OUR YORKSHIRE TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 865, 11 July 1910, Page 5

OUR YORKSHIRE TRADE.

TEE HOSIERY TRADE AND ITS EFFECT UPON WOOL VALUES. (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, May 27, 1910. No branch of tho wool trade has shown greater development during the past decade than that of hosiery manufacture, and I am confident that in dealing with the increased consumption of which we have heard ?,o much during recent years sufficient credit has not been given to (his branch of the industry. As everyone knows, Leicester is looked upon as the district of first importance in the hosiery trado of Great Britain, but w; have important and big firms in Bradford, Halifax, and Scotland who are valuable contributors. Hosiery spinning and manufacture is somewhat different in character to the ordinary worsted spinning industry, although it is to soms extent part and parcel of tho whole. It may conic as a surprise to many readers, but tremendous weight.-) of worsted-spun yarn ate us;d in' the production of hosiery fabrics. When the writer was a lad'the only hosiery fabrics that were known were stockings. Uiulcrvesfs wens worn by very low, it only being during the past twenty years that undervosts and combinations have begun to be worn by tho rank and file. Cotton shirts wero ail tho rage, but to-day not one in fifty adhere to' the uld order of things. it is neither considered hygienic or gentlemanly, and I am certain tho innovation has * brought comfort, health, and happiness to all alike. The working man's wife chimes in: "What about (he extra expense?" aud we reply it makes business, and dees good for trade. That is quite correct, and in the business even the wi-.olgrowpr. merchant, and manufacturer participate. USING WOOL WITH COTTON AND LINEN. This sul.ij.D6l is suggested this week by the receipt this morning of a sample of underwear fabric produced by a .Belfast linen company, which they are ljcomins as "Limvool," and fitting forth with printer's ink for all they aro worth., I have carefully examined the sample thev enclose, which is of mesh-like construction, and it is a very successful combination of linen and wool. I'ho firm producing it frankly state what arc its component parts, telling us that only "the fimst pure linen and pure- woollen yarns" are employed, "and is so manufactured that the linen is next to tho bodv, and Hie wool outside." So.far so good. We have no fault to find with linen or even cotton, both vegetable fibres alike being of a very useful character, and serving purposes which cannot be served by even wool. But, when thev go on to stale: "We have always maintained that: linen is the- proper material for wearing next to tho body, while wool should bo used for the outer clothing" they trespass upon ground which,'notwithstanding "the recommendation of many prominent medical authorities," their assertion will be challenged. I am certain that an "all-wool" umkrgarmout is far better than a combination of either cotton or linen with wool, and both medical science as well as experience confirm tho fact that allwool underwear is the best for both hot and cold climates alike. It is quite true that all wool articles are rather expensive, because only the finest merino can be spun sufficiently small to make an undergarment somewhat thin though good. Nobody wants a thick cumbersome pair of vests and pants, consequently crossbred material is never used in. producing underwear fabrics. This is one reason why so many fine merino yarns aro being to-'day consumed in Loicoster aud Scotland, and there will be to the end of all time.

THE QUESTION OF SHRINKING. For many years the question of shrinking of woollen underwear proved to bo tire bug-bear of the industry, and at one time it seriously retarded its development. Men complained that after their undervreds and pants had been in the wash-tnb two or three times they ha/1 so

"run up" that they could not. set them near their back, consequently the wliolo trade met with a serious drawback. That wool shrinks and felts the veriest trio in tho trade knows, and without doubt it at one time looked like producing conditions, which, to say the least, were unpalatable. Then manufacturers rose to tho occasion, at least those responsible for finishing tho goods set to work to evolve a system which has proved so successful that underwear manufacturers now guarantee their products to be "unshrinkabH" this giving tho whole trado a splendid fillip. How the prews? is done I cannot say, but some chemicals must Ire us«l to iWtroy the felting property of wool, otherwise it is bound to shrink, there being nothing whatever to prevent this natural factor connected with the raw material. I have always maintained that directly chemicals are brought into contact with the wool fibre they weaken its powers of insistence, besides rendering it an inferior fabric. To get over this difficulty, manufacturers are to-day using in connection with thw=c fine worsted yams a good deal of cotton, silk, and linen, and tlioo vegetable fibres being unshrinkable, naturally retard the wool from doing likewise. It is surprising what a range of qualities ajid prices nro met with ill the hosiery 1 ia.de, it being Uir deplii of Hie purse of the million which hns called into existence tho varied qualities which arc met villi in tho shop l ; of the land. Many pc»p!i> won't have "all wool" uiidcrsarineiits. because they do not wear .-o well, and are mure liable to shrink Lhiiii n. Mliibiiution of wool mid cotton, jßiud oertaittli' theso will stand somewhat

liawli.T wear than ihi- belter C|iiality fabrics, which Lire softer in lexture, iiml Ipss straug lo resist the strain put upon (hem. PRESENT AND FTITtiICB DEVELOPMENTS. As the reader will have already sneii, the hosiery trade is jilnying a very important pan. in determining the price of the raw material, and will do as time goes on. Great developments have taken place this last few years in the production of oil-wool motor scarves, and it is here that large weights of crossbred qualities are being consumed. 'llien, again, knitted hoods for biibies and young children are also on the market in large quantities, and very graceful and useful things they are. In addition there is the tremendous trade that is being done in stocking.-:, more of this class of goods beii!" produced by machinery than ever; in fact, hand-knit'ixl socks and stockings ure to-day pnicllcully u thing or the past.. If careful note is taken of tin- quality of the y.u-,1 employed in the production of stockings, it. will be found that it is far finer Hi .in H has been in the past, for whereu.-. even live years ago very few uitrimi Imlf-how were worn by men, a liir'e quantity of fancy coloim-.l socks audio order of'lo-ilay. All this has meant a tremendous increase in the consumption of merino wool. XV'na* about the "sweater"? Here in EiHaud fashion decreed last summer thiit thn gentler sex slwuld be adorned in jackets, which are commonly called "sweaters," and very smart and effective they are. These are made mostly from ■15's to 3G's quality, and being dyed almost, any shade, they have shifted some big weights of medium crossbiedb. In all these various ways the hosiery trade to-day is responsible for the absorption oF Slim b big weights of raw material, which all makes for the good ol the trade from the woolgrower to the manufacturer.

NEW BUSINESS ABSENT. This market c,annot yet lie siid to luivu assumed its normal, and ivh-ile mills are as busy as over, still there is an absence of new" business Ail detcripi-ioM of raw material are firm, but fresh sates ol toys and yams are very limited, and prcioticallv tho whole attention of the trade is übiarbed in executing old contracts. There obtains a very comfortable feeling, a!t)wi!"li nobody is ut present disposed to speculate oil the future. .All combers and .spinners arc well situated so fnr as top-; are concerned, and in average tho majority are covered for sujuo inontlis to come. Topmalters are meeting thsir present heavy financial obligations in a very creditable way, and although a httlc pressure is observable here and them, still on the whole bills are being retured, and deliveries from the ship and elsewhere are being made with commendable freedom. There is as niueh briskness as ever in wool combing circles, and on the whole prospects nro good for day nnd ui"ht running for some months to come. Bradford commission wool combers were perhaps never more comfortably situated than they are to-day, and there are as vet no si"ns of an absence of raw nialerial in any quarter. There is no question of a doubt about the Homo trade havimr bought a. larger quantity of wool this scasmTthan ever it did, and piovi«ior has been made for requirements hter in the year, several firms evidently be,in 3 determined not v<. bo cinight short as tncy have bson in the past. Jlennos en'a"o most attention, and values aro firm"a good 6-i's being quoted at 2s. s a d. Here and lucre a buyer ran get in at a fraction less, but on tho whole topmatars are firmly adhering to what they are asking, feeling satisfied that the future is with them One of the soundest features about to-day's market is the universal knowledge that values are high enough Ml alike state candidly that they do not want to risk the fulure a sreat deal, or in any wise do anything to tall the present "ood trade. At the maanifactunns end business has been a little upset by tho sudden and unexpected demand for blacks, but it is very unlikely that the coloured trade will be disturbed a peat deal and so long as our export trade Keeps up as at present prices will not vary much. Crossbreds are all steady and firm, without any greac weight of new business passing. Mohair is quiet here, but active abroad, two or UiTee Bradford dealers Operating freely in fine hair at the sources of supply.