OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2467, 21 May 1915, Page 8

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

SERIES CLOSE CREDITABLY

(From Our Special Correspondent.) London, April 2, 1915. Two days ago tho third scries of colonial sales came to a finish, having <iuiie unexpectedly lasted tlio whole ot tno scheduled time. During the last threo days the offerings have been considerable, the closing day seoing ofi e red one of the largest weights of wool ever put up on a single day in Coleman Street, tile total aggregating about 10,0®) bales. It has been impossible to get a fair proportion of this woo) earlier ill the series, and a big ell'ort seems to have been made during the past few days to clcar the ships. Both importers and selling brokers realise.the importance of getting the wool into the hands of users if at all possible, for there will be over 200,000 bales available for the next series, which begin on April 20, a pi-oof that big weights of wool are coining to Coleman Street for sale, and which certainly aro engaging the attention of tho whole tracio. When one thinks of what has been done, and realises the big task which is confronting tho trade in lifting all the wool available,- nothing but good can be said of the final results, and it is amazing to seo series after series come and £o without wool suffering at all seriously m values. Somebody remarked the other day that good combing merino wools are as dear to-day as they were before tho outbreak of the war, and that is quite correct. Good average merinos are today soiling anywhere from 13d. to 15d., a price which cannot but be pleasing to all Australian pastoralists, while the very mention of crossbreds means tho stating of figures which must make thg mouth of every merino pastoralisfc water. Since we last wrote Is. 7ld. has been paid for greasy New Zealand fine crossbreds of about 50's quality, a price which is

indeed martellouv Merinos Still Called For. The last few days of the series have Been some good average merino wool ottered, all of which has been called for m a very commendable way. The bulk of the offerings have comprised Ivew aoutn Wales and Queensland wools, while some useful wools from Yvesfc Australia have also beej* submitted. Sonio exc©ll6nt figures are being paid for tho woole from the latter State, and certainly \\ est Australia is turning out some excellent ifj\ es of really acceptable combing lines. Ihe Home trade has never been beaten in buyin" these, and turning them to very good, account. Often they are unsightly, being very red «ind - heavy in condition,_ but the fact is well-known that tliey Rive a better 'clean yield than an inexperienced buyer would think, and as they spin very well they always prove acceptable to Bradford topmakers. Nothing need bo said about the manufacturing properties of tho wool from New South Wales or Queensland. They spin well, and lor varus for coating purposes they do admirably. Several buyers, particularly Bradford topmakers, have missed this series the iihafty Adelaide wools. Ihe absence of these has compelled them to give more attention, to Kiverina. wools, catalogued as from Port Phillip, some very good prices indeed having been paid. The market has not varied a great deal during the last three days. J/he attendance has been on the whole lairiy good, and certainly, good sliafty merinos are selling at. about- the close of last series, but medium and faulty wools have continued to show a decline of 6.t0 <4 per cent., the more faulty wools showwj, a more marked'fall. Still, scoureds are selling at about 2s. and if American buyers aro on. a-lot, we seo 2s. 3d. to 2s. 4d. being paid, /he absence uf American buying this series has been very disappointing, and although as we write tliis their purchases are not knoirci, in the aggregate they cannot amount to more than 4000 to 5000 bales and somo think not even that. Even if the total is 5000 bales, it will be a very small proportion indeed of the wools which have , been catalogued, the last resume list published giving a J. ®£P r S S ! m wl. Df wools offered of 132,000 bales, will m'-an a carry-over of 10,000 to 15,000 bales, -'This is quite sufficient to carry forward to the next series, but is entire)v due to the inability of the dock authorities to get hold of tho wools in suftcipnt time to catalogue. when all is Raid and done,' an offering of 130,000 bales is by no means to be despised. M e call to-day merinos occupying a very commendable position, the series finishing with piicea on th« whole firm for good wools, all faulty descriptions hawng lost tho ground already mentioned. Big Prices for Crossbreds. The sale of crossbred wools has continued on the same high level as seen a week ago, and the fact ot Is. (-A.being paid for greasy fleeces and 2». -d. toi sliped hall'bred lambs indicates cleaily enough the high standing of values. Of course, the trade must have them, and competition here is seen at the best. ijome have expressed the view that the New Zealand clip season is not so good as last, but the writer of the opinion that the wool on tho whole is verv well grown, and is not a great deal different to what it was last season. The drought during the time the bulk of the wools were grown has meant on the whole a li°-ht clip, and perhaps theje is not the length-of staple seen a year ago, but certainly the New Zealand clip this seaeon is finer than wo have seen for many vears, doie probably to pastoralists fa*ouring the Eomney instead of the Lincoln and Leicester for breeding purposes. Ihero has been some grumbling at the paucity of supplies of coarse crossbreds, but a dry season means finer fleeccs than ulien sheep are on fat pastures and growing heavy fleeces of wool. During, tho past few days'some very good clips nave, been submitted. As already indicatedlautain made Is; 7Jd. for several lots, the wool being from 46's to 50's a good proportion of the- fine crossbred being fully the. latter count. Other well-known brands have made Is. 7d., while Is. Gd. to Is. GUI are figures which are regular ones nt every day's sale. Last Monday Messrs. Thomas and Cook had a very good show of New Zealand crossbreds, which sold splendidly, in fact, every day this week some first-class clips have been submitted,'and one has only to mention Bluecliffs Shercnden, 11 & S, Wesferhill, Jlan»a.noho, and Battle Axe to see the class of wool which has been submitted. When compared rcith' last series we call fine crossbreds a full Id. to lid per lb. and medium crossbreds fully lid. per lb. higher, a general 5 per cent, advance having been seen since the opening day. As a rule sliped crossbreds have advanced id. to Id. per lb., and although to-day record prices are being paid for crossbreds, many have little doubt that wo shall see sti'll higher prices at succeeding series. That will depend a good deal upon what new khaki orders are placed. Conditions in Consuming Centres. No important change is to be seen to- ' day in consuming centres, and the Easter holidays are approaching, which to mill workers will prove very acceptable. There has been no general holiday since Christmas, and the winter months have been strenuous ones in mills. On the whole factory employees have worked well, and only at the commission wool combing sheds is there any reason for complaint. So many men have joined the colours that hands for the night turn, whoro men only axe allowed, are scarce, but apart from that both spinning and weaving has been fully maintained, a record output being sceu everywhere. As a rule mills are going to stand two days, Eastor Monday and Inesday, although Bome masters have "cheek enough to demand that their employees shall only "plav" on the Monday. However, business'remains good and prices profitable. The little weakness m London has to a large extent stopped the sales ot fine tons in Bradford,, but there is nothing Whatever to grumble at. Topmakers are sold forward for four or six months, and therefore they will., gladly welcome a period of quietness in ordor to give them he opportunity of gett.ng up their arrears A good Gi's top is worth 2s. S<l. for spot lots, and that is by no means a bad figure, for it will leave a decent profit out of wool bought in. London during these recent series. Crssbmls do not sliow much change am! here too 4<is prepared aro bo in,? named nt -s. lo 2s. 2d., and 4G's are v.ell worth 2s. 3rt. These prices clearly show a very high standard, and yet no one is expecting nn.v relief in crossbreds, and ihe fact of such figures being forthcoming is indicative of pronounced strength throughout the entire market. Machinery is running at its utmost capacity, and will be this year oat.