OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 328, 15 October 1908, Page 10

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

HULL AND THE WOOL TRADE. A. FEW FACTS FOR SHIPPERS. (FttOM OUtt SPECIAL CORIIESrONDENT.) Bradford, August 23. The respective Governments of Australia, particularly sinco tho constitution of the Commonwealth, have consistently been endeavouring to open out new markets for their produce, and having regard to the keen competition of foreign countries moro nearly situated to tho United Kingdom and to the growing expenses of transport by way of London, tho port to which their exports are principally sent—and it may be said that the Port of London Bill at present before Parliament will tend materially to increase these expenses—they have of later years turned their attention to tho moro northerly ports as being nearer to tho main industrial centres of the country' from which a demand for their produce is likely to proceed and tho visit of the Agents-General in October, 1905, was .a direct outcome of this policy. . Mr. T. A. Coghlan, the Agent-General for Now South Wales, gave his impressions of the advantages of the port for the conduct of trade with Australia and New Zealand in a speech, and I am informed that representations, in conformity with tho views expressed in that speech, were subsequently made by each of the xigenls-General to his own Government. Mr. T. Price, the . Premier of South Australia, went to Hull, and spent two days there on March 31 and April 1 last, and I understand from subsequent conversation that he entertains a very high opinion as to the suitability and advantages of- the port and its equipment for the conduct of trade with Australia and New Zealand. The waterways communicating with tho Estuary of the Humber extend far into the country in a northerly, westerly, and southerly direction, and flow past a-large number of industrial centres, and' the low transport charges levied by the carriers on these waterways are reflected, in the competing railway rates, 7SO that I estimate that Hull, which is perhaps the cheapest of the-larger ports of tho Kingdom, serves an area- populated by something like ten million persons by means of transport rates which are cheaper than or as cheap as those obtaining to and from the three larger competing ports of London, Liverpool- (including Manchester), and the Bristol Channel ports. THE TOTAL WOOL TRADE. Wool is, by far tlie main export from Aus-tralia,-New Zealand, the Cape, and the River Plate to this country, and appended is a statement showing the importations into and re-, exports from the United Kingdom of wool from all sources,-that from Australia and Now Zealand being specifically shown. The wool from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the River. Plato imported into tho United Kiugdom may bo divided into two classes:—. . . '.. : (1) That, which, is consigned by shippers to London .brokers and put in. the sales at tho latter port. ■ (2). That which is purchased by buyers from the United Kingdom regularly attending- tho Bales in Australia, New .Zealand, the Capo, and Buenos Ayres. • With roferenco to. the first of these two classes-it may. bo said that the total wool imported into London .in 1907 was 486,181,7821b. As much as 91,606,1381b. of tiiis quantity camo from .the .Capo, of Good Hope, Natal, and as the wool sold at tho London sales comes almost entirely from either tho Caoe of Good Hope, Natal, .Australia, and New Zealand, it may be stated with practical certainty that the residue of 394>875,G141b. came from Australia and New Zealand. The London sales ato attended by foreign buyers, . and about 40 per' cent, or 157,950,2581b; of the wool bought there is reexported, principally. .to Germany, Holland, Bolgium, France, and America. This leavos 255,925,3861b. for consumption in tho United liingdoni; and-with the exception of a comparatively small amount which-is sent to the West of England, the whole of this wool is sont to the West Riding and Scotlandi This, latter* wool is convoyed from London to tho West Riding either direct by railway or by coasting vessel to Hull or Goolo, and then by rail or inland navigation to the West Riding. Tho rail rate from London to Bradford is 30s. per ton. From Hull to Bradford it is 15s. per ton. Tho port charges in London for collection, labour, wharfage, warehousing, ticketing, and exhibiting for sale, etc., are already very heavy, nnd it is estimated that tlioy are at least about 103. per ton in excess of thoso levied in respect of similar services and accommodation at null. The saving, therefore, in unnecessary transport charges which would bo effected by importing the wool b'ought on West Riding account nnd soiling it in Hull'instead of London would be about 255. per ton, on, say, 110,000 tons per annum, or .£137,500 per annum.

BRITISH TRANSPORT CHARGES. The West Riding manufacturer has to face • the increasing keen competition,of his foreign riral, and the present excess transport charges on his wool from London, as compared with those from London to the Continent, must be a burden of a very serious character. As' regards the second point, this is bought by the West Riding buyers at the sales in Australia, Now Zealand, and Buenos Ayres, and is sent through to tho West Riding either via Hull, Liverpool/ or Manchester. The dock charges at and railway rate from - Liverpool, as contrasted with those at and • from Hull, show about 7s. to Bs. per ton in favour of Hull; whilst as regards Manchester it may be said that, although the Ship Canal Company are, making concessions from their schedule cliarges to an extent which justifies tho belief that they are getting very little, if auy, profit in the working of the business, it cannot for one moment be loolcod upon, having regard to tho difficulties of access and delays, as being so convenient a port from the point of view of tho buyers as null. ■ It is strongly hoped, as a result of the visit of the Agents-General, tho Premier of South Australia, and the prospective visit of the Premier of Queensland,., and other influential -authorities, that other cargo from Australia. New Zealand, and the River Plate; such as frozen and chilled meat, butter,' cheese, corn,, tallow, stearino, dead rabbits, wood, lieinp, fruit, etc., may be shipped here as the most convenient and cheapest centre of distribution to the "busy populated • centres of the ■ West Riding—for which I may. say ample cold storage exists in tho port—in addition" to such wool as is bought in Australia and New Zealand, regular and frequent sailings of direct steamers to and from tho port of Hull may in the near future be brought about. The above are a few joints worth noting, and an impartial consideration of the facts and circumstances must irresistibly lead one to the conclusion that if such an issue can be brought about, it will lead to an enormous saving in tho transport charges to the mutual advantage of the Australian, New Zealand, South African and Argentine:producer, and to the consumer in this country.. A GOOD BOOK FOR WOOT.GROWERS. I would like to draw the attention of woolgrowers to a book just published, entitled "The Principles of Woollen Spinning," and published by Longman, ■ Greon and Co., Paternoster Row, London. The book is 'written by Mr. Howard Priestman, who since his retirement from active connection with wool-comb-ing and spinniiig has taken to spending his spare time in writing 011 subjects connected with wool. Tho first four, chapters are specially educative in their influence for all growers of. the raw material, giving them an .insight into . the woollen trade which can be found nowhere else. The first chapter deals with- the history of the woollen trade, Mr. Priestman tracing the origin- of this important industry from vory early times. The reader is-given a clear insight into tho methods adopted in carding and spinning awoollen thread, and we seem to have travelled a long way since our' forefathers "slubbe'd" and spun by hand and tlie jenny. While dealing with this subject, thero might have been some notice given to the first consignment of "Australian wool brought over by the Rev.. Samuel llarsden about , the year 1807, and which found its way into the production of woollen'fabrics.- In the second chapter wool and/wool washing is dealt with, and hero several important particulars • are given concerning t.ho chemical composition of wool and the principles to be observed in the washing of'greasy, skin, and sliped wools, tho scouring operation also being dealt.with. I endorse every word that Mr. Priestman says regarding wool scouring, for carelessness here incapacitates the wflol to cndurQ successfully the following operations, besides reducing its ability to produco a perfect piece of goods. The chapter on carbonising is particularly interesting, for here ■ tho reader is given a clear insight as to what, manufacturers havo to do in- getting rid of vegetable matter such as burrs, seeds, and moits, before they can use tho wool. All this objectionable matter is not tho bugbear, to the wool buyer that it used to be, but all tho same tho less thero .is of it (in. t'.'C. wool) the nioro it is likely- to fotcli. The next chapter deals with shoddy, and here again a very close insight is given into tho manufacture of that commodity, which cannot be looked upon with pleasure by wooV;rowcrs, but which' all tho same forms a very useful part of tho raw materials employed by manufacturers in producing woollen cloths at a reasonable price. The remaining chapters describe to the reader tho various proaesses through which wool goes before it cos bq colled a Bpuii thread.