OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1719, 9 April 1913, Page 5

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

$ REVIVAL OF THE MOHAIR TRADE. (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, February 28, 1913. Australian pastoralists nro no doubt more familiar with sheep than goats, but it is a well-known fact that the Angola goat is being acclimatised in the different States of the Commonwealth, although the writer does not cherish the opinion that'first-class mohair will be produced in any great quantity. I am yell aware that one leading breeder ill Aeiv South Wales is turning out a respectable clip of mohair, but if I may be permit ted to tender a word of advice, Australian pastoralists should =tiek to sheep wherever pasturage and climatic conditions favour the keeping and breeding of the animal. Angora goats no dc-übt will do well upon brush country where sheej) can hardly live, but. it seems to me as if far more profit will be 'associated with sheep than goats. However, seeing that some fair weights of -mohair are now Ix'ing grown in various parts of tho Commonwealth, it atl'ords mo great pleasure to be able to announce that after two or three years of steadily declining values, prices have at last begun to mount up, and there is a fairly bright outlook for the article. By way of a change 1 will this week ask the reader's attention to the mohair industry, setting forth a few interesting facts relating to the present standing of that article. I cannot conscientiously advise any colonial pastoralists farming sheep to change to\\ngora goats, believing that in the long run the former will give the most adequate returns. Pastoralists throughout the woi;ld will be best advised to leave well alone, but all the same the following wilFUirow a sidelight upon the standing of mohair, which is another name for the fleece of the Angora goat. MAKING THE BEST OF ADVERSE FACTORS. There is always pleasure in being able to chronicle satisfactory conditions, feelings of real delight being created when things are moving pleasantly and prosperously. It has really been a painful task to tho writer to have to report mouth by month during the past two years conditions which were anything but satisfactory, and s to find depressing markets and sagging prices must have been gall and wormwood to those readers of this issue interested in tho production and sale of mohair. Stilt, into the lhe.sof.nll men adversity conies, and only a coward accepts such conditions in a. meek and childish way without making the best cf theni. John Ploughman said very pithily > "Set a stout heart to a stiff hill, and Hie man will get to the top," and during the past two years it: has been a case of Angora goat breeders as well as dealers ill the raw material striving hard against adversity, aid making low prices the stepping stones to something better. A WELCOME CHANGE.. A month-ago I noticed the fact that the mohair trade of Bradford hod turned over a new leaf, and I am glad to say that upon that sheet there has already been written a record that is creditable. An improvement was long overdue, and it was high time that' better conditions obtained and increased business was done. Experience in tho business world proves that when a commodity is unusually cheap it ,_is dhvays a sale policy to buy, and particularly if such an article is a. good saleable one. Mohair has always occupied a leading position among the manufacturing raw materials of the textile world, and the lesson of the past two years is that when it is cheap, if is right to buy. The writer was talking to a woll-kiioivn Bradford spinner not four days ago, ond lie said that he bought good Cape firsts at M. to Old. per lb., in Pert Elizabeth, bit to-day he would havo to pay more than a shilling; in fact,, they are not there to buy. I remember that same gentleman putting the question to me last June il I thought such mohair at the prieo was right, and I said emphatically "\es.". What else.could a sano man ans.verV Cane mohair for some unknown cause • declined to ■?. lower level than, r.urkey,.hut it wus the dircct means of tho nrticb 1 -moving,. fof'tthile Turkey mohair stuck in the mud and was entirely neglected by users, tho Cape article found-a ready sale, ami to-day stocks arc lower of "the South African'' article' thaii" of the Turkey. I air. speaking now principally from a manufacturers''standpoint. Spinners here hove been able- to keep their frames mostly running by accepting very low prices t'er yarns, which were made almost- entirely from Cape-grown mohair, and iiu duiibt that has proved the salvation of the whole ind-.istrv. -I know that some merchants in South Africa ha.'o grumbled rather sere-rely at hiiving to accept such low prices, but there aro always two sides to every question, and the tree sales and continuous consumption are far better than huge accumulations, which would ultimatelv have meant still lower values. It is 100 late in the day to talk about cornering.mohair, just as it is about cornering wool. It is bath a physical and commercial impossibility, and I repeat that the low values have been the salvation of the trade at a time when depression was acute, and prospects anything but inviting. The marvel to many people is. that mohair should have improved in spite of the Balkan, war. This is the most remarkable thing of'all, but tho factors making for betterment have come from an altogether different source, and were none the less unexpected. No doubt if there had-been no war in the Near East, tli'o .improvement would havo been even more marked, -|jiit it is a fact that prices 'have sensibly advanced in face of practically no business with the countries where big weights of niohair yarns are absorbed. In other words, other parts of the globo are turning to-day a more favourable eye upon mohair, and given a speedy settlement of the American tariff question, I seo 110 reason why niohair should not onco moro get oil to its feet,, and possibly run.

A MONTH' OP ACTIVITY. The outstanding feature of February is a largo turnover of raw material; in fact, this month has been marked by some big sales of both wool and mohair, and prices are all against the buyer, it is hardly fair to say thot wool has advanced so extensively as mohair, but it could not be expected, 'for wool occupies, and lias dono for some months, a high and exalted position. All tlio same, mohair looks distinctly brighter when-viewed from any aspect, and every week this month, some large sales liave been affected, particularly in Constantinople, London, and Bradford. No doubt the bare stocks in Tort Elizabeth largely account for sales, there having been limited, but all the same, business is distinctly better, and this outlook has undoubtedly improved. Still, tho activity in Constantinople and hore in England is tho outstanding feature of tho month's trade. When tho year opened, stocks in Constantinople were about. 18,000 bags, and to-day they havo dwindled until I do not' thilik there aro moro than 4000 -to 5000 bags on hand in that market, wliilo the mohair available is of a very mixed character. It is impossible to say what stocks tliero aTe in dealer's hands in London and Bradford, but I know for a fact that in London and in the biggest premises in Bradford there is less mohair than there has been for the past two to three years. All the best lots liave entirely disappeared, and Cape firsts lmvo dwindled down to a few hundred bales. In fact, during the first half of the month there was quite a run, and anything showing decent quality ami character coull be easily disposed of at sensible advances. Turkey average has naturally not shown the same marked advance in values as Cape firsts, Basil to hair and winter, simply because tho South African grown article was relatively the cheapest. Tho stock of winter is entirely exhausted, only a few hundred bales of strong Cape firsts being in hand, whilo bluo hair is also in. very small compass. The fact is that if a buyer is in search of an>v special class he has to take the next best, for there is nothing really good on tho market.

TUB TUHICKY NEW CLIP. Naturally growers as well as merchants will bo looking forward to th« approaching new clip, aim possibly anticipating the future. The writer receives a weekly loiter from on important moliair anthn:--ity ill Constantinople, rnd tip to this week all reports concerning tin,' approaching Turkey new clip liavo been favourable. Three days ago I liad a letter an-nouncin-j that snow has fallen throughout Asia Minor, and that it had turned very cold, but until more particulars were available from up country, it iv"a> nut wNe to -ay whether I In; growing dip' had received a check. It' extremely cold wmliicr obtains iu ilarcli, it rniy easily

1)0 ft serious thing 1 for the kidding season, and if goals have to ho housed it may goft w&uit ill a lot of discoloured hair. ►Still, owners of .libera goats liave their eyea npuu these paints, and 110 doubt will use cvc-ry means possible to avoid the coming' clip being spoilt or even losing any jvuls. I thin;?, therefore, it can bo taken granted that the outlook for the Turkey new clip is on the whole favourable, lhere is certain to bo a big rush for it by native dealers as well <is others, and what Bradford buyers and users are now tearing most is that the thing may bo overdone. Ail the same, the trade is really desirous of seeing « good clip both iroin the Cape and Turkey, ami while there is no bi« demand at the moment for special qualities sfill prcs-pocts point to all clashes being u>.ti,uide and {-alcalde. It J >3 a thousand pities that fashion to-day J* not favouring fine mohair dross goods, but the outlook is on the whole good for a lurge consumption of medium and strong firsts and Turkey hair of the same quality. ]f Ast-radians and the like become fashionable, a big weight of average hair will bs wanted, and in (lie nrranthe trade at this end is disposed to et things sober down until the arrivnUof liie new clip. There has been less doing tins last week, but all the same prices aro very firm, and tho outlook continues satisfactory.