AMERICAN WOOL IN ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 14

AMERICAN WOOL IN ENGLAND.

ft will bo remembered that our Yorkshire correspondent dealt with this subject at some leDgih in his letter of October 30, published in these png s three or four weeks ago. We reprint the following from the Textile Mercury of November 28 as confirmatory of the views expressed by our correspondent : — AMKRICAK WOOL IN BRADFORD. In the interest of tho readers of the American Wool Reporter and American sheepfarnierf in general, the Bradford correspondent of that journal mado the other week a special survey of those quarters in town where it was believed American wool had been handled, and the following account gives the result of his inquiries :—: — i Hauding in my card, I addressed the principal thns : '* Can you give me any reliable information an to the actual sales of American wool in Bradford?" " Yet," he said somewhat charily, "there has been part sold of late, and more could have •till been sold if the stuff had been right." " And what weight has been sold, think yon P STouare in r position to judge." A MILLION POUNDS IN BRADFORD ALONE. " Well, I should think that altogether about % million pouuds' wetght has been bought by Bradford, or at least thst is the general calculation, we ourselves having cleared a full half of that weight." " And how does it compare in staple and general characteristics with the growth of Australia ? Dogs it at all equal it or is it in any sense its rival ? " Here he shook hia head, and pointedly said t *' There is not the least resemblance between

! the two growth* whatever, and Australian p*sI toraliflts have no nerftl to fear their clips being replaced by Ameiican-gro #v wool — that is, if her farmers Citinos produce ;ir<ylhiug better than what sample? have been sonfc lo Bradford and wha.t parcels h j -ve been fold." By such an austere (-xpre«sion of opinion I was beginning to feel somewhat uncomfortable, bat determined, if possible, to know the cause of such strong complaint, if for eduoatioual purposes alone. "Tnen what fault do Bradford wool merchants find with this Aineticau-growu I wool ?" " Well," he said very frankly, " thare is nob '-i .'-.iutjle cnmpeDsatiug point in the wool. Tru«, ivii good quality, bub that is really all in savour, combined, of course, with strength v. sc.iple." " What about the leugth ,of the fibrea and ; ihe general coadiu'oa and picking ot the ' bale* ? " DEI'ICIENT IK I.'-'NC, Ijl .- - >• - -I :t *' Ib is exactly thure *ii.-»i hmi .. nuyers have found the raost fault w.th thi wwi. Tlw length is doficiur.v, for the wool, wh»u combed, has ' noiled ' vtry heavily indeed, while the eou- | dition of the wool is the very opposite of beiiig I smart." Here he seemed to be approaching the maximum point of conversation, and readily continued the interview. "Why, sir," ho said emphatically, "believe me when I say that when the bales were opened fleeces were rolled up with a dozen yards of coarse, fluffy, hempen string round them ; in many instances there h^d been no skirting done whatever, and tho wool was altogether iv aa unmorchantablo form — anything but sightly to the eye." "Theu yon thiak condition was the niosfc deficient point in the wool ? " " I do. honestly ; in f*cfc, parties to whom we have sold some fair sample parcels cannot be induced to buy any in ire on any account, for their usually sound judgment has this time led them Badly astray in their calculation of depreciation and cost per lb when clean scoured. Hare hat; been the weakest point in the whole o£ all the transactions." "And what pricea have bean realised for the wool sold ? " " We have gold pwcels at 4£d, sd, to 6d per lb, but principally at 5d." " Tllen is there anything being done to-day in American woo!, aad atvs there any afcocks on hand in Bradford ? " " There are co sales being effected to-day ; stocks we have none, and I believe- that what wool is on offer is principally from samples sent over from the States, the bulk being there." SOMEWHAT CRESTFALLEN. Coming away somewhat crestfallen, I wended my,, way to a branch office of a wellkno<vn London firm of selling wool-brokers in the hope of finding better news. Meeting with the manager, he cheerfully informed me- that they had effected several respectable sales in ' Bradford for their American clients, bat at present there was nothing doing. " How's that ? " I said, iv pretence of ignorance. "Why, principally because the Americans have practically killed the trade themselves." "That sounds strange — how do you account ; for it ? " I inquired. " Well in this way. What parcels we have i sold from good-sized samples, the bulk has not | been neap in character to the samples sold from. Ouc customers will not touch it at aU, simply ! because they have lost money over what they i have previously bought." " And where has baen the ' leaking tap '?" " Entirely that of depreciation whan cleaned scoured The condition of the wool was very dingy, heavy, aud skirty, and having ' milked ' in more than reckoned on in scouring, the result is their ' tops' have cost "more than present I market value." OIOOD WOOLS MAKE GOOD TRADE. " Then you think that it this Ana? rican wool had proved itself satisfactory * good trade might have been done in Bradford ? " " Certainly I do, for there is nothing eke to hinder it, but a good continuous trade can never be done until the wool ia better prepared for market, 'and until confidence is restored in the character of the staple throughout. Bradford can use the quality of wool a* sent here, ! bufc it must be cleaner, smarter, and more to bo j depended upon throughout." | " Could yon kindly show me a sample of the ! wool that has been sold," I ventured to ask ; ; and soon a very large sample of about 101b to ; 121b weight was laid on the table top for myin- ' spection. '* Very much like greasy, short, | skirty Capes," I said as I handled the wool. " There is good average quality, but not length, style, or condition that can be called creditable. My value is SJ, the top price it is worth." And no sooner had I got the words out of my ; mouth taan I was informed that tnat was the ' exact figure the wool hsd sold for in Bradford.