YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 97, 17 January 1918, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

PROBLEM OF SUPPLIES AGAIN BEING FACED (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, November 22. Matters of considerable importance In I'eadei'B of this issuo are now before the whole wool textile industry of Great Britain, and there is every likelihood of the question of supplies becoming a burning one in the near future. A very apprehensive temper animates the majority, nnd tho membere of the Rationing Committee, upon whose shoulders devolves the responsibility of distributing woo), tops, and other textile commodities, have their hands very full. General tear is expressed that tho trade will experience short commons, and everything indicates standing machinery at no d : 6tant date. Of course this is all due to the submarine menace and the shortage of freight. Tho trade at, this end teems to have completely overlooked Ihe great striko that obtained throughout. .Australia, during the month of August, when shipping and inland traffic waa completely paralysed. It. really is appalling to think that there are English-speaking peoples in the world who at a. time like the present, when the very existence of the Empire depends upon all alike piillin.tr together to defeat the opponents of liberty and freedom, seem to be doing their utmost to aid the destruction of happiness, freedom, 'prosperity, and comradeship, such as binds the nations of the world together. An effort has been made recently to. brine to the notice of the Shipping Controller the imDortimce of granting facilities for bringing home sufficient cargoes of wool to guarantee the mille of Great Britain beinir worked, and certainly there is every indication of a squeeze. Suggestive Statistics. A3 Messrs. Dalgety and Co.,' Ltd., are not allowed to publish their monthly figures, tho trade iB now absolutely dopendent upon the Board of Trade returns for all information regaraing supplies, and even this authoritative source has been bo overhauled as to give the enemy as little information as possible. However, the figures for the first ten months of this year regarding imports and re-exports are tery illuminating. Beckoning a colonial bale to weigh 3301b. —the average for several years—wo imported from January to October woel equal to 1,723,307 bales.. That, is exceedingly good, and even the imports for last October alone were about 138,500 bales compared with 75,479 bale* in September. This shows the efficiency of the Navy and the mercantile marine. October, however, -was an exceptional month as regards exports, due to considerable weights of wool- being , alr'pped to France and Italy. Still, we muet at a time like the present take more than, a limited view, and looking over the past ten months, we see things in their proper perspective. Of in addition to the imports of colonial wools, we must remember that the t-ulk of the British dip has remained in this country, all helping to supply "spindles and looms ■with somethihe to work upon. The export of British-growJi wool' during the ten months of this year only totalled 8.488,1001b., and when it is remembered that in 1915 -we exported '37.865,6C01b,, it will be eeen that our re-exports were very low indeed.

The fol'.owine iablc of imports and exports will be found very illnminntin?. The flgnree relate to the first ten months of the past five years, 3301b. being taken ae the weight of an Australian bale:—

Imports. Ke-iinports. detained. Jan.-Oct. Bales. Balen. Bales. 1917 1,723,307 67,514 1,635,713 1916 1,701,530 124.545 - 1,576,985 1915 2 617,640 297.284 2,320.356 1914 1.862,846 885.978 976,868 1915 2,106,117 761,197 1,344,920 Particulars of Standard Cloths, More details are now available regarding the standard cloth reforred to during recent weeks, the writer having seen the fabric. It is indeed a well-made, sound, serviceable cloth, a fabric that no man need be ashamed to wear. In fact, the generality of woollen tweeds are not so good iu quality of so well made. It is too much to say that tho fabric is all wool, a certain percentage of cotton being carded with the wool which has been used. Of course the "off-sorts" of the fleece, which cannot possibly be used for combing purposes, form the foundation of this standard cloth. The warp and weft are spun to 13 skeins..it is made in several) shades of grey, and it is a well milled fabric, which accounts for it presenting <i very attractive appearance. The warp is Krey and the weft black, and comiii? under the well-known term "bread and butter" fabric, it is well adapted to meet a popular demand. The weight is 19 to 20 ounces. Wo are, able to Bay that other experiments are being tried, and everything seems to indicate the possibility of more ranges of cloths being produced, these grey tweeds, being capable of being made in an endless variety of patt.ernß. A cotton warp and a woollen weft fabric to come in at about'4s. per yard is also intimated, and this fabric is quite good enough for boys' suits, while a cotton warp and worsted weft, or even a woollen weft used in conjunction with n, cotton warp, could be employed in the making of ladies' blue serge dress fabrics, a cloth that is still one of the most serviceable any woman can wear.

Providing for Military Needs. We have already indicated that the chief work of the Department is to provide adequate supplies for the execution of military orders, and -whatever comes to pas.s regarding the civilian trade, all aro agreed -that it will never, do to uudertupply those engaged upou military oruect. Oi| course there are spinners who hate sold practically the whole of their output for 1918 and -who acted on the assumption that the Government could not' afford to let machinery stand, otherwiie they would loon bring about a. serious etate of affairs in the labour world. There are well-known firms who aaid that they were running the least danger by Belling, that being the lesser of the two evils. We thought at the time thet were exceeding what reason suggested, and now,, when they see that supplies for civilian purposes are not likely to bo available in Buffloient volume to meet all demands, they are doing a good deal of "squealing." It ie the first duty of those responsible for State control of the wool trade to provide for our Army and Navy necdn and those of our Allies. The big shipments of wool and tops to both France and Italy, particularly the latter country, during the paet month, aro the chief cause for the lorthcoming allocations being on tho small side. In all- probability spinners ■will not receive much moro than half of what they are asking for, and possibly a supplementary ration will be allocated later, because tho next allocation period will be for four months. A good deal has been heard about the inability of the Shipping Controller to bring home any increated quantities of colonial wools. Those with a practical knowledge of the trade know that Australia has not the etoraee capacity for a two-inillion-bale clip, and preesure will be brought to hear both, on this side and in the colonies for relieving warehouses and bringing Homo the wool -wanted to run machinery.

Wool Merchants' Demands. It U well known that tho buying woolbrokers and wool merchants have been the woret hit under the present scheme of State control. Many meetings have been held under the auspices of the British Association of Wool Buyers. A scheme has been propounded and placed before a responsible officer of the Department, merchants offering to be content with Jd. per lb. profit on all wools Bold by them. The whole business i> huiiE up, and all that one can say is that there is "nothinp doing." So far merchants have obtained no »ali.faclton whatever and with there bKiiig to-day no surplus stocks there is nothing to indicate the granting of any conce sion such as noil merchants have been able to obtain from the Department.

The fact that no buyer has peared for any -portion of the 1917-18 wheat crop, gram from which is already coming in freely from the farms, is occasioning not a little concern to the conductors of the Australian "pool/ says tho Melbourne "Age." From last season's harvest thorn is in Victoria alone an unsold surplus of approximately 16,000,000 bushels, and it tho incoming; crop for this State, should be up to expectations that quantity v. ill he increased to something like 53,000,000 bushels. For home requirements about 7,000,000 bushels may bo deducted, leaving available some 46,000,000 bushels, or considerably more than 1,000,000 tons. Growers have been promised at least 4s. per bushel, and doubtless they will soon be looking for a first instalment from the Goveni■ment on account of the grain which is now being forwarded to the "pool." On the basis of 3s. per bushel, and accepting the estimate of an Australian harvest running to 110,000,000 bushels, tho financiers of tho scheme will be expected to find a sum of £16,000,000 for distribution on account of wheat for which as yet no purchaser has been found.