OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 649, 28 October 1909, Page 3

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

the.principles of. selling :and boyinol"; v wool. .;.;;;;: (From Our Special Correspondent) '.::,• Bradford, September 17, 1309. ;•'.; ■While cogitating about the wool trade In V: gonoral, the subject of selling and buying;':, crossed my mind,'and bcinß oir the. evo of a :,'.-;.:' fresh scries of salcß, the topic 1b worth ' con-:-.:: sidoring. Selling wool is now a big "business, ' •:. and it has been specified. Why should it not b» •, : when probably in' no- other' trade in' tho'wbrid ;' : such largo amountp. of money, change hands? ,'. A few months baok I had the privilcgi) of in-:-,-■.; specting the catalogue of a London wool sola' that took place, in 1692, ithiß boing.'tho oldest ■>;."■'= catalogue extant, The largest lot. numbered '■ three bales, and If I remember • right the word; ' "washed" was the only ■ description given to r V ! : any one lot of wool. How greatly haa this: ■•■'■'. business developed dnrinu the last fifty .years,.: •'■■■■■ It is expeotcd that Australia alone will.turn out '•.' souiothing like two million balos for tho coming '■'. ; "'■' woolyoar,'and that will represent at least, 30 ■;;;:; million sterling. Selling the raw material, is V moro difficult than some seem.'to think, and- '.:' without,doubt to handle a olio satisfactorily,;^;'..' man must havo a good knowledge of the article, - '■ itself.. It would bo tho height of foolishness trt^j.;:, place in the hands of an .average oucUoneoi *t.'V a clip of wool for sale, for ho'wonld have: nj; ;.',.;.: knowledge of how to class and catalogue: th< .' • .-;*■ same. After all, the man soUinc a clip of -wooi =' '." can- at times aid materially in disposine: samo at a. satisfactory, price, and It should b« y \'.--, his work to make lots which are as uniform at -" possible. Putting clothing'and ,:combing :■ to:':■'.•<' aether, which has often been done in the past, '?\ '••'. is. a huge nilstako; some buyers.wanting. tmv r ?-«, iormer and somo- passing - them by •■: altogether./ , : ' Then, it-is oftentimes .wise to mako pieces into; ''V two and three lots, selling to' themselvcß the .-:* first and secondhand also the stained., . ;'i ■:..,' FAOTOES IN' BOYING ' WOOL/;;;' ; -'~'. vW v The buying of wool is perhaps /a- far . moro '■■<■■''■ important subject, than that of selling,; and.tO: '"5* know the principles l which govern and actuate '■'■'■: = '■' buyers cannot but be useful to a large number '*: of readers.- First and foremost; every buyer hoi :: beloro him his.special need...and ho has to. '■ -'.-' shape ; his operations accordine to what ..he.'■■'!'" wants. A,- wool, that suits■ one. man .may be; -.'.* ■'-: passed over by half a dozen, every man seekine".: the class of material which ho knows will' suit.''■'■'*■''. him best. , For instance;, a:man may bo'wantinir. . : ', combing, and everything else, but that he leaves V etriotly nlono,. Another, .who:• is: essentially a--'! woollen- cloth:: manufacturer, wants' something':.'. ; -- sborter, henco clothing, pieces,'bellies, and locks command his attention. It-,should bo known that ' a buyer operating for the woollen trade' can .i: utilise materials which a man'in tho top in- ':-: V dustry would pass'(iy altogether. Some wooli i'-: behave quite differently both*in combing',: spin- :fi.; ning, and finishing to others, and this also is: ~'.-; an important consideration that has to bo borne ;:'v in mind. It is no earthly use a man attempting 7, *. tc'ECttho same results out of bellies and lotlte ':' - that ho would out- of. combing, and he.knowt. • this well chough. It-is to his interests to buy'i: : the right- material if- ho wonld obtain satisfoc-'; ; V tory .results; and;with, this objoct'in view- h«-, ,s' : visits salo after-sale for- the*oxptcbs purpose .':,;. of-buying .just-what bis-clients desire. iOwine;,:.;; to wools varying in ■ ouality from- 28's .to 100's'; it; is. possible to' produce- a great,;variety:.of ■■>".'."; materials'which would otherwise bo.impossible-'::;-if all ■.wools'-wcre,.Bay, , ;4o's;.or 60'b quality.:: : ' ; :v!-.-ft'i ■'. . FEATUBES ]^'CH;' DETERMINE There are several ,i well-defined' foatures - which',;' ■]■■'■? determine the- price' of'any class; of. wool, and 'V , these should' bo; known to overyonc, especially ~; : growers. Firstof all.'.there' is quality. - Qnality ■", in wool is-'tbat.ifeaturo .which; determines its:,•;'. Bpinnine: value;,,-for without this,.'/wool-- would'.-'-. '•■> bo of very little ÜBCi: There is something morfr ■' ; : in quality than a-superstition, and what.naturtf '- ~' has left out in'; this .particular, no man. cap;:..::,. put' in. - It's all :rlght enough some ; men ■, •. content with, a- low'degreoiof .flncncsi of fibres,-. -:l but a spinner knows.iits'real.worth," and' it ii '■' ' : : indeed of supreme importance to him to,havi ..', that which he;'knows will prodiico an ovcn.ana. .V.; satisfactory. yarn;' Fineness of fibre 'means .a ; • great deal, and if that. featuro"is' present; when VWho goes round valuing, ho places upon it all : that he can afford'to- give. . 1.-have never yet '.';,- eecnjt stated what.is thoreal cause of quality,' .'''. but no doubt some day wo. shall' bo informed; :''.'■ aiid tho reason given;why one sheen produces a',:.-', liner fleece than another. Tho principles at ; ; selection. and .environment; have played an. Im;'- • portant part in determining Quality, and it is a '' ' well-known fact- that If a 'breed of sheep 'i«.: ■- removed from its natural surroundings.in two ;,,;> years' time it will, :to 6omc extont,>chango the ;, :' character of its fleece,.bb well -aß:its quality, .y However, •' : this 'feature, will'- always stand jin';--'. the very forefront•as.'a'.determimng'.factorVot,:-'",. ! the price of the. raw material.i and;, it nhould. !'«.- ; ; nover be undervalued' by.Krowers, ;Anothor im-';';'-portant -feature is"'leticth.of: staple. -Here w» ';• havo a characteristic:.which.only, those :with'a : >,l •':; knowledge of textile manufacture can apprcV, '■ ciate, and length always . counts 'in . deciding , the price which the buyer: can' afford to kivc. ; -\ A short stapled wool Is no use for woolcomhing ■'..;.' purposes, and;the longer the', fibre,' as.'a rulo>-..-■'•. the more valuable it is.. "Tho reader can seff;. '"'. that if the long fibres of hnman hair shorn .- from a woman's.head.are.takon!and_twisted to< ~ . gethcr, the process, will.ha',an -'infinitely' casiel ''- ,' one 'than'.'if ■' wo paid 'a -visit- to-- a barber's'.'shot . and'fibt'ainod the sliort- fiWe-s-Whioh have "'been ";"'i ' cut from a man's head, tho,former producing ■ ; a ! longer, and stronger thread ..than .that. .oh-,. ■;,- ;, tained..from. tho.,i--hortor. fibres.?,- Exactly, the. ■-.: same principle obtains, in,wool. . Even in mcr- ,>■". ; inos a staple of three' able than ; a'Btiiplo of lj'itichcs'i while in ■ cross-T™" bredß the longest'fleeces are nut through, what Is.known as a "preparing',' process,: which pro-.,» ; - duces tho best spun >yarns, whilo short, '-sthmp? :.•:,-"-.: fleeces are- '"carded." '.Of ;coursc, it is.: impos- ■■;■■. sible to >"proparo" wool above Ws quality, but ,-.•'.■. from 36's to 46's both.prcparod,'and carded tops t oromade, the former as a-rule, selling; at a ;.;-- penny.per-lb.,more, than the latter. ;Here,comes ,;-. in tho'valuo of length., and wo get,the.same ~-; oven in merinos, there'belnp; produced by many; 7 topmakers both a, long and short 60's top. ■ ;• ' Another important feature is! that ■'■'of colour. .'\.- ; - Tho more white .'is. a fleece, tho' more valuabls. ; ' it is. I should'say that Victorian,-Tasmanian, ;,, and South' African merinos come the'best 00l- , i our, and "dingy",<yellow,-, whites..are. only, fit, :> for dyeing purposes; .1' don't: '.suppose ; w001.,growers have much control over colour,, that •.; ■■- being very largelyia question:of, the soili upon '■-.. which the ■ sheep run. However, see that > no ■'■■-.■; dipping, material is used that',will -in-anywißo !■; stain the fibre or make it harsh' and brittle, ~ but try .and preserve colour,.for,that,is'a very. ::; important essentiali-, :,'. ;. ':'■.',:.' •'...'■■■'■■>■,'.; i~-'.H :.';. Then condition is , also rof .first importance.:', Wool now is boueht on a."clean yield" basis.:or .;. how much it will' cost when., scoured. Ylt isa: v.; mistake to thihk.tlmt it pays to grow hea»y; ~;. conditioned wool., and this fallacy wants shat-.. tering, especially ..' throughout South -Africa,' ~.;■;;, Good, ■< light-conditioned fleeces.;:are. -. w hct ' 0ie;..'.,-;■ trade wants, and men, nay. for these abettor , / price than they do;for.heavy,-,eartXy:wools,' :-;^;.::.:

;'■", CONTINTTED■ FIRMNESS.';': ', '.i^ O'.';' 'W :Thoro:is not' a great deal -< that' is new;-'to :'..«' chronicle, everything remaining, intact. vHieroy. V* is Btill a reasonable .amount of now business:;*.? passing,, but. the activity, of thopast. month ia;-;-; less pronounced. Thnt can only, bo o*»coted,.th«h , -;.- market now boing< in a waiting attitude, most;--''; people being very desirous.-of seeing-.how lion- .;;'' don shapes before doing' inuch iurthcr. Gcwk '■ !al expectations favour>.7J to 10 pcr-.cent.' ad-.;. V,- ; vanco next week in Coleman Street; and .it'eer-'-.tv lainly looks, as-, if.there, is. going to t .,be;Van. ex-Vi ■<? cecdingly brisk Berieij: ■• .This- market; is hardly .J..V, in a temper for paying very extravagant prices; :>.;>, and.a: iiood. deal .ofs the- forcing; we fancy) will■ ..-'i--■■. have to come from abroad., Those ,who'can ,'.-•;.; do; without operating on .ft-. large scale till:later :•:*}:■ on frankly state that, they ..will ..do no .more';'...' buying than they' aro forced, to,. for;. they: are \ l: : strongly opposed to adding-fuel'to an already ;...:; flerco burning Are. . The news from Brisbane lias made topmakers if ■ anything worso to.deal ,;■ <■ with,' but.' the report' has bceu : taken only; at :-y ; its face value.- . ThatLtho? situation .is: an ex-•■■•;•■ cecdingly. strong one. goes without saying,; but ■••;:•.-," thcro • are very fowhero who believe that tha ■ ■ whole of the cominß.clip in eoinE to bo lifted;. ;;: at the range of values■ established at Brisbane.- •,;; Bradford is prepared totako wool, both ; merino." v. - and crossbred, at. a treasonable price, but >: users, :«.&• hero are very much opposed. to , following fur- ■;.■■.<( ther tho upward trend of wool' values., .ToB- ■ ;. makers aro very rcluotant at contracting- for .'.,; further deliveries this year, and to all appear-. ;;, ai'ces the majority have-bought'quite as much -;; as tboy can take up for Borne time to conic.: -. ; Machinery continues : to':be fully run,; and wi11.;.; :.5• be for a considerable time: Spinners are asking ~, delivery for months ahead, and if they can tret, ;■. 'particulars on the ..wools>sold, there will .ba-.v-'. no standing machinery this -year. ' All' values:.;■•:'::.! aro very firm and Btoady.: A littlo-progress ia ■i)i being raado with "future .sales..but■ the busi- ~.:. nesa pr.ssinß in not at: all heavy..'.There is. con- ~.,;'; sidernblo activity in medium.and fine crossbrods, :,••", but the business passinc is not at-oil-heavy. ;;* There 1b considerablo activity, in medium and ,V.fine crossbreda,' but coarse '. descriptions v. still v. 1 ;,. move tardily. Some fair-slocks 1 of w« tops, aro...' ■. held, although there is: not any weight of wool:-.: on tho market."'Business generally 1b somewhat::- ( ; nuict in 40's, though some nice, weights of 32'« „.■,','; and 38's havo changed hands. Mohair is very ..'■. ranch as if waß,. prices being. firm ana steady,.:.'.,. bat there is an'absence.of: activity.., Bußinosj.,::,;. generally is good in manufacturing circleß, and -','.. tboro is more doing for next spring; . "■'■.)■■.;..\ u -