YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1891, 28 October 1913, Page 3

YORKSHIRE LETTER.

WHAT ARE TOPS? (Prom Our Special Correspondents.) Bradford, September 19. Tli© announcement that a oompromiso has been effected the desires of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and that tlio duty on imported tops undor tho new tariff "will b©,lo por cent., directs attention to the question forming tho titlo of this article. Regular Teaders of wool literature at times cannot but have been struck with tho frequent use of the term "tops,", and - they must have asked the question equally as frequently, "What are they? The answer can bo given in one sentence. Tops aro wool that has been put through practically the first procoss of. manufacture, that is, combing, all combed wool being called in the trade by the term '/tops." This subject is a inoafc interesting one, especially t-o the growers of the raw material, and the frequent letters the writer has received from both Australasian and South African sheep-men clearly show that they have a very faint idea of > what tops are. "We will briefly explain the term. The Wool Trade Sectionallsed. Wo have no space to go back into the early days of the wool trade.. In tho "pood l old days" that some men tako delight in speaking about there wero no combing machines, the wool being combed by hand by long combs in the houses' of tho people: there being .still cue or two old men living in Bradford who worked hand-combs. This old process well deserves a chapter to itself, but for Hie past 30 to 40 years woolcombing has been alipost entirely done b.v machinery, and to-day that branch of textile manufacture lias certainly almost reached _perfcction ; No doubt the word combing was in . tho first instance denved from women combing their hair with bono combs, the idea being to straighten out the hairs of the head, to make them look presentable Wo all know that if tho hair on a petson's head is left to itself, it very soon becomes matted and unworkable, hence combing is resorted to, by the gentler sex in particular, in order to dross their hair in an attractive, stylish, and presentable way. The same principle applies to wool. When it comes from tho sheep's back, 1 and has been passed through the scouring operation, the wool emerges from the end of the machine iu a mass, and there is a conglomeration of fibres, tho staples all being more or less mixed together. Before wool can be used in tho production of worsted am, every fibre must be straightened, and that is done in the combing operation. It is not the writer's mission today to explain how this.is done, the process being intricate, but that it is well done is shown by tho splendid results one gets in the combed top, when all the fibres of the staple are laid parallel, and all the extraneous matter in the shape of short fibre which is called "noil," along with sheed, shiv, and burr, are entirely removed. We have already mentioned tho fact that tho wool trade is sectionalised, i.e., it is split up into several departments, each of which is specialised. The question has often been asked, Why do not manufacturers purchase tho raw inateriaP and turn out same in tho finished article, ready for the wearer's back? This is dono in hundreds of casts particularly in tho manufacture of woollen cloths, but in the production of worsted fabrics, N tho business is to a large extent departmental, there being largo contingents of topmakers, spinners, and manufacturers. We do not know that tho trade loses a great deal by adopting these principles of business, for often a manufacturer can buy yarns to better advantago than he caii spin -them, while a spinner undoubtedly can obtain tops from those who aro essentially top-makers often cheaper than he could make them himself. This is entirely duo to each section of the trade having specialised in its own department, and so far as the West Riding is concerned, the custom has grown wliero tliero are a big number or firms carrying on the business. Ono has only to think of the great number of qualities which somo firms of topmakers produce to see how impossible it is for one 6pinner to make such a variety as he regularly uses. There are several firms in' Bradford who are making as many as twenty different qualities and grades of tops, and it is this specialisation which has been of such material good to the entire wool trade. Of course,' if a spinner largely uses, say, one or two qualities of either merino crossbred tops, he very frequently buys that class of wool, and has it combed on commission, but as a rule topmakers are the largest purchasers of the raw material, every bale being taken and sorted and every fleece made the most of. This is really tho sccret of successful topmaking. Almost every week we find Bradford topmakers offering to sell tops at what seems to bo almost an impossible price, in view of what wool is costing, but somehow they manage to do this and live. Take an example. To-day wo could easily buy an average 64's top for spot delivery at 2s. 4?d., tho best 64's being quoted at no more than 2s. 6d. Yet wo venture to say that out of straight fleece wool that will be bought • next week at the London sales, a man should have at least 2s. 5Jd. to get back his own. The 1 question arises, How is it done!-' Simply by topmakers sorting every fleece that a bale contains and making the very utmost out of it. To all appearance the bulk of the bajo may bo of 64's quality, but out of it may , enme 10 per cent, of 70's, say just the shoulder wool off each fleece. That small proportion is taken and blended with other 70's wool, while if there is 5 per cent, or even more of super 40's quality in the same bale, that is taker out and put into a blond of the same quality. After many years experienci and observation, we have come to the conclusion that the essence of topmaking is- using to the utmost capacity every pound of wool that a bale 1 con tains. Blending. It is a well-known fact that a goo< deal of blending is to-day being dono ii the production of tops. By the wore blending, wo simply mean that a fai: proportion of different wool is taken but of the saino quality, the whoh being put togethor in a pile which ii mixed and then combed. For instance a topmaker puts into.one pile or blend: together a portion of South Australia] merino,' Monto Video and probabl; Mazament skin wool of tho sami ! quality. That constitutes a blend, an< when the lot has been scoured an< I combed, it has to bo a vory export ey< to detect the constituent parts of thi I top. As a matter of fact, blendin; has to-day becomo quite a fine art, an< it has brought into existence top: which are guaranteed to be made fron puro greasy wool. Tho exigencies o the trado have brought this about, anc no doubt real advantago has accruec from it. It is well known that blend cd tops can be bought often Jd- clieape than tops guaranteed to be made ou of pure greasy fleece, but in real spin ning value and the results in the piece wo should say that tho latter is stil tho cheaper article. However, th< top trado is to-day a hugo ono, am the gratitude of growers throughou Itho world should io forthcoming, be cause topmakers aro a long way tin largest buyers of their clips. Ii combing wool, tho final process con sists of forming a long sliver into balls tho overage weight of a merino ball o I top being seven pounds. It is thi Ion" combed silver which constitute what is technically, known in th trade as the top, the next processe being those of drawing arid spinning.

Adelaide's First Sale. Hie news to hand of the first sale at the South Australian capital has como as a welcome relief to the doleful tales which have emanated, irom Bradford for'the past two months, and for once it is plain to be seen that there is a healthy demand for merino wool. The initial sale lias gone very much as we expected, and it is patent . that South Australian' growers na'/e been well off of tho competition or . French buyers. Wo know tor a tact that the bulk of Bradford limits were at 2s. 4d. to 2s. 4}d. for 64 s tops, and it was evidently expected that tho 1 wool would como at tho price. Hut no such thing has happened, all cables stating that decent 64's will cost «. od. The market is all tlio better for this sale, and- it cannot but have a very beneficial effect upon the >»est l?,iding, wliero undoubtedly the whole market needs an impetus such as Col<>- : nial sales can givo. We have seen m days gono by when Australian selling ! centres have been a real stimulus to consuming centres, and we should not ! lie surprised if tho same thjng occuts . again. The verdict from both. Adelaide and Brisbane canot but brnjg to | n finish the cheap selling which has i been indulged in, and seemingly S ol } l ® ; Bradford importers did net learn } . past experience, bitter and as it oftentimes has been. The cabled by Messrs. Elder, Smith and Co., Ltd., have been eagerly conned in consuming centres, and to ® « ■ big weights sold at such good figures > shows the inherent strength of tm. > situation. The samples ye > which have come to hand indicate clear I It that the South Australian clip tins > season is going to be e - ■ I though it is heavier m condition than I a year ago. Still, the wool is nght for ■ manufacturers, and that is the t important thing of all. s Bradford Influenced by Australian i . Sales. Interest to-day has largely centred around the news from Australia, the results of the Brisbane and Adelaide sales coming as a surprise to the'majority. , Tho market cannot be described as.active ; in fact, it is still difficult to effect J profitable sales, but topmakers see the , futility of' continuing to sell at low figures with overseas' markets being dis--3 tinctly against them. The result is that 3 prices to-day are firmer without being j quotably dearer. Those who have been selling on forward • account at) Id. less . aro no longer disposed to fix up coni tracts, and all find topmakers have atnferiod their backs. There is really not , much change in spot business, but the low prices recently 'taken are to a large extent a thing of tliei past, and i although it is still possible to purchase 1 here and there average G4's under 5d., still that quotation is a finn price ' for a decent article. The tenpcncy is towards more activity, both in merinos and crossbreds. Tho tone of the latter i is better, topmakers are somewhat ' firmer; but it is difficult, to make more i money; Spinners say that they have still no difficulty in buying decent 40 s ' prepared tops at 15Jd.; 46' a cat'ded at I 16Jd. to 16Jd.j 50's average'at 19} d., j and 56's at 22d. Business is not by any means good, though many are undei f the impression that a good deal is being held back in the hope of seeing lower. ' prices, but theso do not look probable. " There is little more .doing in English ' wools, and although the market is not ' activo, there is a tendency towardsi de--0 velopmonts. Tho difficulty is to .adjust 0 the prices to what fleeces cost in tho 1 first instance: Thero is also a little l more doing in skin wools, although no j more money can be made. Taking the market as a wholo' it shows a slight iui--1 provement, the dcarness of wool in overl seas' markets being the chief factor in ' emphasising tlio position of the raw j material. '