OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2329, 23 October 1908, Page 2

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

THE HOME MARKET./

PRICES STEADY

[From Our Special Correspondent.]

■BRADFORD, Sept. 11. During the past week things have continued to manifest a fair show of life and activity, and although it is too much to .say-that business is normal, still the amount turned over tends to expand. 'Plenty of business could be done if topmakers would accept what they sold at a. fortnight ago, but many have now cleared as much stock as they care, and are demanding firmly what they have all along been asking. Actual experience enables one to say that the bulk of the. business done is at 'id to Id lower rates than what topmakers are quoting, and although to-day’s price for a super 60’s top is 22-Ad, yet it is only with difficulty that this figure can be made. A penny more is being demanded for 64’s, some even wanting 24d. But they cannot sell, spinners preferring to get through all their tops rather than be forced into what they still believe is not a very sound position. A good deal is being mado of the increasing stocks in London, and brokers will be wisely advised to get rid of the bulk at the next series of sales. The quantity of wool in" this district is by no means heavy, the amount of machinery running being quite sufficient' to comfortably get through all the wool that is on hand. 'During tlio past week further decent sales have been made both of merinos and crossbreds, hut the quantities are not large. Nobody seems willing to speculate, and there are fewer quantities of forward sales than we have seen for many years back. All through the trade a hand to mouth policy prevails, and perhaps that is as sound an argument,as any for current values being maintained. •More crossbred tops of a carded description have been shipped to the Continent, and some very little prices have been taken. One or two coinmission woolcombers are fairly busy, direct imports finding them with a fair amount of work. There is plenty of enquiry on the part of spinners, and during the past ten days frequent offers of new yarn business have been made, but the spinning margin is already exhausted;.and if accepted nothing but a direct loss would result. The fact of offers' being about is an indication of more business doing, and this is a feature which is encouraging.