OURYORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2525, 28 July 1915, Page 11

OURYORKSHIRE LETTER

WHY CROSSBREDS ARE WANTED (Prom Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, Juno 4, 1915. To every woolman throughout Great Britain pastoral conjditions throughout the Commonwealth appeal very strongly, and the recent announcement of splendid rams throughout the whole o£ the Commonwealth rejoices the heart of everyone. For some months the cry of drought has been dinned into our ears most persistently, arid those with any practical knowledge of country fife in Australia know what, a drought actually, means. Sheep cannot live without grass,' and water is necessary if food' is to grow, and South Australia and certain parts of the Riverina seem to have been affected very seriously indeed. However, cablo news lias relieved our mind, and that of tho trade, by the announcement that the drought is practically broken, and that feed: and water will be sufficient to carry sheep well on towards next lambing. All the same, we should be' very glad to see a further good' fall, and so make things absolutely safe for the next three months. Under a hot, drying sun, moisture ■ soon evaporates, and therefore further bountiful rainfalls are essential. Many Australian pastoraliste will now be looking forward to shearing' the now clip, and wondering what wool .markets are going to bo like. It is the writer's firm conviction that wool markets are well ablo to take care of themselves. Values to-day are practically on a. level "with what they were before the war started: we can well do without the suport of Germany, and but for tho inadequacy of combing machinery, a good deal of the raw material would be moving out of sight. If the Germans were only out of Northern France, it would bo the salvation of the whole trade, and we are longing to see that event take place. Sliped Wools. News from New Zealand to hand recently speaks in -no 'unmeasured terinß of a freezing works crisis, and it is that fact which prompts a few observations on the output of sliped> wool, for it lias been found to be without equal in tho production of for khaki purposes. As a rule, as one door closes another opens, and .what manufacturers would havo done without the "general purpose" sliped. wools is a little difficult to imagine.. Possibly we should have found some substitute in a large use of greasy fleece crossbred wool, but for the production of woollen weft yarns suitable for use in conjunction with worsted yarns combed and spun out of this wool, they have done exceedingly well.' General remark was' ma le last series of London sales at the small quantities qf New Zealand sliped wool which were catalogued, but we believe that more of this staple will be • available at the next series. Still, in years gone by, the May sales have produced some very good offerings, and therefore their absence for many Tea.ions was to be regretted. It is tho writer's linn conviction that if any quantity had been catalogued prices would have suffered for the top classes; in fact, for tho second and third-rate lots values declined Id. per lb., only tho really good lambs maintaining their ground. Now these sliped crossbred wools do not appeal to Australian and South African wool growers Cor the simple reason that, their wools when removed from the 6kins of killed eheop are scoured before being sent to market. New Zealand and South America seem to be pursuing a policy of their own, and tho trade to-day has become accustomed to big quantities of sliped crossbred wools, which are sent to London and Bradford from these two countries. These wools are exceedingly helpful and most acceptable to users, and as before' stated, they; have proved to be unexcelled for the production of khaki cloths for the troops on the field; The reason is that these wools are not too long for manipulation by woollen oarding machinory, and 'the wools jraen scribbled and spun produce exceedingly strong yarns, which' woven,in conjunction with a worsted warp produce fabrics that are strong and will stand plenty of hard'wear. It was only a question ot, absolute necessity,• that compelled the. War Office to accept solid worsted khaki serge for use by. our troops, and the writer is in a position to say that the old cloths for tunics and trousers made of woollen and worsted together nre preferred to-day. All the same we could not havo done'without the huge supplies of crossbred wool wliidh. Australian and New Zealand pastoralists have sent .to, . this country, and a very wise thing indeed ivas done when the War Office placed an embargo on 'the export of crossbred wool last October 4. These sliped wools will bo very welcome wlien-tliey become available, and they are certain to meet with a strong market, because tho general 'impression still obtains that manufacturers, will have to produce big quantities of khaki serge lor. another winter's.. campaign. ■. -

One,of the first firms manufacturing khaki has maintained all during the boom that the War Office ought to have looked with favour upon khaki serge made from all merino wools, and if this had been done it would have saved the British public a few millions of money, besides being of direct benefit to pastoraliats in South Africa and Australia. There is something to be said in favour of this. Still other manufacturers assert with a good deal of truth that a solid worsted merino seTge does not possess that warmth which a sergo does made from a worsted warp and a woollen weft, and experience lias found this to be so. One must not forget that our soldiers have to stand out in the open trench all the night, and it is therefore absolutely essential that they be clod in something that retains heat. We therefore think that there. is little likelihood of khaki serge being made from pure merino wool, and if the campaign extends through another winter, there ljill still'bo a huge demand for crossbred wools both fleece and in the sliped state.

Partial Embargo on Fine Tops. ; It was briefly mentioned last week that the War Trade Department has seen fit to refuse the granting of licenses for tho export' of merino tops, and this week has seen a further development on this head. Regular readers of this letter will have noticed the rapid advance in fine tops, largely tho result of machinery being unable to satisfy demands. It is now common knowledge • that no licenses are to be granted for some time to come for (ill® export of fine tops to America, Japan, Continental neutral countries, or even to Russia, a few being allowed to be shipped to France, and that country only. The reason is obvious. Prices have sensibly and persistently advanced; due to Bradford commission combers being unable to meet tho demands of their customers. Komo weeks there has been _• a i perfect scramble to get tops for spinning purposes, and spinners 'have liought forward right away to 'next February and paid up to 3s. per lb. This is all the outcome of reduced production and shortage, and wo cannot see where any improvement can take place until more machinery hegins to work in Northern. France.. It flias been ropaatedly stated that' mills in Roubaix, Tourcoing, Lille and Iteims have been partly ruined by the Germans damaging machinery, but a' letter the writer heard read from. Roubaix last week stated the opposite, mills in that city still being, intact, though all standing. General opinion favours the idea that when the Germans are forced to retire they will not do so very gracefully, but will leave behind sad evidence of their visit. Whether German troops have received instructions to blow up mills in Roubaix and whether tho threat is carried oat only time will decide, but iu any ease to-day they seem to be intact, and we hope will remain so.