OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1631, 24 December 1912, Page 3

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

WHY THE DEMAND FOR WOOL IS GOOD. fFrom Oar Bueclal OorresDondent.l Bradford, November 1"). There is nothing: connected with the textile trade that is commanding so much attention as raw wool itself. Whichever wav one turns, the fact is strongly in evidence that the raw material is wanted in a mow than ordinary way,.the demand being keen to a degree. In this respect ono is justified in saying that abnormal conditions obtain, and there .is evidence of the' largely increased needs of the manufacturing world in the correspondingly increased demand for the rawmaterial. There is no aspect of the trade that has forced itself homo so pointedly during the past month as the graduallydiminishing stocks, and although we have I not heard of there being any "squeeze in. manufacturing circles, there is a pronounced shortage of merino wool, winch, looks like being emphasised by a further advance of values at the forthcoming series of London sales These facts suggest the inquiry as to whether the various producing countries of the world are growing sufficient to meet . all requirements, and as far as one can see, no surplus is being produced, and if anything the tendency is the other way. No doubt pastoralists'in the chief producing countries would gladly keep more sheep if thoy could rely upon being favoured with good climatic conditions, but they can neither make it rain nor compel grass to grow, and we all know that grass and water play a most important part in feeding sheep and growing a fleece of wool. However, we have to take things as 'they stand, and make the best of thorn. THE WORLD'S CALL FOB WOOL FABRICS. 'There is no feature connected with the wool trade that has impressed itself 60 strongly upon the minds of those who keep an open eve upon the tendency and developments of the textile world as the universal call for wool-made fabrics. Old cloth manufacturers in their reminiscent moods often speak of the big quantity ot cheap woollens which were made m Leeds, Barley, Dewsbury, and Huddersfield, and which were usually shipped to foreign countries fifteen to twenty-five, years ago. Tho writer well remembers the time when immense quantities of cotton warp, meltons, serges, vicunas, cheap woollen prints, beavers, and such like fabrics were shipped to tho Near. East, India, China, and other countries. No doubt in the aggregate some fairly big quantities ot similar fabrics arc being shipped to-day, but it is an astounding fact that more .wool is being used to-day iii West Ruling centres among low class makers than lias ever been the case in tho history ot the West Riding trade. Very few cloths are being made to-day where raw wool itself ; is not a primary consideration in determining tho price per yard. The reader may be surprised to know that thousands of pieces are turned out weekly in the West Riding that do not contain a.single ounce of pure raw wool, being entirely composed of cotton, mungo or shoddy. But even here the price of wool is largely influencing tho market for woollen rags ' out of which mungo and shoddy arc made, and. the record supplies, of wool which the manfneturing world has been called upon to lift during the past seven to eight Yeats, have all been shifted easily becaiise of an augmented demand for woollen and worsted fabrics containing a proportion of pure wool. It has been well remarked in Bradford during tho past few months that there is a demand for fabrics of an altogether better order than we have ever seen before, duo entirely to tho increased spending powei of the people. When do we see a working' man shabbily dressed on a t Sunday? A person with patched trousers is a sight we seldom see among tho rank and file of the community, tin's meaning a larger consumption of wool. Those in close touch :with* t;he' l m'anufaeturi.ng„. world know the many avenues of'consitm'ptipn.into which the'raw material is going, all of which are of modem date. All, along, the ■'.line there has been a steady abs'Arptip:i.of,lx;tU merinos, and crossbrrlls, and a's.'fnr as onecan sse there is likely to be no slackened call. LIGHT WEIGHT GOODS IN DEMAND. There is no aspect of the textile trade which has so impressed itself upon'manufacturers during the past few weeks as the lighter goods which are being taken by the multitude. I refer to the weight per yard 'of the manufactured article. The general wearing public have need to revise their ideas regarding what constitutes a piece of sound wearing fabric. The rank and file are completely ignorant of.tho principles of manufacture, and think that if a piece handles thick and "boardy" it is a sure sign of strength, durability and wearing capacity. Such an idea is altogether contrary to actual facts. We admit that.a thick handling fabric can be made entirely of wool, and" will wear like "pin-wire," but as a rule these thick handling cloths are made from the commonest materials, simply because manufacturers are able to produce thick cloths out of the lowo-t classes of mungo and shoddy. A piece of thin well-made "all wool" fabric will look far more respectable and wear much longer than a thick mungo cloth. Every practical man knows that in producing a lino "serge, coating, or. rainproof, the manufacturer must have some good wool in order to spin the 'length or snidlncss of yarn out of which to produce these 1 light but well-made fabrics. Now, it is impossible to spin the commonest classes of mungo or shoddy into small yarns, hence it can only go iii the majority of cases into cheap shoddy fabrics. Dur ing the past few years there has been a wonderful development in the call for light but well-made fabrics, and in making them large quantities of merino ■wools arc being consumed. The Eastern and Oriental countries are to-day .catling for immense quantities of "tropical" cloth's. Continental and Home manufacturers know the extent of the trade which is. being done in these light allwool fabrics, both for underwear and outer garments, and it is in the manufacture of these where immens? quantities of fine wool are being used. NEW AVENUES FOR CROSSBREDS. However satisfactory may be the consumption of fine-wool, and however many new channels may open out into which large quantities go, wo have also to record tho fact that crossbreds are moving out of hand and being absorbed in a variety of fabrics which were unknown a few, years ago. Take, for instance, tho big weight of woollen goods in the shape of Cheviot tweeds, motor-ear clothing requirements, and the large quantity of hosiery and knitted goods wbich are being worn compared with a few years ago. _ There has been a marvellous expansion during the .past five years in tho wearing of jerseys, ladies' knitted jackets, and the like,, all of which aro very popular. The. hosiery trades to-day are large and extensive, thero being a wonderful expansion both hero in England, on the Continent, America, and even in Norway and Sweden. So long as winter sports are popular theso hosiery knitted fabrics, which aro all produced out of crossbred yarns,- will be in demand, and if—as I contend—consumption has kept apace with the production of morino wools, tho same can equally be said in regard to crossbreds. To sum up the situation, it can be truly said that the whole industry shows signs of expansion, and tho increased standard of Bring is a matter | for immense satisfaction among wool grower and consumers alike. . MERINOS TENDING UPWARDS. Tho market this week shows evidence of increased strength, attributable solely to the increased demand for tho raw mi- . terial. Whichever way we turn wo find _ that thero is a pronounced shortago of wool, and commission wool combers in Bradford havo a lot of standing machinery, duo entirely to the absence of wool supplies. ■ Tho result is that there is a distinct hardening tendency in all fine classes of wool and tops, and to-day tho majority of topmakers are asking $d. moro than they did a week ago. As a matter of fact; tho whole trade seems at last to have relinquished its recent exjectations of cheaper wool when big qu.anti- - ties began to be catalogued weekly at Australian selling centres, and with there being no sign of an ease, spinners and l- manufacturers aro moro disposed to aniin cipato- the future, the result being that la considerable orders for tops and yarns have be?n placed on new year account. It may be possible to buy here and there an average Gl's top at 2<4d. for Febrtii, } ary, March, and April delivery, but most.

arc firm at 23iL, am! tiro not prepared to accept a. fraction 10-s. S-oino of the Iwst importers have go lie a slop fni'Uicr, and are now quoting KS'i.. but this price has not yet been made. This may be taken to 'mean that they are prepared to CO to the higher figure at no distant (late, and one need not be surprised to find this an actual selling price in a short time. A nice steady business continues to be done, for spot delivery, and here again 28d. is a more regular price than it has been. Crossbreds are, if anythin};, a shade firmer than they have been, the opening of the Ohristchureh sale on Thursday having the efleri of causing topmakcrs to assume a very nrni attitude, UJd. heiug to-day the lowest price for a decent. ifl's prepared top.