OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 581, 9 August 1909, Page 6

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

THE CLASS.Or WOOL AMERICA BUYS. (From Our Special Correspondent) Bradford, Juno 24, 1009. \ The Amcficau factor is to-day paramount in the wool trade,, the influence of American ■ buying taking the whole world by storm since tho last Day Berios of London sales. It is now inere history to say that its special needs can only bo met by the best wools grown, and owing to certain conditions of tariff arrangements, only the best classes of-merino-and 'crossbred-are .imported. Tho onslaught at. the May series itas remarkable, and. so far at the English' fairs they havo knocked everyone to tho wall in their great eagerness to secure good halfbreds and fine down descriptions. Tho question is well worth asking what special ■ description of colonial wools are purchased by America, and thesnbiect deserves a chapter. The fact is very remarkable that America is a larger buyer of Australasian grown wools than it has ever been', and this notwithstanding a big import duty of 11 cents per lb. on greasy vcool. At the time the Dingier Tariff was enacted we were told by United States sheep enthusiasts that, given an adequate duty, and-sufficient wool could be grown in America to meet manufacturers' demands. Such- a statement the writer never believod, and if the import duty was doubled to-morrow, no less quantity of Australian merino and Mew Zealand crossbred would be imported . • BUYING ALL QUALITIES. American buyers purchase' all qualities and descriptions of wool; that is, so far as the combing is concerned. Operatore from across the Atlantic very soldom go beyond purchasing the combing lots," the exigencies of their tariff compelling them to keep to the lightest shrinkage parcels. Here we see the wisdom of growers making the most of their combing wools, and the benefits .arising from skirting are seen when American buyers give their support to the wool. It has to be an exceptionally good: lot of clothing, broken or pieces that command American support, and I do not know .that .1 ever saw United States operators purchase necks or' pieces. Why should they when there is sufficient combing to meet aU their needs? On the,other .hand, it is a pity that they cannot buy the second and third descriptions of a clip, as can the Home, or Continental trades. In this respect. I am certain' that the American tariff .is- at fault, for if United States ".'importers could lift good second, combing, clothing, broken* and pieces, some excellent Ta\y. material for the woollen •industry'..would ,be secured. These remarks apply just the same to crossbreds as merinos. At the last series of. London, sales we saw American.support given more freely to shabbier crossbreds thai' we ever did. and- this'ought to be a general thing, and not. an unusual occurenee. There is any amount of good medium merinos and crossbreds which would do admirably for both combing and. carding purposes, if they could bo • imported at' a reasonable price,,'but. so-long as there is a settled duty on wool, buyers will be" compelled to purchase only, the lightest conditioned parcels. It seems a' thousand pities, both in. the'interests of American .manufacturers as well as growers, that tho same competition is not .forthcoming for these wools, for it would guarantee to the American wearing, public a much better garment than what is being worn in very many cases, for at their verv best so-called. "cotton .worsteds" cannot possibly cive satisfaction. THE MERINOS PURCHASED. As already said., the fundamental principle to be observed in buying wopl for America is that of weight which the raw material will ■ bring when clean scoured. In other words, it is the' old story over again of shrinkage, and the clean yield" it will bring.. Now very little, wool is bought for the United States that will not give half weight, that is '50 per cent., and the nearer it will -give 55 per cent, clean .ykld, the more. likely-,it is to command. American support. As a rule Victorianwools, and particularly those grown in West Victoria, also the wools grown in tho district known as the.Lower North, of South Australia, tho best Kiveriua wools, and a few of the lightest Queensland clips, with' an occasional lot or two from .West 'Australia and Tasmania, are also bought for the United States. It is hard to say what quantity of the'J Australian clip will give a. clean yield of 50 to 55 per cent. It hus been-estimated that of the wools grown'■lO por cent, of medium lnermo9 will give a" clean yield of 48 to 52 per cent., but I should question if that estimate' is reliable. Merino wool yielding say half weight is considered very light and good and more like 25 to 30 per cent, of the Australian clip would, to my mind, be nearer tho mark; Another 15 per cent, would give from '52 to 55, and tho remainder would yield anywhere iv.om 35 to, 45, ; with the exception of the . heav,y-stained pieces, .bellies, and locks. I am certain that American buyers are beginning to appreciate more ■ the ■ opportunity of purchasing . Australian merinos, and they know better thin was the case some four or five years back, when the best clips will be offered. As time passes, there is bound to bo considerably more buying done at the various Australian selling- centres > than thero used ■to be, and there is every appearance of a larger number coming to London. The majority are not expecting very much change in the wool duties at the present revision, but I am certain that many years cannot elapse more favourable terms will ' be given to im. porting heavier shrinkage wools than in the past. ■ ' ;

Vl'he class of merinos that America likes perhaps the most is. the broad, shaffcy, deepstapled wools, and. Adelaide descriptions are Sriine favourites. . I have often seen in Lonon when two or three American buyers Have taken ■ every lot of , combing, for they know just as well, .as-, Yorkshire-''.'top-makers t.'mt these. wools have plenty o£ "tear" about .them. TKis is perhaps what, makes them so popular along with the best Rivorina clips. These wools will carry through less, desirable parcels, and they will stand "mixing" very largely with their own domestio fleeces if users so elect. In the ease of West Victorian wools, these ■ serve an admirable purpose. They-are very well liked by every section .'of the trade, and it is a thousand pities that West Victoria is not a larger wool-grow-ing State. A few New Zealand merinos find their, way across the Atlantic, , but as ;a rule they are too heavy'.and fatty, for that quarter, and the same can be said for the wools of South Africa. Of course, estimates can vary . any where 'up i to's per cent, respecting the yield of wool, and I, havo known so-called experts be as much as 8 to 10 per cent, out in estimating the yield of a lot of wool At the same time. American: buyers .know what they want, and, having found what suits their purpose, they cannot -easily be shaken.off. If bouth African wools were in lighter condition, they, too, would sell in good quantities, but so long as six months' shearing is so general, and the wools are so badly prepared.for market, America will not touch them.' A few special clips from tho Western Province and Kaffraria are taken, but I. should say. that not more than 5 per cent, of South African wools are suited for American requirements. CEOSSBEEDS FOE AMERICA. '. New Zealand are prime favourites with American buyers, and hero we see a largo quantity being annually " shipped. Many lots were purchased last series in London that would give fully 75 per cent, clean yield, and some handsomo pricee—up l to. lpld.—were frequently paid. These light yielding fleeces are, however, the exception. Tho bulk of the wools 'of.' a crossbred character wJiich are shipped across the Atlantic will not give a clean yield of more than 65 to 70 per tent.; in fact, it is in order to say that crossbred fleeces for the United States should not shrink more than from 25 to 35 per cent. '■ Then, the quality of crossbreds is an important consideration. ' Lately they have shown more disposition to take up tho stronger fibred wools, say, 40's quality, but this last few years their purchases have mostly centred around wools from 4G's to'fiG's. Good halfbrcds have been prime favourites, and so have wools of medium quality. Of course, tho class of goods which are fashionable determines to a ■large extent whut is doing, and on all hands quality decided what is going to sell tho best according to tho special noed of tho trade. Am'erica seems to bu fairly veil fitted from a climatic standpoint for the spinning of crossbreds, for no complaints have, ever been raised as to the difficulty of combing- and spinning these wools, the same us one; has heard from the Continent. Even in English wools tho paino line of "demarcation obtains .las is found'in colonial sorts. At the country! fairs, which ai-o at present absorbing groat, interest, the strongest demand has run for well-washed fleeces of a medium to fine quality, the strong wools being comparatively neglected; To sum tho j nifi'tter up, condition ami quality nro the two leading essentials in all American, wools, and where a man gets that there is usually the other sound characteristics to be found. South American wools, including thoso of the Eiyer | Plate nud Pnnta Arunos, nre also commanding the support of American buyers, anil v;ill continue to do so. In the latter, condition in of first importance. Their Manufacturing properties as. good hosiery wools have betn rccogiu&ed ■by United States manufacturers, ami these aro certain to be more largely bought in tho future. The fact is very significant that even Scotch Blackface, which is about the coarsest wool that is grown, finds largo .support at tho hand of American enrpet manufacturers, nnd thcro is no better wool.in any part gf the world for fcMe purpoM. ■ . ' ■ ', . ,i