YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 29, 29 October 1919, Page 2

YORKSHIRE LETTER

WIDENING COMPETITION EXPECTED

FOR CROSSBftEDS (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, August 7. It is regrettable that so many mills arc standing throughout the West Riding of Yorkshire, und Ibis enforced idleness is leaving behind a legacy which is going to be very; costly to both masters und men. There is now plenty of employment to keep everyone in good temper, but this last ieiv years has 6een arise many untoward incidents which have been fruitful .sources o£ annoyance and led to much friction. It is.i hardly necessary to refer to the annoying restrictions under which all had to work under State control, and but for the war there would have been much trouble of a serious nature. Now that the thing is over, it is some satisfaction to know that pre-war conditions are being restored; at'least much more liberty is given to all those engaged in the wool textile industry.. At tho same time tliero are certain elements of a very vexatious nature, and show signs of becoming a sourco of serious loss unicss the present factors are speedily removed. It is more than tantalising to see combs, spindles, and looms standing when there is an abundance of wool and orders to go on. with. Something like. 23,003 hands have been thrown out of employment because there, has been 110 coai with which to raise steam. This is one tf these events ' which ought never to have happened, and is certainly leading to a serious state of affairs. Workers frankly state "that they would not have cared if their enforced idleness had been caused'by themselves, but this hardship lias been inflicted upon them by others, which makes it all the worse to bear. However, it only ' serves to show lion- dependent one section of the trade is upon another, and how serious general trouble can arise throtigh misconduct of ono party; London Sales Final Results. The sales finished last Friday in fairly good fomi; Things might have been a good deal -worse, and would have been but for the keen competition o? French' buyers, and it surprised everyone to see our ally step into the breach and absorb wool in a very masterly way. Below are given tho final results of the Gommitteo of London Wool Brokers, and'it has surprised a few to see how they liavo marked down the course of values compared with the close of the June auctions; It is quite true that GOd. has been paid during the last series on very rare occasions, but nil the same quite a host of lots sold from 52d. to GOd., aild it is that fact which has led the, selling brokers to" state that super merino greasy lvoola have declined 5 to 10 per cent. One day wo saw a well-known West Victorian clip sold, tho mark being FO. This made lb., in tho grease, the quality being' warn , SO's. That is an instance of the remarkable strength and standing of this class of staple. It is very seldom indeed that one. sees SO's quality with a .four-inch. staple. The clip was taken by n West Riding firm which spins anything lip to 90's counts. It need hardly be said that the wool in question was as perfect as merino wool can be expected to 'be, the price to-day clearly showing that for specialities of this character the trade is always prepared to pay big figures,. .The trade must accent the opinion of the selling brokers, but it is worth pointing out that there is nothing wrong- with any market when such prices are paid as have been forthcoming during the' nast three weeks in, Coleman Street. The entire market for both merinos and crossbreda. shows, that the raw msterial still occupies a unique position, and very little fault can bo found with any class'of raw. material. • The following shows what changes have taken place coiunared with th" close of the previous mictions:— Merinos, good to superior. 10 percent, lower; merinos,'-average, 10 p"er cent, lower; merinos, inferior and faiiltySs to 1(1 ner cent, lower; crossbred.?, fine', 5 per crnt. lower; crossbreds, other classes, 5 to 10 ner cent:, lower. Cost of Wools Clean Scoured. Mr. Lewis Fordliam, of London, has just issued his circular in which lie gives a very useful table showing the clean scoured oost of wools. The figures arc well worth considering:— Glean Carbonscoured Clean Clean ised basis for scoured scoured basis 1 cloth'nj and basis comb- basis, for spinners' ing wools. Free short sty.ish Topino.kcrs' lambs' faulty free wool, selections, wool. wool. d. d. d. d. SO's ... 103 95 '89 - 70' a ... 97 88 ■ 85 75 ,64's ... 95 81 f,O 70 Gfl's ... 87 79 78 . 65 58 s ... 78 68 75 58 56's ... 64 ' 59 55/60 50 50's ... 50 . '46 53/56 - 40 46's ... 38 35 50/53 30 44's ... 33 30 / 46 27 4fl's ... 30 28 ""40/45 25 36's ... 30 26 ; 38 23 Cape 80 -70 — 55/60 America to bs a Buyer, ' A very, satisfactory announcement has been made to the effect that at the. August auctions buying is to be permitted on American, Continental, and neutral account. This'will be the first series at which America has been permitted "to operate since April, 1917, and in all pro.' liability there will be keen competition. Nobodv knows exactly What is likely to lie allocated, although some surmise tliaf it will be wools up to M's quality. The fact might as well be acknowledged that course erossbreds sold at the recent series will bring in fops at a fraction under the current'issue prices of the Departli'ient, and it is certain that this is not in harmony with the views of the De- . nartment. Our own Government is very desirous of selling its colonial purchases at a good profit, aiid if wools are sold to "the trade at less than issue prices, it will be, an experience to which the offi-cial's-'have' been strangers evetf since they first handled New Zealand and Austra-" lian erossbreds. Then. too. ITolland and other countries are likely to be allowed to buy coarse erossbreds. Holland has lately been inquiring for wools from 40's to 44's quality, at the same time being desirous'of nurchasing wools up to SO's. However, this is likely to be but a pre liminary step towards letting wools go nut'of the country in order to nut a little' backbone into the demand coarse 'erossbreds. Production of Tons a Very Serious ' Factor, It was known in Bradford last Friday that the Department was seriously considering the top situation, recognising that wool was pouring into this country at a faster rate than it was being consumed. Transport is to-day in a chaotio eiate, so much so that warehouse-keepers . ill London, as well as at other centres where wool is stored, are almost sick cf the sight' ef wool bales. Railways, too, aro'in a very congested state, so much so that good's for shipping will not ba accepted until word comes through from Liverpool and Hull that they aro to bo sent forward. The Department has made it clear that unless more wool is got through the combs it will have to consider seriously the question of stopping the importation of wool' for at. least two months, and «e giving transport a chance to right itself. This will be a serious thing to West Riding spinners and manufacturers. The Department wants to see as much partly and fully manufactured material exported n_s possible, but if if. cannot be turned off from tho machinery in sufficiently iiiree quantities to allow of this, there will l?e no alternative but for raw wool itself to bo expovted. This information has been given seim-offieiully to the Press, but.-it certainly calls attention to tho serious position of the top-making industry. Yet the operatives have been threatening to como out on strike if they do not receive a fusilier increase in wages of-lOs. per week. Even officials representing the operatives state that the offer of 6s. increase to the men and 4s. to tho women, made by the British Wool Federation, was a splendid one, and it is understood that these terms are now likely to bo accepted. The outlook at tho combing end of the trade seems to be taking a more favourable turn, and given a fiCtr (.lenient of the coal strike, the output of tops should speedily increase.-