oil the carpets for some'time/to come. Manufacturers : in Yorkshire, as well as on the Continent, are to-day suffering soverely -.through' jute fibres, getting nixed ,up withthe wool, and it , will neveV lie until that is prevented, and a radical cure ibtained. No doubt ( carelessness .'on- the" part >f Calcutta juto manufacturers, - station hands, warehouse hands* and even ivoolsorters. is argely the cause of Vegetable matter getting nixed with tho wool, but at tho sariie timo tho bales themselves are a fruitful source of contamination, and the committee handling the subject is determined to, find a remedy. Regular readers of this issuo will remember -hat a meeting of the full committeo - met at Dalgety's offices in. London during tho courso nf the last November-December series,, and [ was present last' week at another full meeting tho day before the recent series finished, i; am glad to sayivthat growers'- interests wero represented by Mr. 11. do Little, of Cara-' mut, West Victoria, and Mr. AV. Murray, of Sanderson,- Murray and Co,, -London, who, is ilso interostod in a well-kndwn Australian- station. ■ Sinco the last meeting, a 1 great amount ' of sorrespondenco has been done with jute manufacturers in India and Dundee, and tho subject is moro difficult than what appears 011 the surface. It is all right enough for'growers to think that anything will-do, but such is not tho case. If the many thousand pound* which are spent annually by manufacturers iii burling can bo saved, together with much trouble and annoyance, then the committee is determined to niako /tho attempt* It is a pity to have it to say, but tho fact' nevertheless remains that jute manufacturers in'many cases havo utterly .failed to comprehend the real needs of the case, for in all thoir attempts to produce a better bag, tho loose, fluffy insido has shown no. improvement whatever. It is this that , wants abolishing, arid at last tho committeo can see " daylight" through tho whole job. The committeo last week met'really to see if a: bale could be recommended for use iii place of s the usual wool pack 'at'-preeont in vsti

Tho samples sent in havo lioen groat, bu seemingly a London-firm is the 0110 that ha; 'grasped the needs of the situation, and tlioj havo risen to the occasion. The committee do cided upon three wool bales, to test these thoroughly, and if satisfactory to suggest theii use by wool growers throughout the world, .Let ,mo briefly describe them, and show then special characteristics. ■ ■ ; ■ STOCKINETTE BALES. As already said, the object of the committee is to entirely do away with' the short, fluffy juto fibres from the inside of the tare getting into tho wool, and anything that falls short of that will be a failure. A very good bale was shown that was lined with an " all wool" fabric, commonly known as stockinette. This wool-lined bale, met with the unanimous approval of everyone, and if it can bo handled easily and made at a reasonable 1 price, then it will entirely dispense with the "Heard" of the bale getting on to the wool.' The lining is very similar to the thin wool undervests that are at present w6rn by everyone, and that will give the reader a very good conception of what the inside lining is like. This at present is made by T. and J. Tinker, Mytholmbridge Mills', 'l'hongsbridge, Huddersfield, who are well-known makers of stockinette fabrics. The all-wool lining is simply made into a bale and fastened inside by the two tops being sown together. This, then, prevents the inside from 'slipping down into the bottom. Being somewhat thin and pliable I think there will be a danger of it giving way somewhat in pressing, but that remains to be seen. The idea undoubtedly is an excellent one, if it can be made to work. The price, no doubt, is the all-inipqi'tant one to the wool growei-. but this need not unduly alarm anyone. The •reader A cau seen at once that, if the ordinary 2s. juto tare is used, thai there-is only the inside lining to contend with, and the manufacturers say that this can bo produced at Is. (id. per bale. This certainly is a trifle in advance of/what is now usually, paid, but as regards the superiority of' this 'all-wool-lined bale there, can be no question! - ' Then ai paper-lined, bale made ;• by Wm ; Ritchie and: Son, 3.East India Avenue, London, 8.C., struck me very forcibly, and to be candid I liked it fully as well as the all-wool-lined tare, while, I am certain those baling wool on the station, will have less difficulty in handling it. This was to my mind a superior wool pack. The inside, lining had been put on in a very masterly way, and .it showed both caro and ingenuity. The outside was a jute bale, which T will describe later, this paper pulp being very firmly fastened on to one sido of the jute fabric, and-which could not be removed without a.good deal^f, effort. Tho surface of tho inside of this was not as smooth as one expected, and it was'all the' better for being left, somewhat raised, crinkled, or slightly corrugated'This'means that when crane hooks pierce the.sides'of tho tare, tho paper will not peel off, .but rather ; crack. I don't think from the sample seen that tlie inside paper will leave the body of tho cloth'at all. One member of 'tho committee seemed to think that/when the paper got thoroughly saturated with very yolljv wools, that it would then peel off, but- it will have to be something very special in the. way of grease to affect the paper-so as to make it leave the balo. The price for this bale is 3s. Bd.,'and it is a real first-class article. . | . . - ' ,N ' IMPROVED, JUTE. The nest bale is one that will be heard about ,in the noay future, and unless I am greatly mis- , T takon- Avoolgrowers will generally adopt it. It is simply "an ordinary jute wool tare, but made of superior spun'yarns, and having many foatures to recommend it. From the very first I have said that ordinary juto tares would do if spinners of juto yarns would put more twist into them, and so bind the loose fibres moro firmly together. This is also Ritchie's balo, and - that is exactly what has .'been done. The inside is as • smooth as a linen table cloth,, and it handled - : v a littlo papory, still if it cin bo made, stroiig enough, it will< ; be thebale of. the-'fiiture. ;.The' price is 2s. lid. I v saw a sample of this juto fabric in/'Bradford some time ago, and tlion said that it was the right article if . it was strong enough. -Tho manufacturers' have been apprised of. this ,faot,.' and although the first test'in'Bradford saw the bag rip open when hauled up and down at a firm of woolcombers, still that has been, remedied, and a stouter pack made! r. / - , - 1 The . next movemdht is to test thoroughly these 'three new,, bales.: < -This cairaqt/,ta done in'. Bradford, or in any part - of' England;' so about 200 sample bales are to be got ready aud shipped, out to Australia and thoroughly tested next season. Both Messrs. Littlo and Murray offered -to take about 50 bales of each, treat therrt in exactly the same way as they do tho ordinary juto bales, send them Homo, and; in that ( way.test tho suitability of these packs,for the future: ' It is-only. in/'this "Way that their ireal worth can bo seen, ana ion oponing down in London it will -show their suitability or otherwise' for the work. ' , NEW SEWING TWINE. ; The committee then decided "to recommend for saving purposes "all wool" string in placo of , .tho present hemp sewing twine which is , used. .. A sample of, this was handed round," and very good it was. It is three-fold, and on being tested at -the i Bradford Conditioning House proved.'to be much stronger, than what is .at, present used. Everybody was unanimous in'.declaring that b.v the use of this'string .the evil will be considerably lessened. It was]* therefore, decided to strongly recommend its. use fo; tlio sewing of seams by jute manufacturers; and to ask squatters, warehouse keepers, both in the Colonies and London,'to use the same when sewing all openings. . I liked the idea very much.- In the past th 9 large quantity of loose hemp string, that- has been found, in balo bottoms, and which has got on to tho .wool when seams have been cut .open on the. wool being shown, has been a very fruitful' source of disaster, for if a strand of hemp string failed,, to be picked out, and the same got through the scouring-bswl, it .caused 'endless trouble-'and expense... .The'price of this allwool string is Is. 6d.-per lb. of ,450. yards to tho pound, compared with 9d. per lb., of 320 ■yards' to the pound for. the ordinary hemp string. With tho fall in crossbred wool the maker says that this all-wool string can now bo produced at Is. 3d. per lb. Its' adoption on wool stationsHhroughout the world means abig new outlet, for crossbred, wool, and this is' well worth! considering by every woolgrower. There is much to recommend its use, and, woolgrowers might, as well use their own product hi-the shape ,of'wool string as consume hemp, which interests them not a particle. ~ , . . A COVERING-MOVEMENT. ' Sinco I last wrote, Bradford has emerged from the dopths of a semi-panic, and recovered consciousness. Last- week-end a decided turn for the-better took place, largely-accounted for by the improved tone in London. At tho lowest point a fair weight of business was done, spinners buying what .-they felt they would need during the next few weeks. Cross-' breds responded sharply, and where 40's changed hands at BJd. and 9d. last Monday week, topmakers would - not sell und<;r lOd. Merinos were generally put up Id., but tho turnover was not a heavy one, though somo nice lots were sold. From'first to last tho movement gave one the impression that usors thought that for the time being the bottom was touched and it was right to operate. This led to a covering nloveinent, and I am afraid it -will endj'there. Since last week-end no further advance has taken place,' and- on.Monday's market there were signs of returning weakness.- Although topmakers, generally wero quoting last Week-end prices, still I could buy at |d. less both in merinos and crossbrods. Tho movement has entirely been a local one, and not until it assumes! larger "dimensions can prices permanently improve. Tho call on 1 export account is as . limited 'as ever,"" and what offers come to hand'are at less prices than a fortnight ago. There seoms nothing to warrant one in thinking that this move is a permanent one, though for the. time being it has arrested tho decline,, and .imparted a moro hopeful feeling to tile market. One valuablo asset continues to be tho running fairly well of all machinery, and not .much short tifno is yet being run.. More particulars have lately been given out, and this is, a satisfactory feature. Tho .only thing that is wanting to stimulate' pricos, is a settled conviction ' that tho bottom is touched,, and until .that obtains things cannot improve. Stocks ire fairly heavy of ono kind and another, and complaints are rather loud that business is slow both in yarns and pieces. Hei'e tliero is much room for improvement, and manufactured goods aro not going out anything like as freely, as they were. Commission woolcombers continuo fairly busy, but tops aro accumulating moro' than they have done for some time back. Tho general feeling is that wo have v 'not yet seen the bottom, and tliero is in somo quarter's a rather limited purchasing power. Mohair is very quiet, Capo firsts being vory depressed. I daresay firsts could bo bought at 12d.,- whereas good Turkey average still maintains its prico arid is worth about 17d. per" lb.