OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2531, 4 August 1915, Page 10

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

WOOL VALUES NOT. YET AT THE TOP ifrom Our Special Oorrcsoondent.l • Bradford, Juno 17, 1915.

Wo have Leforo remarked that the wool trade is passing through a very remarkable' time. Since we last wroto tilings have again bounded forwarded until tho price of fino tops has made another record. It is almost past comprehension to think that G4's tops have been sold at 3s. 7d. Some say that tliey believe they can make 3s. Bd. for a good article, and there is nothing to indicate that the top has yet been touched: This is not being dictated by th# price of wool or the smalhicss of stocks, because everybody seems surfeited with tho raw material, the standard of top values being entirely set by ttio scarcity of supplies compared with ijie demand. The whole situation is very acute. There is perhaps hardly so much forward business being dono as there was, but all the same a huge turnover has been effected, all of which indicates the anxiety of spinners to make provision for the future, and it is well known'.that big weights of tops have been bought from topmakers , for delivery right tup to the end of March, 1916. Thero aro tlioso who prophesy that the situation then will be worse than it is to-day if the war is still oil, bub it is almost incredible to think that the Germans by then will not bo ■pushed out' of Northern France, so that combers will be in possession of their own plants. That is really what is panted, and until thero is a larger output of tops, we .ire not likely to. seo any lowering of merino values.

Creat Britain a General Provider. Readers, perhaps, may ask why there is such a stir in'the wool and textile trade, and t'he reason :is not far to seek. Groat Britain, has had forced on horself tlio role of general provider to the Allies, in fabrics as in many other things, and apparently neutrals are onlj asked to supply when the English trade is incapable. The suggestion that lias appeared in the Press recently, and tvhich has been talked about both in London and Bradford, to the effect thai tlio Government should restrict, if not abolish, recruiting in tie Vital trades, bas much to support it. If men want to enlist, 'however, it is a very difficult matter to stop them, and the boom in recruiting in the West Riding has not yet died out. Mills are finding more business than they can accept, chiefly from merchants for civilian goods. The situation shows the influence of war right through, though tho trade doing is chiefly en ordinary fabrics. Tho demand for crossbred and thick merino yarns is so great that fine counts liavo risen to an abnormal price, with tho result that manufacturers will not guarantee any delivery date, and buying fine dress goods is a very diißcult.matter, when any yardage is wanted. The prices of many cloths sliow big rises on those ruling a year ago, fifty per cent, increase being nothing at all uncommon. This applies to woollens as woll as worsteds, mungo and shoddy having advanced in some, cases 60 or 70 per pent. Demand still runs on tweeds, serges, and worsteds of quiet, small designs, and it' is likely to continue in the same 1 way, It is rumoured that there has been some trouble in various places, chiefly for export, over the dyes used on certain serges, manufacturers not guaranteeing the colour?. This is only to be expected to-day and probably very soon, the few overseas ,customers cow doing business here will bo pleased to take anything they can yet, if the trade is booked full of Army orders for our own, the French and Italian Governments. American civilian cloths are selling on_ the English market, but in no big weights,

Pries of English Wools. For onco we will make'a little departure and ask the reader's attention to tho .position of English wools. The middle of June marks the opening of English fairs, and this week they have begun in real earnest. It has been rightly stated that for its size Great Britain depastures more sheep than any other country in tho world, and it'seems almost _ incredible that something like 28 million sheep should be kept. One cannot but wish that the same proportion of sheep was being depastured in •Australia, South Africa, and Now Zealand, but that is a physical impossibility. New Zealand is doing exceedingly well, its 24 million sheep being today worth more than ever before. ■ But the Homeland produces a, greater variety of sheep and qualities of wool than any country in the world, and perhaps it is this feature which is the most significant. There are nearly thirty pure breeds, and the qualities of wool range all the way from coarse, kempy Scotch, say, 26's quality, to 64's, even' a few merinos being _ depastured still in Suffolk, and wool quite equal to tlio average grown in 'Australia is produced.

The fairs opened under exceedingly good conditions, and sheep-faarmers are evidently very pleased with wbab they are obtaining. Lincoln wools aro realising up to Is. 6d. pea- lb. for washed fleeces, good halfbreds aro making Is, Sd., and even Downs are making up to Is. 9d. These are excellent values, and there is nothing to indicate any falling off. Even Kerry Hill hogs, which aro a breed of sheep grown in. Ireland, the quality being almost equal to a 4/3's New Zealand, are making Is. Bd. Australian Sales. Although, no cablegram has been published respecting tho sale which took place in Adelaide last Monday, private •messages received in Bradford : state that good combing wool advanced about 10' per cent. This harmonises with what has taken place both at Brisbane and Sydney, and a cablo message received by the writer from the latter centre, reports a very keen domand for all good wools, with crossbrcds si-ill As one looks forward to' tho next' series of London sales, we fully expect to see the same line of operations. The whole market is in a' most healthy state, and good combing wool bids fair to stand at a higher point than last series. Still, there aro some in Bradford wlio think that merino wool ought not to go higher, giving as a reason tho congested state of combing establishments, and also full warehouses. We shall, however, be greatly surprised if merinos do not advance at least 5' per cent., and all crossbrcds from 46's upwards bid fair to move, up to 10 per cent. The whole market indicates a most satisfactory state of affairs, but, as already indicated, tho crux of tho question is deliver of tops, machinery remaining unsatisfied. It docs seem a scandal that 64's tops out of last London sales should cost no mora than 2s. Bid. —often not that —and the same to bo worth to-day 3s. 7d., : but this price has been made. _We shall be much surprised if there is not a very radical chango when a greater output of tops takes place. Crossbreds arc all very firm. i