YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 11, 8 October 1919, Page 10

YORKSHIRE LETTER

REMARKABLE,PRICES FOR MANUFACTURING MATERIALS

(Prom Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, July 17. There is no more significant feature in connection with the wool textile industry than tho extraordinarily high prices which are ruling lor noils, hips and uiread wiwto generally. Values havo risen beyond all bounds, particularly for merino (nullities, it almost staggers ono to be asked the prices now quuted tur G-l's wastes, laps and noils, and yet business is active in them . There is scarcely a dealer in Bradford, who does not say he is over-sold, and it must be considered as a special favour it ho will sell a aiOO' weight. This is a very strange experience compared with wnat one has known in the past, and to see M's Government tops standing at 7Hd. with the same quality of lap actually sold at M. is an anomaly which tho average textile reader cannot comprehend. In 1914 laps would bo worth anything from Bd. to <$&. per lb. less than the top, but to-day 1 the tables are completely teversed, and when the two commodities will again occu- : py their irtio relative position, no one can say. liven noils are last approaching l.he issue prices of merino tops. They ' formed the subject of an interesting convorsatiou a lounight ago, wlieli one of Bradford's biggest topmakers was actually asking 6(W. tor a merino noil about winch mere was nothing i'l'eat. As a matter of met, good noils havo sold at sod. to the actual user, but among dealers it would havo been thought anywhere from odd. to 53d. is the standing price of a decent article. There are big lopmakers to-day who are not olioring their noils to dealers as' was the custom in pre-war times, but have actually sold them to users, and more llinn one aro carbonising their burry sorts. '■ This shows what changes are taking place in the trade, and clearly indicates that the.se by-products are being sold as much as possiblo to the actual user.

Spinners 1 Thread Waste. Let ua now deal with hard waste, that is, waste made in spinning and in weaving. Tho schedule issueil by the Wasto Department of tho Government when it waa in operation proved to be a very good one, showing the whole trade how sectionalised this important branch of the trade roily is. Of course, thread wastes, including short-ends and thrumbs, are sorted carefully into\ their respective qualities ami colours. They are then taken and gnrnetted, after which they can be readily used by the woollen trade. It ia really wonderful what woollen, shirting, and-flannel manufacturers: can use; all one has to do is to make a standard quality, garnet same, and then there are avenues gni.ore for their use. It amounts to this: that there is no product of tlift worsted trade but what can be readily used in the woollen trade, apd all that is needed is to carbonise burry noils, put broken tops, i.e., hips, through the teazel' in tho wiMey house, after which the raw material! can be used in tho woollen trade. There are those who prefer to broken fops in place'of raw wool, and no doubt when grey shades are wanted tbnt must bo level and true, these laps serve an exceedingly good purpose. They are all the more acceptable to the woollen manufacturer, when the lnp,s are to spin to a fmo count,- if they are free of neps. livery scribbling over-looker knows tho difficulty of getting these neps out in tho carding-room. This is- necessary, otherwise they will como through into the yarn or piece, producing a siirfaco on-the cloth which is anything but satisfactory. Of course, noils are also largely used in the shirting and flannel trades, clicnpeninff many a wool blend, which greaKy' helps to produce flannel and shirting at reasonable prices. The Continental market has always been a big one for carbonised merino noils, while crossbred noils have always found their way into the hand* of manufacturers who produce heavy crossbred tweeds for the million. Is Wool Relatively Cheaper than Byproducts. The above question is well worth consideration, and we commend it to users ill particular. The writer strongly contends that to-day fhere is very little indeed left in any by-product, unless it. be crossbreds, the tremendous figures which are being paid for merino noil's, laps, and wastes making it a certainty that there is nothing left in them. No man to-day can pay 60d. for an article without'wan tin? at least 3d. extra by way of profit when ho comes to sell, and in comparison with raw woeff, neither noils, laps, nor wastes can be regarded favourably. Ono lias only' to take the issue prices of tho Department for merino wools to seo that , they . are infinitely cheaper than either noils, laps, or wastes, und particularly carbonising descriptions. Of course, if a' user can do with stained pieces, bellies, and locks, then at tho distribution sales of tho Government in Manor Row ho can secure some really good, cheap lots, and this source of supply is well worth considering. For instance, unless noils are wanted for n special purpose, -what man is. going to pay up to 63:1. for decent carbonised white noils when he can secure really good scoured merino clothing wools in London at the same prices. Hero wo have a few facts which should commend themselves to the entire trade, because the by-products of the trade have got beyond reason, and there is not tho value in them at tho prices which are being demanded to-day.

The Mohair Trade. This /branch of tho textile trade has been under a cloud for the past eleven months, but it is certainly showing signs of recovery. The very fact of at least 10,000 bags of Turkey mohair remaining in the hands, of the merchants and banks in Constantinople shows clearly ■ that' Germany has been contending with lmee difficulties, otherwise the entire Turkey clip of mohair would have been got turough to the Fatherland before the armistice was signed last November. As a matter of fact Germany paid very dearly for practically tho whole of the last two clips grown in Asia • Minor, transit difficulties appear to have keen so great that when the war finished, to the surprise of all Bradford merchants, some considerable stocks were left behind. This mohair is now coming to Bradford, where 10,000 bags have already arrived. This certainly is significant. It shows clearly enough that Bradford still is the market for mohair, and this is also recognised by South Alrican users. Cables to hand during tho last few days from Port Elizabeth report a fairly active uiarkct with super firsts selling around 28d., while summer kids have actually realised. tOd. This is very good news, and is certainly appreciated. Bradford is still going to remain the chief centre of "onsuiiintion, and spinners are looking forward to a resumption of business with liei-inany 'jetore many weeks have pawed. Directly. sound financial

-rramji'ivn''!' have been established between London and German wii'Ks, one can leiifc fnnvnrd to a b'sr business. There is nothing whatever to prevent this, and we see no reason why mohair should not enjoy a similar boon to that which wool is experiencing today. Mohair has always been a very acceptable commodity to Germany, Itus»ia and the Balkan States, and many h'rriis in Bradford and district are looking forward to the time when their oldtime business can be resumed.' Liverpool and Hull Sales. Tasl week-end two sales look place of colonial wool shown at tho cities niuned. Bradford Mechanics' Institute being the centre where the Hull consignments were actually sold. This was the first auction !iiih> o! this kind held in the city, and probably it will not be the last, '['hero was an excellent show of crossb.'cds at Hull, chiefly from Wellington and New Zealand. Tlie display at. Liverpool was equally good, the best clips trim West Victoria being disposed of. There was little change in values compared with those ruling a week before the solos, and the fact that the trade has been prepared to absorb another 20,000 bales shows clearly enough that it is in n sound position. If transport, facilities were better and more wool could bo got through the combs it would lie a real godsend to the entire industry and certainly lead to a bigger business being transacted in colonial wool. What is wanted to-day is a speeding-up in the department hero mentioned when a bigger volume of business would cgino through.