YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2322, 2 December 1914, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

AFTERMATH OF THE LONDON SALES (From Our Own Correspondents.) Bradford, October 16. After the heat and flurry of a week in Coleman .Street interest has once more been shifted from distribuiting to consuming centres, and to all appearance thero.is as lively a proceeding in tho latter as thero was bcfoi-o .the. recent sales began. But let us first of all look at Coleuian'Street again., The auctions Served an exceedingly good purpose by showing' the actual standing of the raw material. They luive also created a basis for operations in Australia and South Africa. Of course very unique factors were at work in 'Coleman Street a week ago. Although Ithere was a complete absence of all German and Belgian buying,. tho Continent is credited with having pur-' chased about .2000 bales, and we should say' that'the bulk of the wools have gone to new countries or at least new customers. It transpired that Italy, Den. mark, Holland, and also Sweden were represented'very considerably, which means that merinos have been bought for those markets. Whether wool will be allowed to be shipped will be a question to be decided by the Custom Houso officials along with the board which is going to be ,eattablished. No doubt every consideration will be given to the export of merinos providing a' guarantee 16 given that the wools are not to be used for the produ* tion of fabrics lor the enemy. The experience of the past three weeks has shown something of the ingenuity of tho German merchant who is hard up for wool stock, and when a certain section ot the commercial community in Sweden, about which nothing is known, is seeking wool in Bradford, it does indeed give rise to feelings of suspicion.

Merinos Gained Ground.. The wooL sales had not finished when the last mail left. It is (therefore in order to say that the lost'two days saw the same strong buying spirit as prevailed during the first three days of the auctions, and we are certain that the bulk of tho merinos .especially wool showing decent style and of .good combing length, appreciated 5 per cent, compared with the opening rates. Although Bradford was practically the only buyer, it was evident that urgen' .vrante. had to hi covered, due to - many' topmakers beina completely sold out." It is certain that, outside woollen manufacturers did not not ,mak« Ithe pace- for the sale of merinos, this being done by fine topmakers and spinners from Bradford and district, who, we are glad to say, are exceedingly, busy, and want a- large supply'of wool. It - is really wonderful how the merino trade has come forward during the. .past month,'in' fact, the .whole of the textile industry of Great Britain seems to have turned'over a new leaf. The first shock of ,the war has completely passed,-, and when men regained confidence and- the Government began to place huge orders for khaki cloths, and also hosiery, fabrics, even-Leicester hosiery manufacturers had to come .to Bradford for'cap spun.'.yarns in-order to carry out the orders which they had taken. -The experience of the past month has. proved conclusively that when' Continental mule spun yarns' are- no longer available, • cap spun, yams will do as well; ■ No, doubt the ffibrics 'are hardly 'as. full handling as if"they had-.been made from raulo.spun yams,-but so far as wearing capacity is concerned, those made from cap spun yarns ,will be better, a better, class of combing wool-being used by Bradford than Belgium. The end approached with merinos selling at the maximum,' and ceitainly having recovered an all-round id. for good'combing. Some of the raulty scoureds made often td.more than on the opening day, it being the well-known Adelaide scoured GU/U did s -better:. the day ■ before., the auctions closed than .when they were offered on the first day.. .'.--,.- Crossbreds Triumphant. Eight-to the-finish .of-the recent auctdbns crosstaads v simply - bounded ■-, up. There was never ! a slack night;,in. tact, all descriptions.of crossbreds were called for in ia .wondtaful, maimer. Where prices'would have gone if the Continent and America had been allowed to .have their fill it is not difficult to say; tho embargo putttng out of gear America m particular. The few buyers present,from that quarter felt somewhat perturbed, and well they might. American manufacturers have- undoubtedly .been- given European orders both for khaki, blankets, etc., and they stand in need of .big supplies.of crossbred wool, but neither New Zealand crossbred nor English wools being.available, they will have to get their'supplies solely from Biienos Ayres, and no doubt they will bo large buyers in that market directly' the new. clipwools are available. Crossbreds made a substantial advance, tho result being that Bradford buyers went home satisfied at covering some needs, although not liking the prices which they had had to pay. Of course they were-entirely the creatures of circumstance, and the 25,000 bales of New. Zealand .wools catalogued were absorbed like a hungry dog devours a bone. Scoured crossbreds also went like" hot cakes, but of course there were few available, much to the chagrin of South of Scotland buyers,-who were wanting some good .weight. Slipes of course were tho "lion" of the series, the- advance: here being tremendous. Wools were sold which made nearer 10 per cent, than 20 per cent, advance, .in fact, tho position lof .. these wools -presents to-day quite a spectacular appearance, and their standing will form an undoubted record.- We give below' our usual table showing (he alterations which have taken place in the movement of prices compared with the close of the previous series:—

...''•'' '..Australian Wools, Merinos in grease, superior, Id., per lb. cheaper; merinos in grease, average to good,, id. to lid- per lb. cheaper; merinos in grease, inferior and wasty, lj-d. per lb. cheaper; merinos, scoured, eupe--rior, ljd. per lb. cheaper; merinos, average to"good,,ljd. per lb. cheaper; merinos, inferior, 2d. per lb. cheaper; lambs, superior, in grease, Id. per lb. cheaper; lambs in grease, average to good, ljd. per lb." cheaper; lambs in grease, average to inferior, ljd. per lb. cheaper; crossbred in grease, -.fine, Id.- per lb. dearer; crossbred in grease, medium,' ljd. per .lb. dearer; crossbred, in, grease, coarse,., 1-Jd.-, per,- lb', dearer;: crossbred, scoured, fine,; 2d. to 2|d., per lb. dearer; crossbred, scoured,- medium, 2d. to 3d. per lb. dearer; crossbred, sooured, coarso, 2d. to 3d.'per'lb. dearer.

New Zealand Wools. Merinos 111 grease, good to superior, Id. to ljd., per lb. cheaper; merino in .grease, inferior to average,' lid. ,to 2d. per lb. cheaper; merino scoured, good ito -superior, 2d. per lb. cheaper; merino scoured, faulty and inferior, ljd. to.ld. per lb. cheaper; crossbred in grease, fine, light, Id. per lb. dearer; crossbred in grease, medium; lJd. per lb. dearer; crossbred in grease, coarse, ljd. per lb. dearer; crossbred in grease, fine, average to heavy conditioned, Jd. to Id. per , lb. dearer; crossbred in grease, medium,. Id. to ljd. per lb., dearer; crossbred in.grease, coarse, Id. to lid. per lb. cheaper; crossbred.in giease, average to'good, 2d. to'2Jd.'-per lb. dearer; crossbred scoured,- fine, Id. per lb. dearer; crossbred- scoured, medium, 2d. to 3d. per lb. dearer; crossbred scoured, coarse, 2d. to 3d. per lb. dearer; crossbred slipes, fine, 3d. to id. per lb. dearer; crossbred slipes, medium,' 3d. to id. per lb. dearer; ciossbred slipes, coarse, 3d. to id. per lb. dearer.

South African Wools. Snow white,' superior, 2d. to 2sd. por lb. oheaper; snow white, medium to good, 2d. to 2id. per lb. 'cheaper; snow white,, in ferior, 2}d. per lb.' cheaper; greasy combing, lißht, Id.. to ■ lid. per lb. cheaper; greasy combing, heavy, Id. to lid. per lb. obeaper; greasy clothing, light, Id. per lb. chcapor; 'greasy clothing,-heavy, Id. to lid. per lb. cheaper,- .

The.Outlook. The future is being watched with" a good deal o'f concern. The Importers' Committee have wisely decided to hold another short series of sales beginning on November 3, followed by another series on December 8. We entirely endorse their action. Wo believe their policy to be to keep arrivals moving to tho ultimate, con. sumer, and we regard tho future in a very hopeful spirit. Of course merinos must come down to a lower level when a big weight of wool is available, but for all that wo are not looking foi any aenous slump in values, for to all appearance Uiiglish and Amorican mills bid fair to continue to bo busy, in which case a big , supply of murine and crossbred wool will Lhs jvafted, .