OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 900, 20 August 1910, Page 10

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

THE STAPLE TRADE OF BBADFOED. (From Our. Special Correspondent.) Bradford, ,Tuly 8, 1010, Bradford occupies a very unique position in the commercial world of Great Britain, that city being the most noted for its connection with the wool trade. In fact, Worstedopolis is practically built upon the fleece of the sheep, just tho same as Manchester is upon cotton. For centuries wool manufacture has been known to be conducted in Bradford, and unlike tome British centres it has continued to expand and grow until to-day its position is unchallenged as the kading textile centre in Great Britain. For a very long time both woolcombing, spinning, and weaving was conducted by hand in tho homes of the people, the first mill being commenced in Bradford in 1795, aud completed in 1800. It had an engine of 15 horse-power! The way having thus been opened, other mills were speedily erected, and from ,that day to this Bradford has never once looked behind. Nature itself seems to have specially fitted' that part of tho West Hiding "for the manufacture of wool, special climatic conditions being found .which havo undoubtedly been of material assistant in bringing the wool and textile trade to its present stage of greatness. In Bradford it,=elf a big industry has been built up, thanks largely to tho push and enterprise of the past and present generations.. Into the very nature of the inhabitants of tho city and district .there has been br-td as it were a gift which makes its operatives the.best and most efficient mill workers of any to be fouml in tho world, and to-day we are,glad to state that Worstedopolis is enjoying a remarkable period of prosperity. The United States has always been a great market for Bradford manufactures, and when the M'Kinley tariff was enacted all about the year 1892' there were plenty who declared that before long grass would be growing in its streets, but somehow that trying timo was survived, and to-day the manufacturing in- ; dustry of that city is even bigger and more'influential than in the days of the "freo wool" Wilson' tariff, when Bradford did between 1895- ami 1597 a colossal trade with the United States. Although it is only fair to say that hostilo tariffs havo at times inflicted hardships upon the manufactures of AVorstedopolis, still as one door has shut another has opened, an<l to-day we are happy to say that more raw material is going into consumption in Bradford than at any previous time in. its history. Let me give two or three proofs of the progress of the city.. First of all take tho postal statistics. A city that is decadent soon shows signs of this by a falling off in its correspondence. The following arc the particulars furnifhed by the head postmaster nt. Bradford, showing the number of postal packets delivered to its inhabitants since 1891:TOTALS. (Delivered.) ■ . . Increase Tear. No. per cent. ' 1834 17,605,288 . - .1901 27,015,460 52.83 1005 25,3G8iG52 ' 4.89 190G 29,688,514 4.65 1907 30,748,540 3.75 190S 31,460,208 2.34 1909 , 31,826,444 1.16 :Lct us look at the staple.trade.itself. Take the Conditioning House. This institution was opened in 1891, and has proved its worth , and value to the Bradford trade. The Conditioning House is corporation property, and ,is under tho management and control of tho. Bradford City Council: The following, table shows the number of tests-and the amount received in fees for the work done:— 'Amount of fees Year. Tests. . Received. £ : 1899 81,343 5,091 . 1905 138,886 9,321 • 1800 : 145,870 ; 10.36G ■1907 163,797 14,401 ■ 1908 179,943 16,681 ..' ..V... .213,582 20,991 If Bradford was in a decadent condition, its population would show a gradual decrease, but the reverse obtains. Every census which has been taken since the year ISOI has shown a steady ''increase, and the one which will be - taken' next year will also indicate an expansion in this respect. In the year 1801 the population of Bradford was 13,264; 1901, 279,767, and.l hnve every reason for saying that to-day the population is not far'off 300,000. , . ..

As we have already said it is the centre of the woollen and worsted trades, and the importance and size of the business done cannot be tabulated. Not only is an immense trade done on home account both in wool, tops t i.e., combed wool, yarns, and pieces, but in every other market in the world Bradford has its customers, to which are sent weekly something or other than has for its foundation wool itself. The last textile census of the persons engaged in the industries of Bradford showed that there were no less than 28,244 males and 33,321 females, employed in the textile trades of the city. To begin to differentiate between one branch and the other would absorb mord space than is" at our disposal, suffice to say that in.no single department that we know has any decline occurred, but the opposite. Bradford is doing a larger trade than ever in the shape of combed wool and yarn, while its overseas trade in piece goods also . shows a remarkable expansion. Sometimes the disciples of tariff reform bold up Bradford as an example of a failing industry, and say that there are Ices looms . running to-day in the city than there were some years ago, but that is not stating the case fairly. The number ui pieces which are being woven is larger than ever; and although there may be less looms at work, yet almost every plant has been modernised, and old "slow-running machinery .has been substituted by spindles and looms running at ft much quicker speed, consequently the output in thp aggregate, has heon largely augmented. We strongly contend that while Bradford has largely expanded its export trade in ■ semimanufactured articles, it has also shown considerable expansion in its export of piece goods, the city and district to-day enjoying a period of prosperity which has never been exceeded. Take the export of tops and noils—two important commodities. No record -was kept of these by the Board of Trade previous ..to 189U, and -the expansion since then hns been great:— Noils. Tops. 1,1). £ Lb. £ 1690 10,234,700 040,313 9,016,000 G25.578 JS9!) 13,000,800 7G9.12G 29,907,100 1.651.356 1905 -11,573,400 760,197 35,380,300 2,529,395 100G 11,522,100 809,223 35,648,000 3,095.064 1907 12,690,200 898,175 35,811,300 2,902,893 1903 13,208.400 807,034 '34,724,600 2,;t3(>,074 1909 ](i,073,500 992,427 .40,685,000 .2,832,829 Turning to yarns, wo have a similar state of affairs to record. For very many years Bradford has done a big trade in spun yarns with the Continent, and this shows'no signs of decline. The following shows the quantity and value, of worsted and mohair yarns sent abroad during' recent years :— Worsted Tarns. Mohair Tnrns. Lbs. £ Us. £ 1907 55 521,400 5,758,024 17,780,100 2,303,4G3 1908 J8 879,100 4,410,878 13,7CG,400 1,704,395 1909 55,77'W00 4,700,759 15,808,800 1,925,850. AWAITING LONDON. The market has ■ turned again somewhat quiet, and wo question very much if nrices are as firm as they ,were. There seems to be on the part of tho whole trade n desire' to renlise any surplus stock, and . nobody is refusing a reason- , able bid. Last week a fair amount of top sales tool; place in a quiet sort 'if wav, but at the' new level of prices, which show a distinct fall of Jd. to 3d. to what were ruling when tho last series of London sales closed. These remarhs apply to merinos, and without doubt Bradford is to-chiy the cheapest market for the raw material. Still, for all that, nobody is expecting to see fine wools very much che-aper, if any, than they wero last series. The depressed situation across the Atlantic has undoubtedly sobered a largo number, but ull tlio same merino spinners both in Yorkshire and on the Continent" seem to bo so busy that they are likely to absorb all the stocks available. Tho nggreßat& net available quantity is 155,000 bales, over one-half of which are New Zeuland grossbrede.