OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 439, 23 February 1909, Page 2

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

BRADFORD TRADE WITH AFRICA./;/ ;.;■'. (FHOSI OUR erECrAt CORRESPONDED.) :.'-'. ';//■-.' '"■ '■■': -;■. -.',;/ : . Bradford, January 8, 1909....: : The American market has alwaysteen regarded as one of the "plums" :of Bradford ■ manufacturers, and but for hostilo tariffs ah excellent trade could bo: done /to-day;" /When/ fully manufacttired goods havo an import duty of,over. 100 per cent./to face it.h'andidaps' seriously export houses, henco; no' surprise, need be felt at the exports of 1908 showing a sensible falling off.;. Before the/financial/crisis ; occurr.edi-Bradford'-.was doing :.a very respectable; trade, .but , all last .year every month/a decrease had to be chronicled, /the only exception being December, when there was an increase.of £42,184.. Really/Speaking,-, the latter half-year, was better .than the former, but/when all is said and done the yearly: .figures are depressing: reading? ■~;/-;'.'/:. - /

The. aggregate total, was/ £2,335,011, com r pared with £3,464,591 the. year previous,, or a decrease, 0f'£1,129,580.-; This is a: long way the largest annual decrease which has had to be chronicled since 1901, for although: there was a falling off in 1908, yet it was ,not; half what it was in 1908.; If one surveys carefully the aggregate yearly shipments . under' the present Dingjey. tariff;/there-has been/a.'grad--uallv improving trade sincelSOl, .with the "exception of 1906, and.-the aggregate total-.then was : £3,198,404,^: '-againstV £2,335,011 v last year.: Hence iit will be, seen that last ■year's fiaures. are less than any,we have seeii-sihce; 1904,.and.if the figures l of the last four years' had been maintained;/nobody iwould'have had cause for grumbling, .under, the'present high' tariff:rates..;':/ After all, when one considers' that last year .was a/Presidential' plectioii,; and.remembers also,that/values; for/both'raw. materials and, textiles .were 'sensibly /lower. thanin 1907 j the; shrinkage is;- by nomeans'serious.' ■;.;-.'; .■'.-.';'• ~-■ :^..--/.'. V-■ >-v ; :.-.-:.

;p. ;;, ; .;':wool heads y^. . 'Lpoking over the list;of;,shipments,.: raw materials claim first attention, for; wool again". tho list/'.as ifc. : did; in. 1907. vln -fact, raw; materials are'being.shipped annually"in; increasing' quantities to. America," and l.whot that means to "manufacturers "\ is', too' well known;to, ehlarce upon; .The,total:last ; ; year amounted £832,209, compared with',£9o3j-' 22§. irt 1907', consequently the; deprease is liot less than £76,019... This'fact; need alarm "ap-; body.': Bearing JnVmiiid .'the reduction in the price "compared "with. 1907, it 'would befouiid iF the Ifactsi coiild,'.ba ascertained,ythat :.';thequantity shipped, last year was even greater than the year, previous,'notwithstanding -the. sorisible falling off ;in-, values.-.The Yorkshire "Observer"- points :out,;that: "for the eleven : months ended ;with November: 'the "average price -.was ib;,. r 'as. compared with 12.05d.;per_ lb.; in ;thecprresponaing r period: of the previous year. .Applying these' figures i to the.yahie totals of'the respective JrearsV'.-if- , will"be, found they yield in "round numbers"a . total-',weight' of 20,302,0001b.* for 1908,'. and :18,086,0001b. fpr. 1907, or actually;an , increase of 12..per .cent, in .favour of 190B.' : '.Probably 'this:;result ia:npt very: far off >the;mark." ,Mn any'case,, the: weight bf.wool: still .shipped across .the^ , Atlantic is : certainly very large,: and there is^everj,appearance' of there being, no falling off. during the coming .year.;"' ', :: > ; One has only to go back .over- a'pumber.' of years to see- what progress jh'a3.been.ma'de. : in ; E obi shipments tb'Amenca under the present ingley : tariff. .It'took.effect on , August.!, 1897;; and in 1898.the'actual,.wool:shipments; amounted to oiily £114,142;-. Right up; t0,1903 ,1903 the"exports l were a:rnere ; b a §?^l'?r coin: pared with what they, have been: since, and.it is more'than; ever-evident that' America-must have_ produce : .to fill but \'its. eyer-increasing requirements.- : .,' ; . ; 4 • -; ; ' :: ;v ~.)ust.at.-present';the Wa'ys'and Means ComV mittee ,is takings evidence'oii it's wool:' and.textile.schedulesi with.aVyiew" to tariff'revi-' : sion, and no. sounder 7 - argument for a lowering, of-its'duties; could: there.be-.than. a study.of. the'undeT-mentioned table;' During thei "free .Wool'.!,: Wilsoh-.tarifE;; years , %-'-J895''^1897, : what;was'_then considered to;'bevtremehdoiis. , shipments ofiwpol. were sent across the -At-: .lantic,;hiit since then men'sideas liaveibrbad-. .■. , ened.!oonßiderabl^^reg a] -diiig- I >s].^qyi r gg l gjjj s ' ; :. Very,, shipments''Ar.ere:'inade iii'lß97 tbfescape:the.duty,-but:even. infta". slump.year the. quantityas by ho means :much ; below : thb' quantity-shipped "in. that' year. If the average for the:three ; ,years,'be ■struckV-it' will,be : found;;that;.both in point,of--quantity and>.value .shipments, lin :1908 ■ equalled ~'..tW under the'free wooUtarifi. .The; follpwing;tablo;if almost-significant one,'."ind all the-more so when'it is. borne.in.mind that 5Jd. duty. has.to be.paid: oh;-overy;pound sent into. the United ; States, -.except: on. common l'carpei-;stoc!k:— -;-■■;;. '".■■•";•'•.■;;' •';;■-,-;■■■ '■•. '.-■''■■■.■.Y?.' ■:;

r j ':<■, ;vP)IRCHASES "CO^TI&TED^§U : :-;/ :-v :-' ; . ■:.■.'"■'■ ■ ■'/.. -■ Exports --. \ • ■'. •,,-. ■■> '. m- '/.Exports-. ; •■-;'-!; ; -; ; 1; ".:'' ; ™der:v;-v i- <.'■■.■; ■: "<■..'. ■■.. '■':?-. .:v>Dingley'' ■'■\^~'y?-(:\r. ; : '..' i- tariff.- ■•.■/. : :.uV-: ■ , :?'>:tariff/ ;•:;¥ '•:. : ;;;No:duty: :;:;':;*' v-J)uty : s|d. ; ■•^Vh ;^i, vr.:.6n.wool..'•V^ ■■■ :r ; : ' ', ■■■ ; : :■'■<..^■■.■n,:£/.;;;-^.: ..-m ■^■^'/;-£,■ ■;■-': ; >. 1895 i\.:>' ei2i'429.:, 11204:' i.'. 1,522,895rv : : 1896::;.., V 305,788:,: 1905^ :..,v1,101,947 :- ■£1897/-\;. 1,783,254:::.;, 1906 : - 900.915 ■ '- ■-■■-:;:>■:"'.:;'■..■-: .-: ; ;1907^.;:vi ; -908,228'? ..'• ■^■v,; ; -vl9()8;;:S.vi:;=;832,2Q9:;;; ; ; V.;. ■ :;V-; - MANUPAGTy^JED;GOODS: i : ..'.Turning to.-manufactured;:goods','."'the--ex-ports Jlast-year : cannot'.be .regarded as.-very aatißfactory.>,.All'.;thro.ugli -the'year it .'-.was' patent: that tbo. : monthly shrinkages ; ;w6uld amount-; to i: a; considerable ; sum-in 'the Tag■ gr?gate,.;and .the .falling offi: would -.be-heavy.' iStuit'..goods,i'.which include. dress -fabrics and woolliningj, amounttogether:tb and compare, rather,badly with v £79l,o4? in 1907, or.a.shrinkage of £255,255. ; ;.-If the' two; items, .the falling off has the heariest-'in .wool dress goods, • amounting.;.to■ £86,127,'; and'the , balance of.' the decrease; is in. , , wool linings.' Nobody : 'could expect any> thing;.better.,consideriug;the, paralysed ;state' :of the American dry goods ."trade;": for .there' , has; been 'a larger percentage ; .'of ■uncmploj'ed; than in.'.-England.;; After, the .shipments,for ! last, spring trade; got gradually worse,. it only being 1 the, closing .months' of- the -'year, when were signs ,of. aiiy-reviTal;.,.The.:t'rade principally has been in- mohairs;' predominating,' and .although prospects(aro better, .yet,: tlie'. situation is somewhat ;_compli'.cated by the uncdrtainty ;of ■ the outcome of the tariff 'revision.;;'.; .:,.- .';.;■.".■;/■'."-.; : --.l':-.v-. ;.-,Worsted coatings also show a-fajlirig■-.cif, but the decline is. nothing near so .great' as" one- expected.:;. The.year's total -is -.'£69,572,' ■ compared: with' £79,690 a - year • ago): and -this is a fair; accomplishment under the adverse ;conditions,.prevailing..; : ;;'Tho. ability;.:of; the: American' manufacturer, aided arid; seconded by : prohibitive duties, is -here/ acknowledijed, "Eve"n-under, 'the old-. JM'Kinley ..''ta'njF, .-. which was considered practically; prohibitive,, ,Tcr> stfid coatings were shipped'in. 1892 ;to:tbe; tune of £1,089,628, whereas last: year it :had' droppedto. £69,572. ;u;v-'-.;-'-V. ■;;,.'.:- : : :\:\

. '■■■:■/-, ; firm. ■■■; . : :^'[ ■:. •An exceedingly-strong-.tone chafaoterises ? the Bradford .'market; and whilo a lotof busi- ' ness cannot be reported as passing , ; still tho' ' undertone is exceedingly..good, and there" is:a \. tendency, to still -further ,fprce tho pace. 'Top- ' makers appear- to- be-in a very independent 5 position, . and. most; of -them consider.'it; policy r ,to : put-out higher/quotations.; The.-majority ' are. exceedingly: busy,.:- commission; '■:\ip'?,- ' combers being unable to: necommodate :'tqp-. ' makers as .:-,vell;.as' tliey.-w.ould like.; lt : is ' more, than ever in-evidence that ;whore tops ! .are due , this month delivery is being pressed '■ for, 'and anything,sold is:wanted'ijiVat:once. There is -.'great: interest '■ over'; the ' future nourse of prices, .spvhriers- a'hd'-.expprt '• houses keeping in close touch-vith the inar- ! ketl' It is still;possible to buy. a good stand- ' ard , super'6f)'s to'piat .23d.,Vuot'withstariding 1 the very.same parties'.are quoting a farthing • and halfpenny more.;- Many are asking 23}d.j .but this price -has not yot been paid, exceptj iiifi for a .good"warp.-:.super 60's. : : /Private : cables from Australia report there,"-ah iidvairf-' ; cing market, consequently J holders of the: raw; ! matorial have .a strong iriipressioh that they. i need be in no'hurry to accept anj-thing'less : than they aro asking:' Biisinqss'np doubt' is [ assuming a-more normaKaspect, and there is '■• on -all hands a strong belief that-this year '. is • going;, to produce , something : Spini ners are undoubtedly better-.employed,';arid ;•■ .particulars are -coming: in more extensively. ■ This.', is-what 'they want.-for-, thd; majority i- have orders on their books which will keep [them runniDg till next June,'providing they

can command instructions/fpr delivery^y'li/;: : ;■;/ crosabreds there ib more doing; and it .ap-'.":'■:-.:•; pears to \ be.a settled opinion that- prices/iyiU/ ■/ . : .v advance again/ for/these at, the .forthcoming /: ; \ London sales.;./•'. Some concern, seems' to ; :be;;.. 'i ■.manifest/ over ".the paucity-of...arfiyals/'of..:',;; crossbreds. : Good 40;'s are very-firm.at : )2d.yiKj/: and lately there has been more doing' on'ex7;fe'V port", account: in carded ; descriptions '.ranging. > .: '-, from : 40's .to;46's. AVhat is selling the best/-,;/i is the raw material, and it is surprising what;'; : :v.t a demand: is in evidence for wool. ■■■V.Many'.;'-: ":: : . dealers'haye had some; gopd'Bales, and con«;'-. r ', ; sidering stocktaking has' been lately/.; proi-'//, ::,' ceeding trade : has ..been'much bette/r , 'than v ■/.; ever anybody expected.. Manufachjrers ;are tv; ;// i/ndt'bo there isneedfor ;an:im-. /!■• provemerit :-in this /department. ;V;-. .Mohair/is , ;/;/;; / fluiot,::and/prices.'are>unchanged..-.. '•-/:■:': : :. : -'l"^.vV