YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1087, 28 March 1911, Page 3

YORKSHIRE LETTER.

THE WOOL TRADE OF MAZAMET. i (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, February IT, IfVIWool matters are as lively a-s ever, at least there is no diminution in the interest manifest over the course of tho rawmaterial. In producing countries, like Australia and the Argentine, the work of wool-producing continues quietly, and apart from tho occasional bleat of a sheep, to break the monotony of the stillness of the land, the work of supplying the raw material proceeds steadily day and night. At this end we are more accustomed to the clatter and dill of quickly-runningi machinery, but it only serves to showthat one branch is incomplete without the other. It is really surprising when on© thinks of tho different aspects of the trade how one dovetails into the other. Without the producer there could be 110 consumer, and vice versa. It is cause for devout, thankfulness that an all-wise Providence has so decreed that provision should be made where quietly thero can proceed the work of wool-growing, and I am glad to think that the wants of the world are still so pronounced as to call for an adequate supply of the rawmaterial. Even in this respect there has been a tremendous change during the past 50 years. I cannot trace the origin of the skin and wool trade, or say with any degree of authority how long the pulling of skins has been in vogue, 'l'be rise and progress of fellmongering would form an interesting chapter, and I am strongly inclined to think that in the "good old days" the skins of slaughtered sheep would be dealt with quite differently to what they are to-day. There is 110 doubt our ancestors in the antediluvian days clothed themselves in sheepskins, and how long fellmongering has been in vogue I cannot say. However, this matter opens out an interesting phase cf the trade, and I want to-day to deal specially with the wools of Mazamet.

FRENCH SKIN WOOLS. The town of Mazamet has been closely identified with fellmongering and the pulling of sheepskins for a long time, and I should say that it occupies the premier position. Why this is so it is not altogether easy to say, but tho fact nevertheless obtains. Somehow businesses gravitate to certain localities until it becomes indigenous to the place itself. That is exactly what obtains in regard to the pulling of skins in Mazamet. It is the staple business of that town, and it gives a good account of itself. It would be most interesting to get to know exactly what number of skins are pulled yearly, but we have not that information at hand to-day. However, its resources are large, and wo are certain that its pullers are in touch with every market in the world where sheepskins arc to bo bought. Some months ago I had the delightful experience of having a visit from tho head of a well-known Sydney firm of woolbrokers, who make a speciality of handling sheepskins, and naturally their largest customers were in tho town of Mazamet. The fellmongers there also do a large trade in skins lrom South Africa and tho Argentine, and the work continues daily of stripping the wool from the skins, and preparing same for use by manufacturers throughout Europe. Tho question is a natural one, Why is Mazamet sxs fortunate in possessing such an important trade as this? My answer may appear to be a little weak, but it is well known that the town of Mazamet possesses an abundance of very soft water, and now after many years of experience skin wools can be manipulated at that centre second to none in the world. After all tho question of water is a very important one when handling such an article as wool. The question was put to tho writer only a fortnight ago. How is it that Bradford should be the centre of tho worsted industry, when it was first founded in the little village of Worsted, in Norfolk? Ono. would naturally have thought that the industry having been first established in that county, would have continued to grow and flourish the samo as it the' West Riding, but tho trade of worsted manufacluro has long ago been extinct in that Centre. Thero is no doubt that Bradford 'has a capital supply of good, soft water, and is also close at hand to ono of the best coalfields in the world. Worsted manufacture in tho city of London, for instance, would be absolutely impossible, simply because the wafer supply"for the metropolis is so excessively charged with lime. Even in the East Riding of Yorkshire there are well-known places where the water is very hard and limey, but in Bradford anil district the very opposite obtains. In scouring wool, and also dyeing, it is absolutely essential to have the softest water possible, and free from minerals. I have oftentimes thought that some cf the station scoured wools in Queensland are rendered a little tender because of. the large use of bore water. It is well known that several big bores are very much charged with minerals, all of which play an important part in the washing of wool. At Mazamet the water supply is both adequato and exceedingly good in quality, and no doubt this has an important bearing upon tho development of the skin .wool trade in that town.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RETURNS. The Chamber of Commerce at Jlazamet has just issued its annual review of the wool trade, and it contains a lew facts and figures which are well worth digesting by everyone interested in the wool business. The document leads off with the statement that the shipments from the stations of Mazamet and Labastideltouairoux of men's wear, meltons, and flannels amounted during tho year to 1,606,054 kilos, against 1,486,533 in 1909, an increase of 121),112 kilos. This is considered very satisfactory, considering that inundation; have greatly interfered with tho retail trade, and tnat the late wintor has also been a serious drawback, while the new year has been ushered in with a break on the futures market, which has spoilt the beginning of tho buying season, especially for staple lilies. Fancy suitings and "sporting" overcoatings aro practically the only lines giving ut the moment a satisfactory account of themselves. The coming season seems to promise a continuance of favour for woollen in preference to worsted goods, which entirely suits manufacturers here. Tho woo! trade, the Chamber of Commerce says, has been very good in the first half-year, fair in the third quarter, and bad in tho last quarter. Present prices for merinos are 10 per cent, below those of a year ago. Of Buenos Ayres crossbreds, No. 4 ..ere at tho end of December last 5 per cent, above that of the end of 1909; by the middle of last month it had fallen to 3 per edit, below December, 1!)09, and compared with the middle of January, 1910, the fall amounts to fully 15 per cent. Shipments of wool have been very large during 1910, as will bo seen from the following figures:— Of fleece washed England took: Kilos. Via Bordeaux 5,193,210 Via Boulogne 4,208,190 Via Dieppe 3,281,490 Total 12,680,190 Other countries 7,213,810 Total fleece-washed 19,930,^90 Of scoured all countries took ... 5,311,339 Grand total 25,271,315 England look 63 per cent, of the Mazamet output, of fleece-washed, against 60 per cent, in 1909. Last year's shipments of hosiery, etc., made in that district amounted to 307,308 kilos, against 225,031 in 1909, and it is pleasant to record that this branch of the French woollen trade is making steady though slow progress from year to year. There is just one other aspect that is Well worth noting. It will be seen, from the above that England took no less than 03 per cent, of the whole output of lleeceuashed wools, hence the trade_ done between Bradford and Jlazamet is of considerable proportions. 11l fact, Hici'c are about four firms in Worstedopolis which are responsible for purchasing the bulk of the wools, and either one or the other seems to be always in that city buying. I have just turned over the British lioard of Trade Returns, and to show the importance that Mazamet plays in the wool trado between France and this country, I givo below the quantity of wool imported, and also (he value for the last few years:—

WOOL IJIPOKTS FROM. FRAXCE. Weight. Value. Year, Lbs. mio 27,587,0T8 1,«7f1,51( 19(19 215,950,077 1,506,59! inns 17,M8,R10 99-1, so; 1597 24,486,763 . l.iea.OCJ I'JOO U7W