OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 949, 17 October 1910, Page 4

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

COST OP WOOL AND PRICE OF I'i.N'ISKED CLOTH. '- (From Our Special Correspondent.)Bradford, September 2, 1910. It, must be a matter of sonio wonder to the,purchaser of clothing, as to lioff much of the price he is charged' for; an article reprefpnts payment to the producer of tho raiv material, and wages to those who have had to labour in the, manufacturing of tho article. There need be little question,' however, that, as regards the textile industry, ■as . muoli,. if not very much' 'more, of the money paid by tho user of its productions represents material ■ and: labour, as obtains in W??™ to any other section of work-., to Avhich man's energies are devoted. From the standpoint _of the greatest good for the greatest number, few industries are ; a uiore valuable: asset to, the nation than this in giving (jpiployment; to all classes of society at a reasonable rate of wages, as comfortable working .conditions, and as great. an : immunity from accidents to the workers. ' ' .

' The value of the fabric ultimately produced is chiefly governed, cither by the amount of labour put into the material, as in the case, of the light-weight fancy cloths for ladies' wear, or by the amount of both the. material and labour employed, as, for example, with plain mens wear goods. The former, types are really the poorer value :in'one respect; and, it is only because of their -uniqueness^_in, structure or in: appearance . that nigh prices' rulb for these. Present, space will not allow of more than the briefest reference to ..these diverse "types, but as indicating the price influences 'obtaining for an average worsted cloth: of cither the coating or dress type, the, following, particulars -may prove, useful. Assuming the : .fabric ,to .be made from fine w6ol, there will be:—' ; ' ■' i: , Raw wool (greasy), costing, say,l2d. per lb. in Bradford; .

' Wlren scoured this will-lose in-impuT-ity, say, 50 per cent.; and this loss will raise, its cost ; to 21d. per lb. . To the above price the scouring charge must be added, <sav, Jd. •.' -. Combing, arid preparation processes for combing, will follow, causing a . further reduction in weight of 10 "per cent, (on scoured weight) due to noil, and an increase in cost' of the top produced, due (1) to "decreased value of noil (worth only. I2d. per lb.), and (2) because of a charge for work done, say, lid. I, . :■ The : finished. top. as suitable for the spinner', will\ now . cost about 27Jd., to which must, bo. added topmakers'profit, say Id. per lb. . : . " ; • In spinning,' the tops, costing' 28|d. will lose approximately 5 per.cent. as. waste,: and.will cost 3£d. per.lb. for the-processes. ■ , The addition of Id. -for. skinners' profit, 'will then bring the price ot.yarn. to,/ap..proximately,- 3s. per lb. ;\ ; ; . V Preparation- 'for" the loom which fol-,ilowST-warp-making,: 1 warp-dressing for '.weaving, dr'awing-in or:."looming"—and, ; subsequently,, weaving -itself, .will -...; cost; . say, l)jd. .per yard, which it is assumed for this . purpose' lib.. of .'yarn will- supply. The . piece ; is -then .to burl' and'.,inend,; and .to - dye and "finish," ' Gd. . per yard being' here absorbed. ' : . \ Adding to this manufacturers' profit, say, 2d.. per yard, a price of 3s. 9£-d. a yard; is given, at which price the. cloth goes.;to the-merchant, and thence,..to the' tailor; these latter, ; because, they. .deal with, shorter lengths/and hold . considerable stock;which' rabidly -.depreciates, :reas6nably taking' bigger 'profits. . • ;- ■ i: ; : .'lt will thus be r evideht that to produce a cloth costing is. to ss. per yard; : ,2s. goes to the:grower of the wool,'his agents,, arid in railway, charges : (the latter two taking/.say,' lid., of, this).. Of .the ; remainder, in .relation, -to. the cloth, -:the value of the tops is probably 'one-half, while. that of the yarn is two-thirds'. : ■Waste" accounts. : for. almost 1 : one-third of the cloth value,; and. profits probably take up one-quarter. '..This, .of: course,, is for an average plain cloth; for the fancy styles.. the relationship, '. particularly' .in. .the spinning and weaving;. is abmcwhafc'difTdrcrit ;?but; generally "'speaking,' as - regards tlie financial': returns. for; •both producer, maker, and distributor, the ;results: are, in-'the aggregate; the-same. , BUSINESS STILL c GOOD. .

Business is/'proceeding on .very .similarlineS: to>what. I have o.utlined during the past: two .or -.three weeks,; said: the same, -sound encouraging features-. : - are;;: as' strongly : in .evidence as , ever:. The /raw .material is being (very tightly held;: and .as far;as.one' can ; 'see is■ going to -be.'_ A fair/amount; of factual -business is taking place ' daily' iiV : merinos, arid' prices'" are exceedingly'- firm. • A . general ' quotation ifor ;a Bradford ;-6i's •- top ,is;-2s. sd.j and topmakcrs' are' not in the, least encouraging "business; Of; course, - the time of: the year;,has arrived wKeri' they: regard it' as policy to make hasto slowly, for the majority aredesirous of seeing prices'no higher, but lower. • All alike sco the danger, of' buying wool in Australia: on today's basis; and it: is' no lise . disguising the fact- that', the' ideas of users, iere are :running: round the-basis• of" about 25.. to 2s. 3d. for a.fii's top, and they would like to buy wool-'around that' figure: '.Whether; or. no -it'irill\be' done. is' quite adifferent .thing, but there is a .pretty general opinion i abroad that 'the" coining' Australasian.clip will not be lifted on' today's, basis. I. have .before pointed, out ,that ;•.wall values .cajinot >'be ; expected to, -go- on - rising . for ever, for there .- is a ■ limit to everything, and. that point is all about reached. There, has . been a little talk: lately, about tho disastrous slump that ensued"towards the-end' of 1907, and : . the early: months- of 1908, - when'.tremendous losses. had -to be faced. We. liave already been told that, the present; is a very'similar time to September, 1907, and importing topmakcrs have been warned .in no unmeasured, terms that; losses, await those, who buy wool 'in Australia on today's limit.' 1: hardly think that importers will pay much'regard,. to .such;, awarniiig, although all .alike recognise the , comparative dearness: of - the . raw . mater-: inl. Conditions to-day are.'a little ent .what they were in 1907, and ; I hardly, think there;can .be any. financial crisis precipitated either in .--England;, on the ' Continent,, or;, in. .America-' Air through this year the .'United. States has been -passing through, ■ a very unprofitable time, and the. Australian, w-pol . trade has every: reason for thankfulness that it'-has-'had somebody" better' to - look; to for "taking its. wool- supplies' than our American; cousins. As I have said ih past letters,l general; surprise .has.- been expressed, at • the continued booming conditions an. the' West' Riding bf Yorkshire, and I; say .unhesitatingly that' even to-day all .our mills are busier . than those in. . either. France' or Germany.. The. fact: of- America being so slack has not had -a particle of effect upon this market, for. thingsJiayo bounded forward . as. .if .every .countiy. in the world- was enjoying u stat^of --boom.. Truly the supremacy of the West' ltiairi" lias • ohde : again, asserted .itself;- aha. the results have been,alike, good to;everysectton of the .-trade, and. particularly wool-growers.' , ; ■ AX AUTIJMN SQUEEZE. . There is increasing evidence that; we "are 'going' to have -another autumn squeeze in merinos,' and as far as one can see all the. available stocks are going to bo wanted. - Nearly a month has yet to elapse before the September series.of- Lon-. 'don sales begin, . and ;with ~-macliinery continuing to be run. ..atv -such-, ' high pressure, all the • combed wool,, available . is going to be- wanted. /Several "topmakers seem very - reticent about .sell-ing-any thing . further. for delivery , this side of Octobor, and. although ", they are -■keeping.. with deliveries, yet .the majority have: sold all that they care to. As I have already said,,: all alike are not the least disposed', to now play, .the .forcing game. Tbey have sold .quite as much as they care to, and in vicw:of tho. regular weekly sates beginning ill Adelaide and Sydney at the end of the present month, they are waiting until they, see how prices, shape. There continues to be a complete absence of selling forr ward, and in' this respret are puisuin-g a different policy, to what they did both last, year arid in 1908. -Sonie are -learning through • bitter experiehoe,. and there seems to l>o on agreement on the I Kir t of both, 'topmaksrs arid spinners to. let things quietly rest until they eec what takes place.; All /users scout the idea of being compelled - to. pay-'tp-day.s. rates for January to April delivery, ana there, is a strong contrast Uptwetn -thfl attitude of sellers and buyers in this respect,. oompared with the date a year ago! Olio begins to wonder what it' all inoaus. . CEOSSBREDS VERY I'IRSt. Tho position of crossbreds. continues sound, although there is no ereat change

to note.' Business on tho whole, is very, good, and a fair amount of; new'orders are :stirring. Spinners. are ■exceedingly , well off for work, and a'fair; big .weight of business. has toon done as far' forward as next-March; I don't think cross-" ; - bred spinners hiive been so '-well situated ' for years' back as they, are at present, and to find them.- with , orders on thair books for delivery, next .'year is indted' wonderful. . One -begins' to - wonder'- if' fashions aw changing, oft ito. and . cbarse qualities'. ,My attention has been ' . tiiis week liv a Bradford firm of : merchants to the fact-that.in' the.leadingv drapers': wind-oivs at tho present all cos--tume, materials for the 'coining, autumn-'•:[ and -winter are' prod\iced : from croSbredwools, - and if any notice .is :talten' of .tha, ; .i trade journals in England rthere-is-an.-un-i-i-V. mistakable feeling for, somewhat Tougher. handling fabrics. One begins to wonder ' if present, high v prices ' fdr fine :costime' r : : cloths aTe, compelling wholesale.buyers:to : substitute the next be^.. crossbreds i are being taken liberally'.; on bbisery. apT?. couni,, and both in meditim. und c&am qualities" there. is still - a heaU-hj ; fcrado.. passing'. Good 40'« ions aro to-day • * mora .generally • quoted' at;,-., 15d.,.' whicti , _ shows a J rise' of a ;fuU penny- 7 since tho r V ? " lowest point was touched. •:■