YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 213, 28 May 1918, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

SOUTH AMERICAN WOOLS

FURTHER IMPORTS PROHIBITED, [ (from Our Special Correspondent.) I Bradford, April !). The Department has announced that it is prepared to offer British wool-growers a 10 per cent, advance on the-prices paid last season, which makes a total advanco of GO per cent, above June-July prices in 1916. The concession is not regarded as very great, but it. is exactly what the writer forecasted some weeks ago. At that time British wool growers, (•peaking through tieir various associations, made a demand for 75 per cent., and in ono case 100 per cent, on pre-war prices, but the Department in buying a tiling evidently moves very slowly, although in advancing the selling price of the partly-manufactured article in the shape of tops, values move up at the rate of 3d. per lb. However, buying the raw material and selling the. partlymanufactured article avo very different propositions, and ns far ns one can seo British wool-growers will have to bo satisfied with fiO per cent, advance, notwith. standing the officials of the Department tire to be approached by an important sheepbreedcrs' association with a view of reconsidering their.decision. Wo hardly think that there will be any concession made, because every farmer will shortly Ire receiving a census form, and the same formalities will have to be gono through as last year, every grower being told to which authorised merchant he must sell liis clip at tho fixed price of the Department. We are living in days when no man can do as bo likes, and considering the enhanced values which, sheep are making, and the nigh, prices of all farm products, British farmers are not doing at all badly, in fact, tlaey are doing exceedingly well, it being only foodstuffs and wages which have gone against them.

Classes of British Wool. Attention having been called lo the domestic product, the opportunity is given for enlarging upon the general utility of British grown wools and tho classes into which they can ho made. It ;s very remarkable that in the British Isles, all round thirty pure breeds of sheep aro being pastured, no other country in tho world having (for its size) either so many pure breeds, or so many sheep. To think that there aro nearly £S million sheep to be found in these small islands, along with excellent numbers of cattle and horses, proved conclusively that British fanners aro all practising intensive methods. Briefly, British wools can be divided into the following • classes:—Lustres, demi-lustres, Downs, halfbreds, and mountain wools. Each class could be discussed at considerable length, but a brief enumeration of tho breeds of sheep forming the above classes is all that is necessary at present. For instance,, lustre wools are all grown upon sheep known as Lincoln. Leicester, Yorkshire, Devon, and Wensleydalo breeds. Tbosc are found chieflv in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, .but no'doubt in Hie evolution of the .TJovoa. thevo has been a strong mixturo of either the Lincoln or tho Cotswnld, but the evolution of the different classes of British sheep does not concern us here. The chief feature is the fleeco, and all the wools spoken of bulk mostly 36's, although a portion of the shoulder wool will run to 4fl's, and in the case of (he Wensleydnle, the quality will range up lo 4Fs. Speaking solely from a wool staiidpuiut, Hie latter is undoubtedly the fleece that .'.ppeals most to Yorkshire spinners, practically all the Woiuleyd.aic lustre wools being used in conjunction with mohair. The fibre is a little finer in ritialily than the pure Lincoln, is equally as lustrous, and on the wholo is a, liftlo wil'ter in handle, poinls which all make for the benefit of Ihe lleecc.

When we come to I he demi-lnstro wools wo have here a larger variety and a bigger quantity. The bulk uf these constitute wools :'rom tho Koniney Marsh, commonly known in the trade as Koiivs. A big weight is also produced in ireland, these forming the principal source of dcmi-lustros. In addition, ;.hci'» are. .slice)) grown largely in the North of England, chiefly ii: .Wnrtiinmbcrlar.il and Durham, k;:ow:i as north hogs and wethers. This i,s a cross between tho Cheviot ewe and the Leicester ram, 'ho tietce being a very good ono indeed. Then also in Staffordshire a. sheep is bred wV-.ich grows <i vory acceptable derm-lustre iloecs. Halfbreds aro a big class, and singular though it may seem, tho trade as a rulo classes Cheviots among tho halfbreds. At tho same timo tho.principal source of these wools is the Midland and Eastern Counties of England, while the. cross between n Scotch black-faced ewe and tho Wensioydalo or Leicester ram is also included in this class. It seems to the writer that the crossing of two purobreds produces the halfbred which normally go into tho class named, and these halfbred wools are very largely used for producing hosiery fabrics, along with demi-lustro wools. When ive conio to the Downs, this class naturally includes all the different breeds of Down wools which aro to be found in Great Britain. It is really surprising what a. number of distinct breeds of Down sheep there are. There is tho Southdown, Shropshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset, and Oxford Down ehcep, tho Suffolk, of course, being the sheepthat produce the Southdown fleeces. Then thero aro the Eastern Counties Down wools, grown principally in Norfolk and surrounding districts, which offer a very acceptable class largely used for hosiery purposes. When we come to the mountain breeds we have a big weight of this material produced. The Scotch black-face is the principal source, and right away from tho central and north o£ Yorkshire to the north of Scotland, including 'arge areas in Ireland, the Scotch b!nck-face is the principal sheep depastured. In Cumberland and Westmoreland, Herdwicks arc also to bo found, and the Welsh mountain sheep must bo included. In these classes the reader has the representatives of all the different qualities of Britishgrown wools, and the fact is remarkable, which wo have emphasised quite recently, i that these wools are all finding their way into articles of military value, and which are doing wonderfully well in keeping the spindles find looms of the whole country running.

South American Wool. During tho week an official eommuinication has been made public to tho effect that the Department has taken over the 750 bales of Scuth American wools which recently arrived in this country, intimating that owing to the non-fulfilment of tho conditions and terms of the agreement of last December, no more South American wool is to bo imported by the trade. The official announcement has come upon the entire industry as a surprise, and given vise to a good deal of talk. It will be remembered that the Department agreed that all wool imported topmakers had to sell immediately, and not hold it with a view of making big profits. The Department also reserved the light lo tuko over the wool, which was not exp;'"tcd, but would be prepared to pay 21 per cent, profit, plus all charges. 1 or "tho trade to be now officially informed that "the essential conditions and terms of the Army Council not having been conformed with" enmo ns a complete surprise to everyone, and "it is now notified for the information of nil concerned that no variation of tho existing requisition order will be entertained with respect to any purchases negotiated from this date." It makes one wonder what irregularity has been proceeding. From tho very first the little combine of topmaknrs who negotiated this business avowed that they wcro animated by I ho very purest motives, their chief desire being to bring home wool irrespective of any profit in order to keep machinery running. Of course, a littlo buying of a private uaturo has been indulged in by others in Buenos Aires, and it is just possible that this may have boon held by importers with a view of making all tho profit possible, but tho topmakers' combine were prepared to help the trado out of tho difficulty arising owing to shortage of combing crossbreds, being satisfied with the 2J per cent, profit offered by the Department. , The trade ha been charged with selfishness in I lie whole mattor, but we failed to see that under tho circumstances. However, on all imports from South Amorica a return lias to bo made to tho Director of Haw Materials not later than April I'D, and this

moans the termination of an episodo which apparently has not been as satisfactory as was at iirst designed. If I lie ciiarso of selfishness and greed im the part of any firm of importers can lie sustained, the Department has acted rightly ii. taking the present stop. In tho meantime it is hoped that every effort will bo made by our own Government to purchase wool in Buenos Aires, and bring homo a sufficient supply of raw material. The trade, awaits wilh considerable interest future developments.