YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3119, 25 June 1917, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

AMERICA'S INFLUENCE ON THE WOOL TRADE (From Our Special CoLTCEirondcnts.) Bradford, April 12. i\ow conditions havo been brought aljo\it by tho declaration oi' war by the United States, mid it can now bo fairly said that the civilised world is unitedly opposed to Germany's barbarous methods of war. Ono never thought it would como to this when, on August i, 191 1, German soldiers crossed over into Belgium, and England decided to uphold tho liberty of tho small nations. With America having- entored tho arena the wholo positioa is changed .when viewed from a wool standpoint, and our Imperial, authorities are now confronted with facts which to a very largo extent 'have swept away the reasons for not allowing our American cousins to help themselves to British and colonial-grown wools. Bo it Baid to tho credit of tho United Stitcs mills, tho owners havo recognised tho steadily increasing needs of Great Britain and her' Allies, it being a fact that increasing armies there havo also augmented the demand for t'ho rawmaterial. When ono thinks of what views were entertained in December, 1911, when excellent coniblug merinos wero selling- in London from 9d. to 10d. per 11)., and to havo seen the same clips realising last weok 2s. 9d., shows clearly enough how tho situation tons changed. Of course, when the war broko out shipping was in no sense disorganised, tho British Empire was not faced with tho submarine menace as we'find it to-day, consequently there was adequate shipping available to bring Australasia's new clip ovor from October to the following. March, everybody feelinj rather overawed with the prospect of utilising a big clip. At that time the entiro trade know the huge weight of wool which Germany, Prance, and Belgium had taken yearly, and with all mills closed in France and Belgium, and with no wool going into Germany, there naturally looked to be mountains of wool to be consumed by British and American mills, in fact everybody believed that there was far more wool than machinery could deal with. No one then expected the war to continue so long, neither had any party the least idea of the huge quantities of practically all wool fabrics which the Aimy and Navy would lieed, consequently everyone felt nonplussed in having tq lift the Australasian and Soutli African clip without the aid of the countries named. However, all this has given way to different views, tho -pendulum has swung to the other extreme, and instead of surpluses, everybody is alarmed at shortages.

American Purchases. . It has been a sore spot ivitli some American importers that her buyers could not help themselves to colonial wools in Coleman Street and also our colonies, but tho wisdom of putting on an embargo twelve months ago has been fully justified by succeeding events. America had a fair weight of wool out of the 1915-16 Australasian clip, while South Africa, has remained an open and free market to this day. Of course, Aus--tralasian pastoralists have- always benefited as a result of free American competition, but with increasing military requirements there was bound to be a stop put' to ever increasing purchases. Great Britain and her Allies • needed every bale of merino and crossbred wool grown in Australia and New Zealand, in fact, there has been this lost three months a distinct pinch, in cTossbreds, and if the 75,000 bales which America purchased in New Zealand of the 1915-16 New Zealand clip had been available in this country it would have been a real good thing for trie trade. However,' it is useless coinpfaining on that head. America has experienced no Teal pinch, duo undoubtedly to her large purchases in South America • and South Africa, but just by way. of showing American wool purchases we give the following table setting forth her takings during recent years. Our figures are compiled from tho circulars of Messrs. Schwartze. Buchanan and Co., and they include direct imports and London purchases:—

Year. Bales. Tear. Bales. 1908 100,000 1912 ...... 101,000 1807 119,000 1913 51,000 1908 94,000 1911 ' 169,000 1909 179,000 1915 ...... 551,000 1910 125,000 191G 718,000 1911 52,000 It will be seen from the above how greatly tbe takings of colonial wools by the United States have increased during iecent years, and -in , order to emphasise still more how dependent American mills are upon outside wool supplies, we give the imports of wool into the United States for twelve months ending September 30, this being the finish of the American statistical year-.— Class'T. , Class 2. Class 3. (merino & ''(English, crossbred.) etc.) (carpet.) Tear. lbs.' , lbs. lbs. . 1909 ... 115,385,530 26,688,501 123,913,512 1910 ... 95,452,165 23,182,078 £19,068,474 1911 ... -11,022,472 11,683,111 93,637,985 1912 ... 88,108,259 20,594,189 117,177,022 1913 ...' 50,808,316 11,602,535 96,495,611 1911 ... 147,400,255 25,163,651 100,812,721 1915 ... 237,491,156 12,317,352 172,907,769 IMB ... 391,760,260 11,799,340 95,457,891 Will America Want Increased Supplies? There has this last veek been a good deal of speculation, everybody nskiug-jf, with America having now decided to join tho Allies, her manufacturers will now want increased supplies of colonial and English wools to equip groat numbers of nion. Tho anewer is in the affirmative. It was a gracious concession at tho recent London sales to offer 10,000 bales lo American buyers, although they only purchased about 5000 bales. It was known at tho tima that other suggestions had been cabled to tho Imperial authorities, tho Textile. Alliance, representing American mills, urging tho purchase of 'wools in Australia in order to savo freight and othcL- labour. It was suggested at the time in important London American circles that Iho idea wns to try to get in at a shade under Colcman Street values, but wo finally expect that view will bo flatly denied. It can bo said and strongly enforced that the Imperial and Australasian Governments cannot afford to let any wool go under the parity of Col email Street, but that is a detail. Tho fact is patent that America will now enforce hci' claim for larger supplies of wool upon Iho British War Oflico, and there is a unanimous verdict in tho livido that reasonable supplies should be granted. Wo endorse that view entirely. Tho timo has arrived/whon civilian needs rouet bo Jint on one side entirely, and raw material must bo supplied for the military and naval needs of those who are fighting for the freedom, of tho world. Tho general public of this country can afford to wait tfrelye months without another yiir<l_of fabric being manufactured for civilian purposes, and we arc confident in saying that tho Imperial authorities will enforce strongly their present, programme of military first and export next. America, has a claim to-day that cannot ho ignored.

The mermaid has been discovered ;il last—dead, unfortunately, as Queen Aunc, am) mummified—in the sands of the Kgyptian deserts. She has been picked up by one of our Royal Engineers in (ho native bu/.uar at Cairo, but is evidently not of the dangerous siren typo. According lo our informant (says the "Jlanchesler Guardian") "it measures ten inches in length, has a human head except that tho eyes aro on tho Blant like a cat's, square ehoulders, arms with five fingers on each band, mouth and teeth well formed. Tho upper half of the body is femininn in appearance, with tho addition of a largo fin between tho shoulder blades. Tho lower half of tho body is that of a fish." In tho absenro of a photo, it is difficult to say how the fake is arranged. Tho fin presents little difficulty, the skin of a stout Nilo fish shrunk on to a suitable body would provide ihe lower balf of the creature without showing a too evident joint. But what forms tho upper half?