YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 154, 25 March 1919, Page 10

YORKSHIRE LETTER

NEW YEAR OPENS WITH GOOD TRADE PROSPECTS (i'rom Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, January 2. Willi iho advent of ii now-year one naturally turns to the i'uturo. It is apparent that 1919 will be a momentous fiiiii? due to tlie cessation of hostilities. Everyono is glad to know that the outloik for the security of mankind is today l'i'sliiig on :i firmer foundation than ever ljefoie, and the establishment of a Lewe of Notions will bo tho reaching of an ideal which should mean the continiiaiu'o of conditions which cannot but help In advance the material, physical, and moral well-being of tho entire world. There is reason for thankfulness that the end of Germany's tyrannous rule has nrrii'ivl. and no doubt peaco-conditions will ho -such as to bring , home to that nation the suicidal policy which she has been pui'Miing for the past twenty-five years. The world's hopes aro to-day being built ii|). r .n the foundation of the peace programme which Germany will bo compelled to accept. Fighting is over, but the JCnglisli-spcnking nations of the world are determined to win- the peace, and not until that is accomplished can it bo said th.-it the outlook is'of the best Still, everyone is looking forward to 1919 as a year when trade and commerce must revive. It is with these feelings, that men have stepped across the threshold of a now year. There is abroad a spirit which Siivoiirs of betterment both to mnsters and .men, and in the reconstruction programme which is being inaugurated tlure are bound to be better feelings generated between all sections of, society, and also the inculcation'of principles which should tend to the material benefit of (iae and all alike.

A Reconstruction Programme,

It j,'ow without saying that first and foremost a policy of reconstruction is contemplated, and it is not difficult to forecast the" lines on which, schemes for genernl improvement in the textile world arc likely to take. Mill operatives are deiiiiiiidini; shorter working hours, and alrivulv ii ■ AVest of England firm has set the pace by etarting on January 1 at 8 aim. instead of G a.m. It has always apprared to the writer thiit for young children and females to rise, say, at '5.75 ta 5.30 a.m., mnd to bo at work at C a.m. was' neither natural nor advantageous. There is a general demand for. a forty-ewhf-hours week. This eeeras to be a vast improvement on starting at fi a.m. as formerly-, and it is to be hoped that operatives will appreciate the important fact and stick to their work wiring the nine-hours day. These lessened working hours are bound to become general; in fa;t:, already the National Association of Unions iii the textile trade have inado n demand foV a forty-eight hours working week, the suggested new conditions to come into operation .on February 1. Evidently the idea if- to ns!c for enough in the hope of effecting a compromise. I It seems to the writer as if a. ten hours working day, as nt present, with a complete stoppage on Saturday, would be the ideal thing for Labour, unless mills began at 8 a.m. inid worked till Saturday noon, as at present llowever,,t!ie matter will receive serious consideration at future conferences, and a forty-eight to fifty hones working week is certain to become general. Should State Control Continue? ;On this matter there is no divided opinion in tho textile trade. . After the repeated-'expression of opinion oy tho lesidinS officials of the Government the ijra'le naturally is looking forward to putliiiij ell' State control of. the wool textile tiade nt no distant date. As previously advised, this • important movement 'line begun by the release of laps, waatjs, and a certain section ot the rag industry The sharp division of opinion at the last Wool Council acting between tho Labour and trade representatives shows clearly enough the attitude of the former, and one is at a complete loss to understand why Labour should be so opposed to trade going through the usual channels when they represent suoh an important section as the workers of tho imhistr.v. Wo will deal with the questbn of the importation of South American wools later. At the present time we should say' that there is getting on towards -33 per cent, of the machinery slaudiiiq. and yet Labour representatives on the Wool Council riro'.out to support i a coi.linuance of the present policy of supplies being controlled. If tho British textile industry is to occupy tho position it'di'l up to August, 19U, then the crushhu! hand of State control must be luted at tho earliest possible moment. The entire industry approves of , what has been done across the Atlantic, tho trade there contending that v.ith the war being over there is now no longer the need for the State interfering with tho general and natural How of business. " We are confident that the sooner State control is abllished in England the better for all. In fad:, thei write.? goes the length of savin , ,' that, the whole business will breal? down of its own weight as supplies of raw wool begin to increase. Sir Arthur Goldfinch's attitude is the right one, and the trade heartily approves of the fact that a business man is chairman of the Wool Council. All that the trade asks for is the. control of the destination of colonial wools, and, given large imports, the riuestion of price per lb. for raw materials will settle itself. South American Wools. There is likely to be a, keen, debate centred around "the question as to the wisdom of granting unrestricted imporlatiju of. South . American wools. Here, again, the attitude of tho chairman of tho Wool Council has met witlv entire approval. It goes without 6nying that the British textile industry is 10-day actually suffering—both spinners and manufacturers being handicapped because of, the absence of stocks of crossbred wool. These are no longer wanted for military purposes, and now when tho civil industry wants the wool it is not there. Here, again,' the Labour members of the Wool Council are strongly opposing placing South American wool on the free list and the granting of '■unrestricted .purchase .and importation into this country. A more suicidal attitude is lmtd to conceive. The question of the exchange between here and South America seems to be a factor entering into tiu whole question. Wo know that th» exchange is high and against this coi.-ntr.". . But that matters not ono jot ■ or titth so long as there arc enterpris-1 ing topmukers and spinners willing to purchase in Buenos Aires, and risk .th=sir own capital. Asking the State to do this would be a very different proposition, but so long as there- are tradesmen willing to pin-chase in South America, no hindrance whatever should be placid in the way of them so acting, wh»n the end would bo the employment of move machinery and the finding of more work for hand?. On the grounds of sound business, besides tho bottermont of the whole nation, tho free ira- 1 portiition of South American wool should be encouraged, and it is suicidal to put any obstacle in the way of developing tlii wjnl textile trade on Bound business principles when that wool is no longer wanted by the Department for the execution of military orders. American Conditions. Considerable interest is being evinced in the position of things across the Atlantic Of the textile industry in the Stales.has never felt tho pressure of .Stare control as in this country, due in lnrp>. mrnsui'i! to tho industry only beiiiit 'controlled sinco last April. The members of Hip trade wlion they realised Urn urgency of the situation put their wliob weight of efi'ort towards winning tlm war and now that the Ihing is over thoy arßiio that trade must, begin to fio'-v. as in pre-war.days, and practically speaking Rlfllc control has gone. Consioembif! interest bns linen attar-bed to the (irst wile of colonial wools in Boston, and Hie decline reported has caused no surprise. A lull soems to have come owr fl;o entire textile world, and users .'ire nppiirniilly determined to buy accordins; to what suits Iheir purpose, and at more rc-awinalile prices than lihvr bcoii ■ruling. It ia apparent that the American textile industry is indisposed to help out ifs own Government with its present stocks of wool only on. a more reasonable price busis, but on this side the trade is satisfied that given a fairly free market there is not much to lose. Above nil. Hie industry lioro wants to spo peace signed, iind (lien with free, open markets, with distribution being controlled towards Germany, business in textiles wiil assume excellent proportions.