YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 305, 13 September 1918, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

GOVERNMENT SCHEME OP $K' : '.■■■-. TOPMAKIN6 j; ! .' ; ; ; IFrom Our Special Correspondent.) #t' ■':.'.. -Bradford, July IS. S:', There seems,to be nothing of real (v'.-■.■ mportanqe' ; :to the avei'age reader of 'UiL this issue.,taking -place in .the British S;.V wool textile'"world^to-day.'" Hours of v':.'... : ;work) yarns -for "export, ;excess profit costume cloths for. ; Kv: ! ]adies' wear, are all items of moment , , ir-iryet they .most'-'directly ■•'concern .the S-, members of the trade .at this end of the iv."'world. ■The- question -of tops- is■ orie, iJS^hbwever,. that affects all,. right from' Jj. : ; ' : the grower, to. the ■ spinner and maim-' ?i'K I;4 :facturery both at home and in the States.,/' There' is now., being i'-'^'icairied: ouV across the, Atlantic.. the y/vesame measure .of ( State controV as hasSj Vieen 'adopted iii 'this country., and we-fully that the Deis" ' partmenf at Washington will -'ereihis '$; 'Save fixed a top distribution . section '■/;'. "the same as obtains' in Bradford. Of J; : -,'course, with many practical men; from fyk the Bradford track having; become the lv,l-employees of-the Government, tho enli:,' .tire.business of State, control'has,, been \'■■'; Jiolfed into shapej and. there'is, now a" *■ (system in vogue.affecting the raw ma-• S:\V-. ter'ial all the way from its arrival in

5 : : |this country to the distribution of tops. :'.i'Having done 'that, the. Government .' leases to exercise. any control on the ■£ ; : : tops.distributed to spinners for civilian tr purposes, and a spinner, once having Xi,obtained a supply, os able to spin the iff tops and charge just what price he ;;'/■-likas for civilian purposes. "Of course, iv.epinners are: rationed ;_ they- are only '.v.rftble.'to obtain o certain quantity for ; ■Veach rationing period, and therefore it ■■'rj's up to them to'Mo the''best they can •:; Jn spinning their allocation and making, fr;the most out of it. :

Distributing Ar?iva!s. all wools being aonraised ' n •f v ■Australia- and New Zealand, the #' : 'of distribution' Has been largely facili- '.;■ tated. and although/ wools for France S ;'and Italy are revalued ".in ".England, the. of raw,-material being tak"n ;' : :',oy our Allies is insignificant compared : ; .;;with the '.weight of wool that is being ''::■■ 'distributccl to English toomakers' and :• ■■■ : :others: Experience has. found that it \ v is far better for. all colonial wools _to K.come.to. England", and for a revaluation 'v'f.ancl distribution to. be made for.France Italy,.than wools f?o direct'froni ilj Zealand. At'this ■pend there are several Bradford valuers, ■*i~. tt'eiV.'.'connected with 'firms who have handling colonial.wools all their H;«life.' and '.who act as . Government ai> [?';r:pcjisers: ; along with. London -.brokers..' ES'jt. being tfeir business to'revalue and ?i- ; . : .'allocate wools for'• our Allies/. ■ ■&'i 'iilt is no secret .that colonial wnpls -"Pfare arriving to-day'.- at', several English |ihis" being far. hett«r than all :;J:;'cargoes .coming; up-the'English Cliannel London.' So long as- the authori-r&'-tiev in London . and; Bradford obtain E.Vfullnarticiilars by mail, and also it' samples of each lot n.ppraised. in the P^- colonies, they are able .to decide at P: once the purpose for which each lot is '■ .best suited,'and whether the-wools'he i'..v.mei'inos or .-. crossbreds, combing or ';?.'(ildthinc, so long as the practical men ■:;:■';:in'the Denartmpnt have full particulars "■"iancl samples before them they are able easily to'-allocate the different "';'",Jots'to thfl 'centres.aiid firms best fitted v'.for handling them. :The entirfi method ■; distribution is ; working well. and. is K: saving si good deal of time by the wools % going direct from the 'virions' centres at t-which.wool cargoes'areinnderl. Ono can yXsefV'that if;;.ssy,.;iO.W ,;boles are S.'brmight'. home and , landed at Liverpool t;- : thev can be; sent to either. Rochdale, Bradford," or a score other L;'; : jnVinufocturirig inllages according p;-; suitability of tho raw' material, flannel,

J ■■"firms wanting short, fine-wools, manu;;:vfa'cturers engaged in thewoollen trade gr want, clothing wools, both merinos and ■V-.crossbred, while topmakors require ifiyopls of l decent length, all of which jJfjirie-sorM and classed as in pre-war. £;<lays.. Thisvis all helping to make the :;rschenifi of. State control: work as suc-

as-possible, and" the system at I'.-'prosent in. vogue -is,-one .that on, the whole commends itself to the majority. |#,U'.'v. Topmakers and Topmaklng. |i' -.■(Vβ , cannot say off-hand- the exact j-ymimber. of acknowledged Government I V'topmakers, there; being anywhere from Ua , dozen to twenty. These nre the, big |- firms in the trade, a number of smaller, f -'''topniakoi's'. having been allocated to pthem, these lesser firms' making simi T [f 'lay tops to the big firm to which they fv lire affiliated. The small firms are not ~; directly responsible .'.to the .Government, -.bat to the'firm-to tfhieh they are at;;:tached, receiving 1 all instructions from. ; : ;\t]ieir. superior. AVhat \re like best ! : : al]out the topmakinjr' scheme is that V.the pre-war principles of sorting arc .V:r)ping.carried out as nearly'as possible.. ; f-.Of. coiirse, , with each'firm of topmakers .'■. having to tako.thp wools sent.to thorn, thrill they can V]o is to make the most (■•■l'.oilt"-of them. Some lopraakers Jiave f'complained that the character of their [rtops has changed very materially comF; pared with what they produced in prev/war days, each firm; then simply pur- /; chasing' the', wool that: ..suited their .'jjtrade best. '■ There is bound-to be. a t-bij;; change compared ivith., say, 191'4 ( f;.but each topmaker is- held responsible . : ;: ; for putting good work into the bales /■tliat are sent, and each firm is employ;>ine'a 'regular staff of wool sorters, ■ojwhose duty it is to class the raw nia'•terial in the usual way,- having regard, •; to quality, length, and general suitabil-(v'-it.v of the wool.for combing. Bo it K said to the ci'edit of the Department I.:.that some very coqd wools indeed are l ; ';beinp combed, tho tops giving every • Of course, the charac{•£ter of any top is largely determined by f the raw material which is used, and-it };■ is the. end ond object of all to get the, ji'maximum out of the raw material fi which is coming to hand.

I ■ ; Contract Orricrs. fe Having, got the wool scoured, spii> piiers liavo to apply for a ration, the fi'-Eationing Committee of the Board of deciding what each firm is entitled t'o during each rationing period, {this.decision being bused upon the cor:i.sumption of each firm during 1916. IfTa firm was consuming, say, 100,00011). fof' tops in tho first three months of year named, SO per cent, of their heing devoted to military rei>quirements ai:d the remaining twenty [■'for', civilian, these ifacts would be taken '■/into account by the Rationing G'qmmitjv.tfe, and an allocation"made accordingly, , Let us say that a firm is entitled fia IOOjOOOIb. of tops for the. rationing ['■period which commerces August 1. finext. and ends the last day of Novemj.'bdr. TliiK means that there ar'» throe (Rationing periods : per year. Having hhad their allocation made, a key certifili.ciite is then given to each firm giving '{the aggregate weight of tops the firm is ''entitled to. A spinner then goes 'to j'the Top Department and selects the ! quality..and the character of the top I which he thinks will suit his purpose. i.'JHaving done that, lie issues a sub-cer--1 tificate, .'say, for -25,0001b. per month, ;,:«r2iich'.'the , top..section ■ of the Depart-j-rrienfc at, once prepares to honour. The. jlfollojving.-is a copy of' the order sheet pissued by the Department when n spinpurchases top's.;—r- ..,',..;; '

WAR OFFICE CONTRACTS, lUI.S. From Messrs. John Jones and Co., Pool Street, Mills, Bradford. Form 17. Contract Order No. T 71,102. To the Director of Raw Materials, Top Distribution Section, Bradford. ; With reference to . your allotment form, T6, No. 71,102:— • •' 1.-Wo agree ,to accept on 'the terms therein stated: . Quality. Lot. . Quantity. 70's 25630 15,0001b. at 6/8 per lb. ftt's 23500 - 10.0001b. at 6/- per lb. to be forwarded at once. ■ 2. It is \inderstood that the above .delivery dates may bo varied by or on behalf of the Director of Raw Materials, provided that such variation shall lie reasonable, having regard to all the circumstances. ■

■ 3. It is understood 'that if we for any reason '(strikes or civil riot exceptml) require the above-named deliveries postponed, "wo agree-to: pay to the War Office all costs of storage and expenses; and in the case of postponements exceeding one month interest at the rate ( pf 1 per cent, above bank rate per annum, payable rnonthiy' 4. We undertake.that the above tops will only be used for ! 'To: ' • ; 70343: 5. The Director of Raw Materials shall be at liberty to terminate the contract immediately in the event of the breach'by usof any of the terms thereof. Signature (of person or firm) John Jones and Co. ; July 18, 1918. The Top , Department does not distribute one quality of tops at tho same price, there bsirig one man for merinos and another for crossbreds. Each values tho top Recording to its style, colour, and length, • ■