YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1425, 27 April 1912, Page 7

YORKSHIRE LETTER.

THE CHANGED CHARACTER OF THE WOOLLEN TRADE. (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, March 8. •'The West Riding is perhaps the most noted of the localities in which the woollen and worsted industry of Great Britain is carried on, and it is remarkable what has been crowded into a distance of 15 to 20 miles. If one had to put tho point of a pair of compasses- on tho city of Bradford and run a circle extending fifteen miles all round, ho would have there practically tho whole of the woollen and worsted trades which havo made Great Britain what it is as a textile manufacturing country. It would need tho whole ol this issue to outline all tho varied fabrics which aro made in that comparatively small space, and when I say that a good fen hundred mills are to do found, employing very many thousands 01 hands, the reader will be able to form some idea, of tho consuming capacity of the buying public. To-day I am more particularly concerned in considering the textile trade of Huddersfield, for it deserves Honourable recognition os being aa important -fuctor in determining tho prico of raw wool. It is quite true that combing and worsted spinning is not carried on so extensively as in th 9 city of Bradford, but if- 76 !. 11 ® mall J' largo and important mills which are consuming tops and spinning yarns, the combing operation being mostly done m Worstcdopolis. Travellers go round Huddersiield and district every day offering tops and yarns, and some largo weights are shifted weekly. From Bradford to Huddersfield the distanco is only a good dozen miles, and yet tho class of trade dono varies considerably from that of Worstedopolis. If over thero was an instance of the value of a name wo have it here, for "Huddersfield" is synonymous with "good fabrics made from wool," and I am glad to say that while some very cheap materials aro produced in the district, tho very best that money can buy is still maue in that part of tho West Riding of Yorkshire. THE DAYS OF THE OLD BROADCLOTHS. Wool to-day is entering into a multitude of fabrics, and if one had to enumerate them, he would have a difficult tisk. 1 have recently heard old retired Manufacturers contrast the endless variety of goods which aro being made for men and women's wear compared with 30 to 40 years ago, and instead of the old l>rpadcloth, which was the article for Sundayw'car when they were young en, thatfttl> nc is tc-diy entirely a thin- of the past. .i! is not many years ago since the writer saw tho fine-faced broadcloth which everybody wore thirty years ago, and with its passing there nas come a wonderful advancement in the manufacturing world, all of which has told for good in the interests of the wool trade of Australasia, South Africa, and other wool-growing countries. When one thinks of the evolution of the wool trade, we have here the explanation, which by tho way 13 a most significant one, of the development of the . wool trade in general. Let me further explain. I need wasto no space in dilating upon the fact that there has been a big change in sheepbreeding circles, and nowhere has this been more to than in South Australia. I venture the opinion that if there had been no alteration in tho present demand for woollen fabrics compared -with twentvfive_ years ago, .then South Australian wools would not ■ have been so much anpreciated as thdy t are, simply because tfio bulk of tho merinos grown to-day in that State would l-o. .totally unfitted for the production of-, the fine-faccd broadcloths of a a? century ago. Tn those days the.;all-important factor, in merino wool was ■quality, and manufacturers never considered wool- . too fine.. Old woollen manufacturers wanted " nothing coarser than 70's, while if it were 80's or 90s it wu3 all the better. But those days have gone, never to return, and there lias been inaugurated a new eta. which has brought prosperity both to wool-growers and manufacturers. Wo are certainly.,living, in.days- of..great.-change, and with them there has also come the demand,ifor.-,raiv; material aa; different 'in onaracteinas-couldrbe.:

. SLTEB ■WORSTED FABRICS. The days of the old broadcloths lave been, succeeded oy the time for worsted °ru' i al ii 11 ffas a happy change which laid the. foundation for an industry which has continued to develop to the ?S n ™,r y ' I t E ?. p i e^ s . ctl t0 sa y tta t the We&t Riding c-f Yorkshire never enjoyed greater prosperity than during the past tnreo years, and even now work is as plentiful and mills are as busy as any other part of tho textile world. When the days oi tho worsted coatings came in, an S i 1 9man ? aro . se for a somewhat clinorent class ot merino wool from what used to be grown Instead of super-fine wool being demanded of a staple of about one inch to_one a', half inches, long, worsted coatings -called 'for a much longer staple, withi-'rf, anything,. a : trifle less degree of fineness. This was all right, and made a new-.system "of .sheep-breeding Decenary aitiyng • merino ! sheepmen. Or course, m ' \ the manufacture of worsted coatings wool must first do comhed. and then spun into yarns, this being a different principle of operation from "the way in which tho old broadcloths were made. Huddersficld was brought into prominence by the class of worsted coatings turned out, and the town retains to this day its supremacy as being the best source for really fivst-class labrics. - Of course, sinco worsted coatings first to' be made there has been further important developments, and to-day this fabric is not made so extenBively as formerly, but goods of a worsted character have largely taken their place, and to-day worsted or liotanv yarns are very largely employed in the production ot tancy trouserings, coatings, and an endless variety of fancy fabrics, all of which are consumed al hront, and abroad. It Beems to matter little what kind of material they are made into so lon<» as worsted yarns are consumed in lar»o quantities. There.is no doubt that in the art of combing worsted and woollen yarns, Huddersfiekl manufacturers aro past-masters, and it is now a question of tanging out new shades and different designs, which a change in fashion demand's every season. LIGHT TANCT TWEEDS. Just as there is the East and West End Of London, so Huudc:infield manufacturers are known as producing tho cheapest aa well as the dearest and best fabrics, and tho production of fancy tweeds at a little price is inseparable from the trade of tho latter place. Tho Colno Valley has well earned a world-wide reputation for producing some really tasty things of a low and medium .character at little money, and these fancy tweeds are to-day seen in every clothier's shop in Great Britain, as well as many foreign markets. It is hard to believe that decent l fancy woollen tweeds could be made as low as is 6d per yard, 51 inches wide, fit to bo mdo into wearing apparel, but thousands of yards are made every week at from Is. 6d. to-2s. 6d„ and when made info garments they present a vory smart and attractive appearance. Of course, very lit-tie-wool can be u?ed in the making of such goods, large quantities of mungo cotton, and shoddy being used, which are blended with a certain percentage of pure wool, and the' raw .material is so manipulated that it presents a very smart appearance. Little need-bo saifl about the wearinsr capacity of th'e=o but they fill a felt, want, and enable tho ® of Mt'a»ns"tb obtain a suit at little money, and so present a respectable appearance. Xo doubt, EudiTercfield manufacturers, like their competitors in n ' Kl , loeds r)rnflnc o 751 the y there ip a demand for Jt the same time we should he very "hd of pure wool used than is tho ease in th/> locality at the present time. Hiuldprsfiold. we arc-lad i?nf ay, t. ls to ' (ln ,y fniHv woll omplnved, nltnouch some firms complain .it there being an absence of orders, particularly among the makers of the best class of fabrics. «o doubt the nnsettlement of the country ami the lack, of .confidence is being felt in -Icxlilo rirelcs, and the present industrial unrest citmot fti.it/. f.>r the good of the trade at large. It in firmly boliovod that wjth a" removal of it present disturbed conditions the whole of tho Vt est Ruling would be a stato of pfospcrity equal to that of last year. MARKET CONDITIONS.' Turning "to. the. market, things are 10-dar in "such a peculiar state' that one hardly knows what to say. for t'ne l>est. The worst has como to ,the. worst .with, a general strike, in " the.-coal trade, and as I write this; ..leading Yorkshire firms aro standing" part time, many woolcombers have, ccased," nuining at nights, tod, aa fat back as last Monday, thai

largest woolcombers in Bradford decided to run only on alternate days. If the strike continues another week, the whole trade will be paralysed, and a very large number of mills brought to a standstill. That is the outlook with which the trade is faced, nevertheless a fairly cheerful tone is still in evidence, and on Bradford Exchange yesterday, while there was certainly little business done, a bv no menus pessimistic mood was in evidence. It is rather unfortunate that the coal strike should have matured, because few people ill the textile industry believed that it would actually take place, hence the improvement of ten days ago lias been nipped in the bud, and what to do for thu best no one seems to know. The majority aro acting on the principle of using up their coal, supplies and then stopping. A largo number of workpeople havo been given a week's notice, in order to prepare for this contingency, and it is most unfortunate that the 'daily rn ; nd and common task" of the Industry should have been interfered with in this »-ay. A very noteworthy feature of the past week's business has been tho pronoun;ed activity in wool. Thoso importers who have any raw material to offer have been very busy, and one can only ask what does it all mean? Some spinners are pressing topmakers in a very strong way to make deliveries of tops, particularly those who are fortunate enough to havo by them three or four weeks' supply of coal.