YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 60, 5 December 1918, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

RAW MATERIALS FOR THE WOOLLEN TRADE (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford,-September 26. A new Waste Order having been published bringing under control move eeiniirnw materials, directs attention to this class of. product , , which is to-day serving a useful purposOjin the textile manufacturing world. This time the new order covei-s very little that can 'be railed pure wool. If readers carefully note the particulars .given below they will see that the instructions relate directly to hosiery wastes containing so much per cent, of wool. This implies Hint the balance, of the.product is composed of either cotton or some other commodity, but it is well known in the trade that to-day large quantities of underwear are being , made by it combination of wool nnd cotton. The principle is to use a worsted spun yarn and plait, it with a cotton thread. •This means that when -a garment is being knitted on the machine there is running through a' wool yarn and n cotton, those being linitled, together, forming a sound wearing fabric. It is a. common expression among housewives that a little cotton helps the fabric to wear. ■The tendency of all-wool hosiery undergiirnient.e is to shrink in washing, notwithstanding the garments are often stamped "Fully shrunk." No doubt further shrinking is prevented, but if (ho garments are not carefully washed at home or at the laundry they wiy "run up,"'and the weaver will have difficulty next time in putting them on. Now, a cotton thread being used in conjunction with the worsted prevents (he garment 'from Shrinking, and makes it wear better. Prions of Waste, We give 'below two new schedules of waste prices which will interest readers. If carefully analysed they will broaden one's views in regard to the free use which is being made to-day of cotton. Hosiery Waste (Cotton and Wool). , ' Mixed .Military colWhite. Nat'r'l. shades, ours, d. d. d. d. Containing 70 per cent, and upwards of wool 23 22 21 19 Containing 55 to ; 69 nw cent.... 20 10 18 1G Containing 40 to hi per cent... 17 16 15 13 •Containing 25 to 39 per cent.... It 13 12 3(1 Containing 10 to 24 per cent.... 12 11 10 S ( Containing less than 10 per cent 10 3 8 G The above will come as a revelation (o many readers; in fact wo miiot admit to being surprised at the liberal use which is being made of cotton in the production of hosiery fabrics. We.hear of imitation of German methods, for before the war huge quantities of nearly all'cotton ■underwear were imported inlo this country and retailed. Of course cotton wears well, but for hygienic reasons'a more liberal use of wool is desirable. Another table of controlled prices for wasjes follows:— Hosiery Waste (Hard Cotton, Silk, Artificial Silk; and Wool).

1-1 >i Rovings or clips— 'd. d. <1. d. Containing 70 per cent, and upwards / of wool 15J I+3 1+ 12J Containing 55 to G9 per cent 13J- 12J' 12 10| Containing 40 to 51 pw cent 111. 101 10 S3 Containing "5 to 39 per cent 91 82 8 6J Coirtaininjr 10 to 21 , 'per cent 8 -7J 63 5J Containing less than ' , 10 per cfcnt GJ 6. 5J *' Shetland and sanitary wool in oil (containing not more than 20 per cent, of cotton). 17d. Shetland and sanitary union in oil, 12d.; Shetland and sanitary woollen with white cotton back, lOd. ; all-wool wheeling wnsto (steel grey, military, or self shades), rovings, 24c1. ; all-wool sheeling waste (steel grey, military, or self shades), clips, 22d.; all-wool sheelingwaste- (mixed colours), rovings or clips, 20(1. Tf the reader could see round a woollen mill he would be surprised at the exceptional use which is being made to-day of cotton. This hns been in operation liow for very many years; in fact, we scte tolling no secret when we say that there are score? of mills in the West Biding of Yorkshire doing a big business which before the. war never purchased a single bale of .either English or colonial wool. The only rnw materials they used wt.Te mungo, shoddy and pulled wnstea, and it would surprise the reader to see the smart and acceptable woollen piece goods which they turn out. The manufacturers of Batley, Dewabury, and tlie Colne -Valley fHtiddersfield) are adept at turning out cheap fancy woollen cloths, which have been exported to_ all countries in tb(! world, besides beinr largely used' in this country in the making of ready-to-wear suits. These outside raw materials have been used very largely because of their cheapness, and they will ba used in the future. It is to-dav purely nnd simply a question, of using the waste products ( of the trade which has led to the publication of the above pricelist, and when the hosiery wastes have been garnetted they can be re-used in the production, of these cheap fancy cloths. As already said, cotton helns a fabric to wear, and by making a blend say of 10 per cent, of wool, .60 per cent, of mungo, and 30 per cent. of. hosiery waste the-manufacturer obtains a' yam which, to say the least, produces a decent fabric. The combined use of woollen and worsted "wastes places in the hands of woollen manufacturers raw materia! which cannot be despised in the least. Worsted Wastes. 3 Worsted wastes are never used in the production of worsted cloths, for 'the simple reason that it is impossible. Wastes produced in the combing, spinning, and weaving operations can only bo used in the woollen industry, hence big quantities of worsted wastes are' taken weekly by the woollen industry.- These wastes have to bo put through a machine to be turped into shreds, and can be either garnetted, willeyed, or put through the rag machines, when being still all wool, they ferm tha basis of a good blend for the production of woollen fabrics. There are many worsted manufacturers who up to Ttcent months have never known the value of their wastes. They knew the market value of the articles which were largely purchased by wasto dealers, but they hove' never known how useful ihe material was in the production of good woollen cloths. There are worsted epinnere to-day who have recently purchased an interest in a woollen mill with the idea of using over again all the wastes they are making. This no doubt is the best means of turning to the maximum good the waste materials which they are making weekly. Everything indicates, in the future that materials in the shape of wastes will' be turned to good account, and. both woollen thread wnstee and worsteds when pulled will be used still more in the days to come. One can see from the above that'there is going to bo greater difficulty than ever when purchasing wastes to decide what percentage of cotton there is in them. This will be. all the more so when the clips have been garnelted, it being n feet that increasing difficulties are experienced when buying wnstee in defining whether or not they are nil wool. Here comes in the value of experience, and in times like these, when almost, anything in the shape of raw material can be sold, lax methods in blending are being encouraged which in normal ■.'.inijfs would lead to trouble.