YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2141, 6 May 1914, Page 10

YORKSHIRE LETTER.

BUSINESS NOT ALTOGETHER- : SATISFACTORY (From Our Special Corre-spsndcnts.i ' l . _ _ Bradford, March 27.' lit dealing, with Uie wboi situatiou.we are faco.tu I'ac-o to-day with ciwutn- ' stances -which are no.i nltegother-wliat they might be'. Bradt'ord to-day is-feel-ing the. waiit of another inspiration, a'nrl the jiondiilum if iiiivthuig siiows a hn-ckwarcl swing .compared witii. it nioHth ago', it- am- be sitta witii' all trutliiu'iliess that the spurt of February has to a large extent died out, aad Jjradfortl lias'got back'to its cuatomiiry wallowiiig iii tliti Slough'of Dcspgrij. It is, ppi'Imps, too soon . to t'Wget-. tbo spurt 'of JaiHinryanu February,.hut all the samp merinos- to-dsly .luck, -life and activity, and iho puhb of tlie tiiaik-at' is b&atiug distinotlj- slower tlmft riiany would liko tio.'see. In 'qtlier wonls,' th"6 : 'reaction - has come. Yct. iinjinrtcrs- anil topuiiikcrs x'cogniso the' strength of tlic raw material, and although tire.i-V- enstomerij, that ia, spinners and man-vifitttiu-brs, av-u talking iii 'a gkfitny fushion, tbey sfo not disposed to Tower prices in orfer to effect,'sales> ; w'hicn they'.Tfoald have: fa do if they wers determined to do bnsiucss. We have cable reports to-day :i'rem- Brisbane, Hvlicrß' 17,0tK). liales "wero sold on Tuesday, prices being' ferie-rtied at 5 per-cent.-., dearw than at .the February Sale, with keen btiyer. We dij not .wofidcr'at that.- • Bradford seeijis to bo greatly deficient in wool stocks, and there is certainly room for a large aMessioii' of raw' I'l'iftter'ial sitpplies' in. order .to meet the obligatioiis of-the'next-few ao-ii-ths. Still-a, f.pirit of indifference has-, come over the market during the past, fcfr.days, winch.is nitlier disconcerting.*: There'is acoß>titlit waii. among 'spinners' 'that busi* •HCSs is'mniSua-lly slack, while niairufactfircrs are growiingniost- signiiicantly. mills Run With : Olffibjilty,It Ims be.en well said, that pessimism is te-Jlay'tie- ke.vftoio'of tho 'Bradford .market, . and it.. is'-well worth asking tho 'cause.' .Wo. find. the. reason to bo that .manufacturer's have considerable tiiffictslty in riitthjng spindles, and loobjs. ;Tim.fttct. isj' ; arc' finding bils-iiiess very.<lifferent.'fram what 't.H-ey did a" iyeii" ago.. li'dr the past', five years' it has, be'eii_ d'iifiic'iilt for tho ftia■jority to cope witfr .'orders '.'for citHcf yanii or pieces, but since lust Septeri}ber it has ie'q'iiired a eonstaiit big effort to Qbtain. stjHieiciit-to run niadifce'ry even' ordinary, time. : ,fherb. ar'o : niaiiy' firms' to-day. in. the WVat Itiding with staitdii^'loams, i-iiany "spinner's are rim--niwg short. tiffip s and uirea.dy st-anding .& full ■ at Easter, lias been senonslv dißcH'ssed. Eveiv the'- Wef American'dnties'. have i»t itrndi- a groat' cjoal of differeiiee' to West Hiding mills, although some firms have '.'materially Ise'nefitftd. There are oilier itriport'aiit outsido markets_ wl-iK-ii 'arc;. steels; and tlusi'-efore wo'rk is by : no me-a'iis .pleiitifiii. The writer remeifthdrs just nb.a-ui;. tfrclye months, ago going j'lito iho labb' of the Bradford General i'ost'dflcp," ill wbieh i-s hung up 'every week a list .issued by tvlie Labour Buieaiii. giving .vacancies Kir, textile 'and- '.othji;- : emptoyeei, Any firm waiitiftg-haiids applies to this en.ijjloyh'ieht'."itgeney,' arid their,waiiW'are-.itnrwetifei-tely p'ostod. -lii Itai-'oh;-1913', we -ed.u'fited 'no fewer' iliin Ofl raeaii-cies in the' t'ektite: t-f-ade," frtit-to-day there is hardly any on the list. Tiro spurt of last month seems to have made very little difference to the yarn an'd piece end of the trade. It is qaito true that s-e-me very big orders were 'placed p 'in .January and February for yarns, but to a_ large extent tkat buy was a speculative tine. Jf maiiufac-ttire-rs- wosild "particuliifise" spinifers would have a prospect of running'vtlw, next six months at high pressure) but we liavs heard several firms say this last few weeks that unless titers h an alteration a; good many nipro frames wijl be st.and.ing • in a month's itoo. : It simply means that the prescn&t state of quietness is due to a lock of particulars being furnished for the orders- already placed. ■ Merinos Steady* We may say that merino tops re-. main steady, and on the whole firm. Makers; seem to he in tho position tit haviiig'soiflt sufficient tops,; ajjiiil t-l» demand is-gdod enoiig'h ti> enable them- to maintain a' fairly firm front, tuovjuli the extreme prices'quoted three weeks' ago ■ no longer obtain. Everybody seems to have -climbed down front the pinmiclij, ' and aro no lottger quoting what they know-is an mipossibie price.'' Broil in face of tlso vohiiet 1 of Brisbane on Tuesday, it is possiblo to buy. a very dcceiii '64's top at 2s. 5Jd., and if tfni gossip, of some is to be reKctl upon, wo think it possible to buy tiv-ei.) -Jti. cflsifer. Still, regular makers aro by no jnfea-H's dismissed to consider less Values', fftr the ge>> - crtil -impression' prevails' tliftt wool'-is goiiiK to-he hc cheaper. The. m-pst sxp'orienco!'] inoii in' the trade fail to' stio Avhcre further itoiwrtafit supplies : -of , fine wools are eoniwg Irbfii uiitJl'tlip np» pcaraiiea'pf the-new clip front .'Aiis-tritjia. irntd that caiiisot passlbly ecuno to lipviu before next "in face"of t}iis; : topm-a-kers are very rcluctarifc tq.'; take less ■ Money, - but •' they • are' prepared' to meet their regular cs»std,nie'rs' if they are at all reasonable _ in - their bids. . OI coarse - it '"Is possible to pick i-ip - A straight lot ciV tw<i at- the lowest point : nietitioiied, hut gp'ssd st'ahdard 'nvSkes '. that arc reliable in thefr- spin's aro iwt ■to tic ebt-aiiied un-dsi-tbe prices littmed. A good (il's is' still worth .half a'Stown, and u-o fc'ss; The? greatest 'outcry'coiiVes frofij' -snitiiiers; -wfio,' ss already said, fomplain bitterly' that tltev -ca«_ sell "now.t." .There is a feir'-q-naniity of coloute'd yarps. betug ■eonswfitcd, -find, s-.tunis of the k'tost sha-d.es of dress .goods require these in tliei-r prochtcttpii, al- '. dtoiigh solid piecß dyed shades ieeiii to: be prominent am'oiig the'-spriiig times, ' We eatinot hear of any.further'import-. ant order* being' pla-e'ftd sir America*) Bcooulil, and lately less lias been doing ] in that dirfcetion: Orossbreds lrresu\&. It is hardly fair to say t-liat crossWeds' a,ra,-holding their Q*u SvitSi the Bao'io :do.gr.e.o of firmness as is seen in nirriftos; in fact, they' '.aro nr/t< We tiiiwli fchefe.is'' li'ardly a-'sihgte qwa.ltty ff'oni 36's t-,-! -SB's; bvit What is availabie to-day at -Jd. less thnii ten days ago. The'oasis of 13'.'to'Id, per jb. : in N-ryw 2eahiiid' erossbreds of all qtialitie-s' towards the finish m Colpniaii 'Street lias done Bradford no go6<l ( arid tho .njajority of visors are coavtnciifj ( that May will bring cheaper' wool. At least r.rr'r, is the'.'feeliitg' 'to-day",'and';there will have to' bo Another spurt of'buying if the. improssibi.i is to -be erased.' '-rwt tho be'sit' accwiuts "aro' emaniiti-ii". frorii. thw United States, and -some fear that tlwl'rccoftt 'buy ia 'Ltlirtfcu n'Ss to'n'liirgo" {•Stent a smculatlre oi'ls. There' never' any need to force things to the Btuwst, .as/ivas done dufiiig' the .fir-st: seyeii or eight days of ;t'lto JeKos 'by American btiyers,' and "it k little- itso ignoring, the fact-'that''wool was d),s : - tfiietiy "eliesper.'diii-'-ihg ti.ie latter hiilf of. the'series. It- Viiiks ni- if tlwre tvjll' be a big Avc-ight. of 'wool at'aila'ble iii May friwn Kew-Zealand, st-ftd probabily ; tt-oso conttolliiig thu'offerings'will: have ; I'M son tii eaffy 'iofwnrc!' -v fairly sjobtl slice,: We do not l.liink'thcrri wiH'bo liny serious, 'setback in valiics, smite tiiikmg about 5 per- cent., kit it "is titirdlv'lilwlg, in tee of a'gtwid IfJD.OfiO briins"of ctossbfeds- being avaikiblo, that -sales' 1 closing prices' will be rciilised. Of co-iirse, nmtfh «yin .happerr bb.fti're .April 27, but we think, in face of the troiwendous conipetitioh offering in pjpeegoods'for the s.pring season of 1915, American mills will have great, noeti to ■ b'.iy'jijdifwiiiily, and obtain.'-.yaw mn.fefia'l ai'as low's price as .'p'risiible. TJi-S.i? tMre is the' apiiioaeliing.'lfjjS'-.Piitlisir clip,- altcl with' tire ta-l'iffi,MD. ioiis.er'ijpTiiig tlito the "pull" over English pifecs

goods," even ite'mestic Wools' can sag and < the raw matcruil bo bought to 'hotter | adyantnge than it was a yeftr ag'u. The | past season has' b(M>« « piofitWs-s oiW- j tobnuycisof Bngliih .wools, and from I wimt we know wo. slioiVikl i-iot he s-nr- I prised ii a big effort is niado to secure I the coming clip oil more profitable lines. 1 Woellon .Traiia EondHtens. ; j We cannot find a' very great deal new I to report iu regard to the pi-eco trade, i eitiieroh Home--or. esport accounts Wo j find as mvich aetiv-i'ty. obtaiiiing' among [ the low ■ tweed", liialicfs .of Powsbury [ and tire Coldd .Valley- (Hiiddersfield) as 1 n-iiywhero, and some important orders | have- l>eisn. recently' placed.ob ..United States account. Prices' vary'iinywhero from Is.'Sd. to-2.5.'.9d. i'br i55-inch fabrie v Si weighing from 18 t-o'.22<>;;. cheap woollens are a!'i fwtiio nest foil iradei aiid active preparations aro boiiig made-for tlieiiext .sWwiwg for Ike spring of IMo. . Striped effects jn .riith'ei' qtiiflt shades, contiiiiie' to prevail. There are at thei -moment some fair •lilies of' taoWn a-'itcl ciidcolsto shades be- : ■ing; madfe, greys are' by ho mean's' abscriit;. English" tailors . and 'dfeft'iers--3ro-ntwv showing vhejr ■ Hew : 'spring', linesi ati'd-..there is': as Wg a variety to' ohoase from as ever. Fancy effects iii -blue.serges arte-by no menus waiit'tttgi.-and some .very hico things itideed are being.shov^i-'tanging fmiji 4s. to Gs. . per'lynrd wl'iolesalei, Airiong dress goods, fashions are. favouring very high. broWHS,,. as, well'-: as- .tango a.ijd ; 'brick shade's,-'ahd'-!wriie'JiiSc*'riW'flr grey 'shades/are .also ocftupyii-ig n..; leading, 'position. For Aincrica, v a- quantity : ;-ol ? .'; alpaca liriiiigs are stiM. being made, 'and'mohairs aro'hy'no'meiii-is absent.. ' .Still ;tliorci:is 'not-the ni'n-Wiit ipf lustrß :.' fabrics being shipped- ith'at' otie would' ■ like to 'sec.'- 'The- retail market -teovrelv 'oUt_giy<>s',oyidence -df.'considerable life . ttiid a'ctivitty, but.all the same, among . .whole-sate" ship'pi.iig".hawses' there is . qui.et-».es'S..' We. "have 'Jiardly' known a . tii-itc'.wso.n.,.dtes's geods 'ma-nu-faeturers havo tompiained .so pftrsisiently,- and . even'worsted coating'. manufacturers are ' Wno nieaiis. busy*.* The'-eterlast-ing hliie- : series..' figuro proniiiient'ly, "and all .things! efJnsirlered- we find-that this hh.rie.'is as\f.a.shio-aa,bie and as.popular as es ;er. ~ . .'."" -'-, ' ' -