BUSY BRITISH FIRMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 120, 14 October 1914, Page 2

BUSY BRITISH FIRMS.

EQUIPMENT FOR THE ARMY. London, August 31. Hugo contracts havo 'been mude by tlhe Army Cocncil for cloth and other materials needful for anny equipment. One contract for 1,000,000 yards of sailcloth is stated to have pono ito Aberdeen. The Yorkshire ctmills aro not manufacturing khaJci cloth alone; with. Witney, in Oxfordshire, whiioh supplies tihe Red and Blue Guards' blankets, they weave most of tht blankets used in tho army. Putties, too, are woven in Yorkshire In largo quantises, the 'balance being supplied oy the West of England. Most of the leather used in British military equipment is toumed in Bormondsey or Birmingham, though it must 'be admititcd tJial many of the raw hides hare been imported from Austria. Tho 'buttons' so extensively used on uniforms come exclusively from Birmingtham. Canvas for military uses has been mainly drawn from. Belgium, Dundee. Aberdeen and Belfast. Owing to the restricted supply considerably 'enhanced prices, it is Ktiiled, are .being eliar-rul. Novtlbampton, of course, is providing boots, and no effort is being spared lo secure for the soldiers footwear that will comfortably carry tm»n inrou-,'h a campaign. The lessons of South Africa are everywhere being borne in mind. The mills of Ijeicctftemlnivi are busy upon arany [hosiery and general underclothing. Bermondsey, or such portions of it as ;ir 0 not concerned with tamiinpr of leathur and ,ihe manufacture of preserves;, is fully employed niatirjj tents. The ■manufacture of clothing from raw material lis distributed nrincimully between London, Belfast, and Linuiric-k. Practically every iiand skilled in tlhe making of umfornnn is now engaged. It is interesting to add that most of the Miaki dye lis obmaned from Germany, and many of our officers' swords are manufactured) ait Solingcn, in Germany. HOSIERY AND FANCY LAOE. ( Venji determined efforts are being made at Leicester, the largest hosiery centre in tho world, to capture the German trade in tJhis very extensive business. 'Tho G<ii]niian« !ha*e, 'largely through climatic conditions, secured 'a liig hold on high-class varus for hosiery fabrics, and at tho other extreme also for low-class yarns for cheap goods. Immense quantities of Uliesa yarns have been used at Leicester, to be manufactured unto fabrics, in addition, Germany ban done an extremely la-ips ,:tru,<l« in speiiial fabrics in pure woo] wool blended with cotton, and i„ vegetable sift. Kve n i„ Leicster sliljps <iennan hoshiry is found. On Ui c exjiosi'd toe of the stocking tli e words tire stamped clearly 'Pure wool guiiiantiwl," while ■the word Germany may be discovered lale-r concealed in a fold of rtho bcol. There ii K also a largo crfusutivptioii «f fanqy, laeo embroidery made i„ (ie.many for <l,he blouse s ction—a very large one —»f tho hosiery trade. Homn of the yarns ,it has been derided to have span at JA'icester and in. Y'orksluro, while a gr«it offort ww be made to seaure the whole of Germany's bu.sinesH in knitted goods. 11> has been sng"es!e I that yarns (produced under liumill conditions might be spun in Ireland, and also that aome of the lace embroidery "night be manufactured there