YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 12

YORKSHIRE LETTER

ANOTHER STANDARD CLOTHING SCHEME

(From Our Special Oorroßiiondcnt.) Bradford, July 24, 11119. lxmdou resumed its course of mictions last Tuesday when the ill tendance wlis aixmt on a' par with that <>f the previous week, and although there is not ft big crowd of buyers nevertheless there is sufficient purchasing strength to lift all r.ho offerings, and taking all things into consideration, the auctions arc going well. At the. saino time one or two big firms aro conspicuous by their quietmss, and although they have buyers present, still they are not as active as one would liko to see. The writer has more than 'i suspicion that the majority cf firms aro getting filled up with wool, and many lrankly admit that they are faced witn financial strain of no mean order. It is becoming moro evident than ever that if the present supplies are to bo lifted in a satisfactory way, banks will have to give still more accommodation, otherwise the trade of the whole country will materially suffer. However, we are not expecting any difficulty on that head, it being apparent to the majority that, providing wool can be got to consuming centres and turned round in the shape of tops, yarns and pieces, there is nothingmuch to fear. At the same thuo tho financial factor will have to be looked at squarely in the near future, because tno amount.of money that is new required to lift even a thousand bales is, to say the least, colossal. A firm to-day witn .£IO,OOO capital recognises how insufficient it is to do even a reasonable business, and many firms realise that if they are to do much good they must-have five times the amount of their ordinary capital. So far bunks have responded m u most creditable way, and we believe they aro prepared to continue support providing the combed and spun article moves round fairly quickly. Big Prices Still Paid for Merinos. Let no one think that although", prices have certainly eased, really good merinos arc not yet fetching very big figures. Tho week has seen 58j-d. to odd. paid for Victorian greasy merino combing wools, 43d. to*37il. for greasy crossbred lambs; scoured comeback lambs have sold front 52d. to- 45U.; wliile i\'ow Zouland super lialfbred combing lambs'have been disposed of at up to 53d. These are prices which indicate a market very different from what some people belk-ve actually exists, and it certainly is remarkable that even for scoured combing wools, the top side of 70d. is seen every day, Hem South Wales continues to furnish by far tho biggest selection both of .scoured and grease wools, some considerable offerings of crossbreds being in eviilencj. Queensland too is to the front with some fair offerings of scoured merinos, while New Zealand naturally 'figures conspicuously ns being tho chief source of crossbreds. Hero we <3eo that greasy ludfbrals aro selling from 42J.i1. to 3Gd., prices which clearly indicate that big figures continuo to be' paid. Tlib weakness tnat is in evidence centres almost entirely around ordinarv top-making, wools and shabby parcels." Every day some big weights of Australian crossbreds aro being catalogued, and as these are often very burry they aro bound to bo the first to feel a weaker market. . When it comes to good straight wools where quality, length of staple, soundness, and general character aro in evidence, prices continuo to rule very satisfactory indeed. Clean Scoured Basis. Messrs. Kregliner and Fernuu have this week sent out a very useful table giving the clean scoured lb. of wool as ruling to-day in Coleman Strcot. They_ compare to-day's prices with those ruling at the last series and also in July, 1914, and the table is well worth considering:— June July Jnlv, 27, 17, 1914. 1919. ■ 1919. Description, per lb. per lb. per lb. Quality. Combing, d. d. d. - 70's superior fleeces 32 100-110 98 64-67's good medium fleeces 30J 92 86 GO-G4's good medium . fleeces 30 85 82 G4's good pieces ...... 23 S3 80 GO's good pieces 27 SO 78 58-60's good medium pieces 29 7S. 73 50's fine crossbred fleeces 26 63 ■ .Gl aO-BG's fine crossbred fleeces ~ 23} 56 . 52 IG-50's crossbred fleeces' 18 44 40 j 4fi's crossbred fleeces 17 39 . 34 ■ 4-I's crossbred fleeces 16 36 30 30-40's crossbred fleeces, 15* 34 28 ! Capes.' 60-64's 10-12 months combing capes ... 27 85 SO GO's good clothing capes 24 56 GO Carbonising. GO-64's good carbonising pieces 26 66 GO GO's carbonising pieces and bellies 2.") 64 56 GO's average locks ... 20 45-50 45 64's average lambs ... 22 GO '56 Official Estimate of Supplies. Tho tradd has been furnished with the Department's figures showing the wool position as it stood at tho and of June 30 last. The figures are very enlightening, and are worth more I ban passing attention. They establish once and for all the supremacy of British sheep and show\ clearly enough that thorc is sufficient wool on hand and in sight to meet all possible requirements for this year.' It is very patent thai the arrivals of colonial wool into this country this year will constitute a record, in fact already more wool has arrived during tho first six months of tho current year than during any whole year for a long time.' The wool afloat expected to arrive after Juno 30 ns at present advifod is 225,(100 bales, while as will be seen ironi the following table the total already to hand is no few'-er than 1,872,873 bales. This is a glorious accomplishment and looking broadly at supplies it seems as if there will be considerable weights of wool available for export. There is no wonder at congestion being f.c> very pronounced in faco of trie following figures:— ■

Clean lbs, 900's Bales, omitted, Arrived, Jan. to March, 1919--Mcrino .' 2CG.OGS 44,211 Crossbred 219,381 50,531 East Indian 92,038 22,223 April, 1919— Merino 137,022 21,739 Crossbred 213,101 53,010 Hast Indian 4-1,tf05 10,835 Slav, 1919Merino 222,705 85,270 Crossbred!)- .' 228,758 51,311 East Indian 28.083 . 6,781 June. 1919— . i Merino, Ans. and N.Z 107,992 20,022 Crossbred, Aus. & N.Z 193,913 41.052 .Total, Jan. 1 to June 30 1,872,373 373,310

, Standard Clothing Scheme. Since writing last, the Wool Council has published a very .comprehensive report, the gist of which is that British manufacturers, and by that; we mean all sections of tho trade, are going to have tp put their backs into the production ft standard clothes, and this is going to be a compulsory measure. For onco tho labour members of tho Wool Council have won tho day, and wo honestly think they will deserve it in this instance. At the same lime we think that both spinners and manufacturers would hnvo risen to the occasion, and voluntarily produced a big supply of standard cloth for next winter and spring wear, but when, they know that machinery has to be set apart in every mill in (he land, the fhing will have to be done. Sir Arthur Goldfinch deplored the present high prices of wool, compared with the issue price of the Department, and apparently every effort is to be made to force prices to a lower level. However. , (he fact remains that 25 milVon yards 1 of standard eMh are to be made, mid alt-hough it will lake considerable time to do this vet to all intents and nurnnscs it should become an accomplished ('net w'thin twelve months. The conver--1 sion costs established by the Depnrlment leave behind a very reasonable profit-, and if it lead* to the nrr duet ion of more reasonable clothe*, all factions will have renson to be thankful.