OUR ENGLISH WOOL LETTER.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15113, 31 October 1914, Page 5

OUR ENGLISH WOOL LETTER.

CIU3SSBBEDS BETTER THAN MERIXOS.

(SPECIALLT WRITTEN FOR "THK PRESS.",) J BRADFORD, September 4. j Busin&ss drag.?, and that is the sum and substance of the past week's experience. Wo are now feeling the real effects of the war. and although thins 6 aro fully as good as anyone cap. reasonably expect, ihere is nothing to boast about. Many are picturing to themselves what tnings anj like in Germany, France and Belgium, wnere a laige i number of the lac-iones are at a stand- j itiii, j| not desuoyeu, particular.y in j \ erviers. 1 Uav e received no message: from iioubaix tm* wed;, but a lo.i- , nijrijt ago every tiling wa» intact, and nio.it mi;:.-, running iiaii nine, but with a German invasion tuuiiig place 1 a lsl unable to say what ti-jna> aro inic There is no doubt that war lays t:-«» ax<» to ilio loot ol Uaue piosperity, and tiie textile industry of ;ill Ktirope is bound to suil'er se»erciy in oi tho present Tuere are one or two bright bi'Oi.-. in tho trade ot lhe West Riuiiig, as wdl a≤ t!:c .S.uuli of Scotland and die West of _ Kngiand, j ljut in the majority of cases iir.r.s have ! few orders, many cancckuioii-s, and vtili fnitl'or deiive:iea. The I question is re:\- ;iedly a»!;ed, "If we soil, aro we cercain to got raid for our stuff J , " Tho extension oi the niorato:i:im clearly ss;mvs that a stronu: i effort is bei»;; made to save tbe coin':!L«jcial wo.ld f:o:n Miin, and ■ome have {rn;:r.l>!.--:l. I t.'ii.ik the l>overwrnent and !.rr-!:s :nc doiii;; qrijle right to try to u^:old t!;e wenk, it h•'----iii-4 the duty to-*ln.v of the fi'ir.ivially • ; tro?n; to assist f'ose v/'no would otherwise £O clown. I a?n to Ik , nb'e to «ay that in Ti'-rf'ford the fi:ianc ; al position has vastly improved durinji t^f , pr.st mouth, and 1 nm more hopeful than over that the r'-n'o of Wo-'st'-d----1 piolis v. r il! '■<>■"<> nut of t'"e pros-r-it ordeal mil-'' better than at one time I seemed likely. BUSINESS QnETER. Tho past woeii rnia v>a nested no iwaiueu ueveloi-iiiciic in any uieat i.e*s wooi lids tun... auU lev/oi" tops nave uiuica iiuo u*<a<> nands. mis is not to say Wic nocai.ig is uouig, lor 1 ueai oi so*uc- nice oeing &u;a, aim a few email lots or aro tauen. 1 undoisiaml od's, -10 a, 4-i's piekeu and e<en merino tops, are seiiin:,;, aituou||ii i.) less quantities. 1 finu tti.it if topuiakcis Jiavo a reasonable chance oi' selling tiioy are 1105 letting id to id per lb .stand in the way, and in tiiis belit.e they are acting wisely. Tins is not the time for anyone to lee business go by 3 if tiiey can see even their own back again. No doubt there is financial stringency in some quarters; the trade generally aro able to discharge their obligations. If we were on tho evo of a London sales, or one had just finished, and there were large prompts to meet, I am afraid a littlo difficulty would bo experienced, but as far as J can hear and see, tho majority are as comfortably situated as circumstances will allow, although some aro carrying a fair amount of combed stock, which they would be glad to realise. I have heard this week of some very roasonaolo prices taken for merino tops, and it is a tact txiat prices here aro weaker. Tnere is a growing -lonviction tnat mc; 2 :os will rail rauier seriously when tiio weight of the next Auaiiaaan clip comes on to tho market, particularly it French, German, or Uelgian support is not suiiicient to lilt fair quantities of the raw material. As far as 1 can sco the next clips of Ausciala&ia, South Africa and Soucn America, will have to bo very carefully handled, supplies will have to be placed before buyers in a very steady and iiinited fashion., other•wiso prices are bound to fall very seriously.

Tho khaki fever still lasts, but unfortunately this temporary boom is benefiting outside woollen manufacturers more than the worsted trade, although spinners of worsted yarns around 2-24's counts are turning .out Eonie fair weights. Quite a host of' essentially crossbred spinners are producing these yarns, and a big weight of sampling has been done to linns well ablo to produce khaki yarn. Of course, coating manufacturers who have no scribbling aud condenciug machinery or wooled * mules to proauce the weft yarns required, feel that they are at a disadvantage compared with woollen firms who have this class of machinery. Consequently the producing of khaki fabrics will bo entirely confined to manufacturing districts outside Bradford. But the wholo of tho khaki business is a mere ilea-bito compared with the business hitherto done in the export of crossbred yarns to the Continent, and the khaki orders aro very poor compen'iation to big firms who have been almost entirely engaged in spinning singles and two-folds for export to Germany and other Continental countries. I find that in Leicester business is largely normal, and the complete stoppage of tho imports of mule spun yarns from France and Belgium has compelled many firms to turn their attention to Bradford 6nun yarns. I , find a disposition to look moro favourably upon" local spun products than for | some years, and prospects point to an increased business being done between Bradford and Leicester. Of course, there is a good deal of prejudice to overcome, but both sides will have ■ to try and mako the best of tho circumstances. I know that in the finished article cap spun yarns will handle and appear very different from tho mule spun yams, but at a time liko the present thero will have to bo a good deal of aivp and take in order to satisfy tho requirements of the wholesale buyer. I hear of considerable demands for even khaki yarns, and those Bradford can spin second to none in tho world. LONDON WOOL SALES. This subject is being hotly debated, some contending that thero should be a postponement for a month to allow the war to get nearer a finish, but others are equally as emphatic about holding the salo for three or four days, as has been done this week in Liverpool, and so enable khaki manufacturers to cover some of their requirements. If Bradford had to be canvassed, there would bo a large majority in favour of postponing them, say, three weeks or a month, but the fact of London brokers being ablo to disnose of something like 10,000 bales privately during the post three weeks, is proof positive that a demand exists for certain classes, especially when they have been able to make {d to Id more than they did last series. As I say, Bradford wants littlo wool, largely because of its crippled finances, and because v oonsiderabio portion of its machinery has been brought to a standstill owing to tho war. There are other firms who are engaged iv producing khaki fabrics ■who have both the capital and disposition to buy something, and whether tho sales should bo held or not, is a master for two opinions. I did think strongly a week ago that they ouirhfe to be held, and so tlefino ivhero wool values actually stand, for the longer they are delayed the larger will be the stock in London, and I know that the larger the arrivals the greater will be the" fall Those advocating an indefinite, postponement point to the fact that users ia the West Riding can obtain all the wool they want privately, and. therefore, there is no need for a sale at all. By postponing the auctions another month, it will also give tho*e having stock in Bradford a further opportunity for realising 6am©, co

i think that, all things considered, a jwstponemont will be tkf> beet thing for Hie trade at large. A TOWN WHERE FLANNELS ARE MADE. One district in England where the wool and textilo trado flourishes is fairly widely known in overseas countries. It is a small area, almost lost in the great Lancashire cotton trado. Thero are one or two big mills there, however, which aro known both in London and Australia as prominent wool buyers. Their fabrics are cold in most rarts of the civilised world, and. perhaps they are bartered for in many uncivilised quarters. Rochdale flannels have made a name for themselves. Flannel'is tho chief wool fabric made in Rochdale. It is turned out in thousands of pieces, and though at the present timo the Continental trade ia entirely cut off, some mills are running ovcrthiio. Even last week, which was tho week' appointed for the local yearly holidays, some firms could not let their employees «o, machinery being run at full pressure to turn out flannel for the Government. THE DEMAND FOR FLANNEL. Since the war began, manufacturers' and merchants' stocks of flannel all ovor the country hafo been cleaned up in a, remarkable way, and orders aro flowing ; '.i io the mills much quicker than they can execute them. Beforo tho war one flannel mill in the \\ est Riding was making to stock, and could not find room for the nieces as they wero finished. All available space was occupied, and tho mill was running short timo. To-day they have not a yard of fnnne! in the place that is not sold. They are working overtime, their full production is disposed of for somo weeks to come., and orders aro still coming in. Another big mill is reported to be -working on flannel from G a.m. to 10 p.m. six days a week. v THE WOOL IT IS MADE OF. All the flannels which the Government orders are made entirely of wool, and are mostly used for shirtings lor tho soldiers and sailors. They are usually a light grey colour, called silver \ grey in the trade, and weigh about i (io?; to the yard. They aro very ser- I viceablo fabrics indeed, being very soit in handle, warm and light. As every reader knows, tho bulk of them aro made of short materials, euch as i merino locks and the shortest clothing j wools, and fair weights of iino ncute _ also enter into their composition. lhe very best flannels and the dearest aro made from the finest lambs' wool and ! noils, but they do not tho best wear. They are very soft, warm, and comfortable to the skin, but as a flannel manufacturer said to the writer: "They are made for wearers; who could buy another .shirt to-morrow, and not to war a year." Of course," the Government does not order theso goods, but takes something that not need replacing every three or lour months. , As I mentioned above, the wool chiefly wanted for flannel purpose i« fine clothing r.orte. Bttr weights ot hurry and seedy merino locks arf taken every year to bo carbonised and used for flannels. Ono Bradford merchant. doinsz a fair business in such wool and merino noils, stated tho other day that ho could not lay. his hands on anything- liko the weights he wanted. At tho {"resent time three aro about t.'io only'desoriptions of merinos that an? in demand, good long combing sorts being distinctly neglected. We have an idea that there is a fair amount of merino clothing locks and pieces in France and Belgium, for a French and a Belgian broker took more of this class of staple than anybody else at the July series, and I do not think that thoro has been yet time to use it all. Of course, a good proportion of fine crossbred lambs wool and noils is used in flannels, but, so far as I remember, the home trndo lamb wool buyers wore very quiet last sales, and stocks of these wools are ex- j cecdingly light.