FREE WOOL TO AMERICA.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1870, 2 October 1913, Page 10

FREE WOOL TO AMERICA.

DOMINION EXPORTER'S VIEWS. 'Among thoso wlio returned from 'America by the Niagara last week was Mr; G. P.-H:' Davidson, of tho'firm of Messrs. Davidson and Co., wool buyers and exporters, of Johnston Street. Mr. Davidson went to tho United States and Canada on a pleasure trip, but being a wool man lie naturally found much to interest hinv in hi;/own line of "business, particularly, during his visit to Boston (Mass.), Which is the Bradford of, tho United States. Though Boston itself iloes not show so marij factory chimneys, it is, says.Mr. Davidson, tho important ■ centre of a State which has within its boundaries many large manufacturing towns making up yarns, cottons, and fabrics. Twenty miles out of Boston there is a vast manufactory which makes materials from wool, cotton, and silk', practically under the one roof, and employs 6000 hands. It is not unusual to combine two or more raw materials in 0110 manufactory, in Americ;/, as there they are- extremol.v ingenious in blending cotton arid wool so as to present an all-wool appearance, and to assimulato cotton and silk ,so as to v give the fabric a silken finish. As an illustration., Miv Davidson stated that one very popular lino : which camo under his notico was a neglige shirt for men. In tho summer timo the Amerir cans usually .dispenso'witlj a vest altogether, which makes the shirt a more prcininent article of a man's, attire. Tho shirt in question wrts a cotton one as far as most of it was concerned, with a silk (or at least a silken-fated) front. A' man with an all-cotton slyrt would "cut no ice"'at all, but ho of the silk front would have tho correct negligo appearance. These little fancies liavo to be fostered in the textile factories, and ithoy'do it undor tho one roof.

.Wool arid the Tariff. , "The big question amongst the wool people in Boston," Syaid Mr. Davidson, .•"is tho vital one as to how the trade will bo affected by 1)10. admission of wool'free - of' duty.' No 0110 can say what 'developments will follow such a radical change' in policy, and there is a good deal of speculating on the issue amongst those concerned 'in the trade ' throughout the country. The present duty on foreign wool (.the raw product) is ton cents a pound, and somothing like SO per cent. on. Bradford tops. From what I was able to gather," said Mr. Davidson, "I got the impression that the maimer Ju'which foreign wools will be affected will depend to a very great extent on how Bradford tops are treated wider the new tariff. At present tho tops (first stage in ■the manufacture of wool) from Bradford, are heavily taxed, and (relatively. tlid quantity imported into to iblend with their domestic itvool is small, hut with the tariff reduced the position will becoino rathor ■different, as it is necessary to liavo a .certain quantity of foreign-grown * sliafty' T " .wools" to toiie up their own, mid Bradiford. can turn out tops _at a good deal less cost than the factories of Massachusetts. . So that if all .foreign wool is admitted free (as from December 1 as proposed) and Bradford tops «ro. admitted under a 5 per cent., or say under 7 i per cent, duty, my impression is that American manufacturer l ; ■ would import the tons in preference to 1 buying tho raw.material, and making . t'he tops themselves.:

Effect of Free Wool. ••• ' " Mind you, these are. only iriy personal impressions, "but ;I don't think I am very-far out," continued , Mr. Davidson. "At present most people nrc! of opinion that as soon as the duty is removed there will bo a rush of for-eign-grown wools to the States, but according to my judgment I do not think that the choiigo will alter the avenues of trade'much as far as New Zealand and Australia are concerned. There is bound to bo moro of tho raw. material .bought than hithertp, as the United .States manufacturers havo to liavo a good bit of it to mix with their domestic wool, but I am led to that if there is only a nominal duty on Bradford tops that it will , pay them tetter to buy tlieni in preference to 'buying direst''.-from the-producing coun-;-tries. ■ In any case, I do not anticipate •that there will' be ally: sudden change in the trade—changes ..ihay come, but they will be gradual.". Whilst in Boston, Mr. Davidson was informed that some 8000' bales of tho wool purchased at last season's sales .•was still lying in bond waiting for the tariff revision. It was. a gamble that (lid not come off,' ast tho wool had to bo jiaid for when bought, and is still in store. - .j .. .