BRADFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18184, 22 September 1924, Page 10

BRADFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

WOOL GROWERS' CONFERENCE. (FJtOM OfR OVW COBXESFOXDIST.) LONDON, August 12. The Bradford Chamber of Commerce is taking advantage of the excellent opportunity created by the presence in the country of so many overseas visitors to convene a conference of wool growers from the Dominions to be held in Bradford on September Oth. A .large and representative attendance is expected, and the fixture should be of wide interest. The four chief .subjects to be giscussed are: (1) The _rate of exchange between Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa and the United Kingdom; (2) the breeding of sheep, with special reference to the use of the Roinney ram; (3) the packing of wool in some fabric- more suitable than jute; and (4) the marking of sheep with tar and red rud.

It is the intention of the Chamber to have samples at the conference to illustrate to the wool growers the deleterious effect of using tar and similar methods of marking, and on the following day they will be shown over a factory for the purpose of a demonstration of the trouble caused by jute fibres getting into the wool. In order to make the conference as complete as possible, representatives of the wool textile trade in North France have been asked to take part, and Mr Maurice Dubrulle has -accepted, on behalf of himself and three or four colleagues. The practicability of introducing a pack made of wool will, no doubt, be discussed. The wool growers are to be entertained to dinner on the evening of September 9th. According to the "Manchester Guardian," Mr F. A. Aykroyd, president of the Bradford. Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest buyers of New Zealand crossbred wool, is convinced after many years' experience that a marked deterioration has taken placo in the clip of New Zealand. He puts this down to the extensive use of theßomney as a sire. Mr Aykroyd has received quite recently some samples of wool from "a 'leading Romney stud breeder. At first sight they looked perfect, being of splendid 4G-4S's quality, good length, with sufficient curl in the staple and serration in the fibro to put them in the first rank of produce of their kind. Only when the staples were opened out was the fault revealed, this being that strong fibres were intermingled with fine fibres. This is the great fault of tho bulk of the Eomney-bred wool to-day. Mr Aykroyd points to the use of the Vermont merino stud sire that began to be used by-some Riverina pastoralists towards the close of last century as a parallel case. The Vermont blood brought about deterioration in the fleece. A second parallel case was seen in the Punta Arenas wools of twenty years ago, these, too, being troubled with strong hairs, oftentimes a fine bottom and a coarse-tipped staple. Tho Punta wools have greatly improved in quality during recent years, while the Vermont has been discarded altogether.

An Economic Point of View. Tlij Bradford correspondent of the "Financial Times" says that f.he wool textile trade of Yorkshire, is losing a considerable amount of" business by reason of competition by French manufacturers, who are able, on account of the low French exchange, to supply the British market with light-weight worsted cloths suitable for ladies' wear at a considerably lower price than Home manufacturers are able to supply it. The positfon is being taken advantage of by the local Protectiorfists to attempt to revive the agitation in favour; of imposing a tariff on imported French cloths. Mr Ernest. H. Gates, the managing director of Salts (Saltaire), one of the largest concerns in the cloth manufacturing trade, is deploring the fact that the question of tariff reform should be bound up with politics. He urges that the question should be considered from an economic point of view. He points out that many millions of yards of French cloth is being sent on to the British market to unfairly with British-mads goods, thanks to the state of the French exchange. The chief anxiety of Mr Gates and his friends appears to be to ensure more employment for the peoplo engaged in the wool textile trade.

The facts, as supplied by official statistics, are that as regards unemployment, i n October and November . last, when the country was being asked to decide the issue at the polls, the number of unemployed in the wool textile trade was 16,614. This state of tilings, we were told, was due to our allowing French textiles to be imported free, and we were assured that the position must get worse in consequence of that fact. As a fact, the figures of unemployment in the industry had fallen by May to a quarter of the number in October and November. Then, as regards exports ond imports of textiles, the Government figuios show that in the "first half of 1923 our exports of wool products were £30,618,438, compared with £32,192,804 in the first six months of the present year, while imports for the first, six months of the present year are something like four and a-half times less than our exports. The chief reason for the recent slackening in the worsted trade of the West Riding has been a change in the taste oi the consumer, who has shown a decided preference for the cheaper woollen goods. "What tbe worsted trade has lost," says one authority, "has been gained by the woollen section of the trade and a tariff on imports from France will not cause the consumer to change that preference in favour of worsteds."

WHEAT AND WOOL. N.S.W. ESTIMATES. (BT CABLE —PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPTBIGHT) (AtrSTBAUAX AXD U.K. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) SYDNEY, September 20. Mr Chajfey, Minister of Agriculture, says that the estimated wheat yield in the coming season is 50,000,000 bushels, of a value of £12,000,000. The wool clip will probably bo worth £22,000,000. WHALE OIL. AUSTRALIA'S TARIFF WALL. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution drawing the attention of the Minister for Industrie® to the large amount of whale oil awaiting shipment in New Zealand, and asking him to endeavour to obtain a relaxation in the Australian tariff bar against Dominion whale oil. It stated by Mr J. T. Martin that over 250 tons of wiiaie oil wen* held in the South. I*land alone. At £2B pur ton this would yield £7OOO. Tho present duty in Australia w«s £6 per ton, and had been put on last year to protect newly-established whaling stations. These, however, were not meeting the a imply, and mwrufacturera were keen to obtain New Zealand oil, but the industry could not stand the duty, and Japanese herring oil was being used.