OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2404, 9 March 1915, Page 7

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

STAINED WOOLS AND THEIR USES (From Our Special, Correspondent.) Bradford, January 15. Things are moving fairly briskly in tho Wool world, and wo have to record an-' other good week's business. The fact is that so long as machinery can bo kept rig big weights of raw material will consumed, the placing of further important Government orders having thrown more work upon manufacturers, if that can possibly be. In other words, users are now able to look into tho future or the next four or five months satisfied as to heing able to run their mills, and that undoubtedly has lifted from their minds a fair amount of anxiety. Sejdom'have 6pinnera and manufacturers known a period when they have been so comfortably situated regarding tho running of spindles and looms as they atb and the question of supplies is the uppermost in their minds, for their whole output is assured acceptance. The war is being waged ivith as much vigour as ever, and troops on the field a 6 well as those in training all have to be clothed with khaki, _ which means a continued big consumption. There is practically no new feature anywhere, as all alike are waiting patiently the advent of the forthcoming London 6ales. They will very shortly commence, and in the meantime users are looking on interestedly, to a large extent wondering what the future will bring forth. The fact of there being available 166,000 bales has. surprised a few and there is every evidence of the trade having a sufficient weight of raiy material to go at which will satisfy all present needs. The selection also is anticipated to be a very good one both in merinos and crossbreds,. and no doubt the latter will meet with a very hearty reception, as the wools are urgently wanted by all the various sections of the Home trade.

Worsted Khaki for the Troops. The outstanding feature of the wool business this week is the placing of orders for one million yards of Idiaki fail worsted serge) by .the War Office, and the cloth has to be made 240z. weight, 56 inches wide. • This we consider is to be a very significant move, and is greatly < in favour of colonial vcool-growers. It might be worth while in passing to say Si a new " departure with the War Office, at leaist 60 far as the regular troops are concerned, although we have no direct information authorising Us t to say that the fabric in qu&stion is going to. be used for the regular army. If we reckon a good three and a half yards as being required for making ■ a mans suit, it only means providing for 235,000 soldiers, and this will. certainly be wanted, for clothing the better-class - But the point is, will this really benefit merino wools? That question can only be answered by stating "that this million yards of solid worsted serge ■is made entirely from 56's quality wools, and therefore Trill not be of material help. Whether spinners will use a porll ? top in this blend will only be known to themselves, but we venture to say that not a few will run Up a sliver of good 60's top in thedrawInF' merinos are to-day cheaper than 56 s.

Such a small proportion of merino wool will not make much difference to the fabric, although it will give a little softer handle and also fill up the bottom of the cloth and make it all the- better for wear and retaining warmth. . The acceptance of all 6olid worsted serge is certain- • a in the right direotion, and iv . been induced because it will all go into uniforms to be worn, during the forthcoming summer. The writer has been privileged- to see a sample of tne cloth, and it is oertainly a very goodfULii e J standpoint. It is very Well built, hardly so 1 coarse in appearand as the ordinary khaki eerge, and will therefore serve an exceedingly good purpose. The idea has been suggested that the Government ought to accept all merino serge khaki, particularly for nest summer, when soldiers tlo not reauiro such heavy-fabrics.. The War Office has not hitherto looked very favourably upon merino, serges, and while they undoubtedly are all right for, ordinary civilian use, soldiers on aotive service require something wjiich will stand a-good, deal ofknocking-. about, and certainly a crossbred serge will' do that better than one maue Irom pure merino wool.-

Cheap Carbonising Wools. Nothing seemed to us to be so cheap last series in London as carbonising wools, some exoedingly cheap lines of discoloured scoured pieces, bellies,. and locks being sold. We fully expeot to see a rerpesentative of these at the forthcoming auctions. It is many years since greasy locks were selling at 3d. to 4d. a lb., and before tho war broke out such wools often made 7d. to Bd. This class of staple mil be a drug on tthe market,- because of the inability of Yorkshire carbonisers to deal effectively with the big. lines which aTe available. There is not- a carbonising firm in the West Hiding .which- is not. filled to the.very mill gates with colonial wool, all waiting to be extracted, most of the firms stating that ithey can work both day and night for the next twelva months.' This is no wonder when all the huge 'carbonising mills at Verviers ere ait a- complete'standstill, and will be until the German troops are driven out of' the town. At the forthcoming auctions further large quantities of ithis class of staple will bs catalogued, anil ive shall be surprised if further cheap lots are not picked up; m fact, they are bound to lie, for the owners of (this staple aTe to wait many weeks beforo they, can get their turn. This wool cannot be used until all the seeds and burrs have been eaten out with sulphuric acid, and therefor there are some very cheap lines of carbonised pieces available from 17Jd. upwards. This was not the price of many scoured pieces in London before the war began; and now to b» able to buy these wools clean ready for use at the machine at the figure named, looks like 1908 prices back again.

What They are Used For. The uses of pieces, bellies, and' locks form an interesting subject. As stated, these wools oannot be used for any purpose until the seed, shiv and burr have been entirely removed, and the wool made clean. When carbonising has been thoroughly done, the wool is suitable for many purposes, but being stained or discoloured, cannot be used for anything except dyed materials. Some; topmakers produce what is known in the trade as a discoloured top, this often being a brownish shade. Of course, the wool is sorted into qualities, and the most made out of them, and a titer being combed are dyed into blacks, browns, fawns, and drabs, or any other shade which it is capable of taking. Often these wools are a little tender in staple, and noil a little heavily' when recombed, but for spinning into coloured worsted yarns, and especially hosiery yarnß, do admirably, but these wools find an even greater use in the woollen trade, and it is here where they are most largely utilised. The reader knows that pieces, bellies, and locks are usually very short in staple, and the carbonising does not improve the strength, but tlie reverse. When the. wool has beeu eo treated, it is usually taken and dyed, and used by the woollen manufacturers in the production of an endless variety of fabrics. It can be made into shirtings and ordinary woollen yarns, varying in counts from thick' weft down to reasonably small yarns for twisting purposes, and with eo much wool to-day being dyed for the fancy coalting and trousering trade, these faulty wools serve a splendid purpose. We have seen them dyed in an endless variety of shades, and they are oertainly more suitable for the woollen than -tlie worsted industry. All tho str-lned crossbred pieces and bellies have oome in veTy. useful during the past four months, being dyed.into khaki shades for weft purposes, and.when used in conjunction with greasy lambs _ are tho very thing wanted for producing tho khaki woollen weft yarns so largely consumed today. A Better Market. The position of the trade eiliows some improvement, and a fairly active business has been' done. In fact, since the yoar opened, somo big weights have been sold of both merino and crossbred tops,' and also a big volume of yarn business has beeu effected. No one need bo surprised at this. One has only to vemeni; ber that. the. placing of important khalc: orders such as we have already alluded to foroed the manufacturers and spinners to cover in yarns and tops, the cmsequence being that raerinofl are'if any•thinfr slightly firmer than they ware, and c?rtainly topmaksi's ars not keen to