OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2428, 6 April 1915, Page 8

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

WANTS VlCg' TORIAN MERINOS (Prom Our Scccial Correspondents.) . Bradford, February 19. • The forthcoming London sales are now engaging the attention of the trade. Ilie flutter of last week regarding tho embargo being reimposed in Australia against America, and the expected move in a similar direction here in England, has to a large extent subsided, and we are now.looking at things in a more or less -indifferent fashion. After all, America has played an important part this year in the wool world, and wherever she has touched the raw material prices' ha've responded in a remarkable way. ..Undoubtedly there has been a scramble for wool, and it looks as if this will continue wherever there is. an open market. The amazing thing to many, people this week is the announcement from Melbourne that America is buying freely, and evidently that country must think it worth while and also safe to put money into wool, notwithstanding that- tho' embargo is against them. Possibly United States representatives are buying while the good wool is available,, for they know as well as anybody the manufactures properties of Victorian merinos.' We certainly think the American section is a- very venturesome lot of buyers, tut after all pluck and spirit are the life and soul of any business. When our Yankee friends have on their "buying breeches," everyone knows it, and thoir erratic nature is in evidence when they stop operations without the least outward reason for doing so. However, we have to faco facts, and this week- the news from Melbourne has surprised a good many... Why Does Amerioa Like Victorian i Merinos? ' We might do worse to-day in looking at the situation than answer the question already propounded. Victorian merinos (and in them can be included the wools of similar character grown in the south-east of South' Australia)' have .always appealed to American growers more than those.of any other country, and notwithstanding free wool we venture to say they will continue to do so. Of course the chief reason for this has been the high clean yield of the staple, •and when merinos shrink only, say, 45 per cent., they were certain to appeal to any party when the duty paid was decided by whether the staple was heavy or light in condition. For the rank and file of the woollen and worsted fabrics, 'no better wools can be foundfor . producing really excellent cloths than .Victorian merinos, for they always come' an 'excellent colour, besides not being too fine.. Of course, if a firm wanted really excellent finishing properties, they would naturally use the finerbaire'd w'ool3 of New South Wales and Queensland, although regular frequenters of London and Melbourne sales know that a'big weight of Riverina_ wools is sold as Victorian wools. But in speaking, of .Victorian wools, we refer to those grown in the western district, where' climate and pasturage favour tho production of very high-class, raw material. Those who-nave once seen these wools in London, Geelong, or Melbourne never forget what,they are like, and certainly they present a picture which can be seen only m the centres: named. Victorian merinos are the best of their kind, and probably will always re-main-so.'

As a rule the fin© wools of the' States named show a good 64's quality, though many ■ clips are to be found that ..jvill spin. ,to 70's. An old' West' Riding' cloth manufacturer remarked one day-that Victorian mer- , inos always . "spun up," that is to say, they will spin to a finer count than they actually appear in' the wool. ; As a rule River Plate wools spin down, but Victorian merinos-possess that elasticity, aud serration of fibre which are such important essentials in spinning to a fine count, and these wools will produce ; a smaller yarn than one would "think- from a cursory glance. One has only" to 'think of such clips as Langi Wiili, »Ercildoune, Mount Bute, Bolac Plains, Terrinallum, Caramut, etc., to find here an excellence of quality aiul soft handle which can be met with ncwhere else. No doubt the class of sheep on which these fleeces grow plays an.important part in deciding what the wools are like, but at the same time climate and pasturage are equally as powerful in determining the character of the staple. No wools will come so white as tfiose of Victoria when scoured, but thej; must be grown in the western province. Woollen' manufacturers, including those producing flannels and the softest underwear materials, know that Victorian lambs cannot be equalled, hence we see big prices paid by the firms who mut have them. It is ;all; right urging growers to produce more, but can they do it? Meanwhile', these wools are a standing example of.''what good raw material is really like, and pastoralists in - other parts of the world should at all costs make an effort to reach as near this standard as possible. : The Coming London Sales. Another important change has been effected in London where the Importers' Committee met' last Tuesday along with the selling brokers. After due consideration it was decided to limit the, forthcoming sales which begin next Tuesday to ten selling days, the series to last from Tuesday, February 23. to Friday. March 8. This will prove most welcome to many, and the decision in our opinion is a very wise one. It means that buyers are not going to bo compelled to stop in London for three full weeks as was the case last series, a fortnight being long enough for an.v'dne to be away from home. Besides, 93,000 bales is sufficient to satisfy any urgent requirements that exist, and then buyers will be asked to resume operations in London again on March 16. But even that is preferable to being in London for three full weeks at a stretch. It will also work out better financially, for many firms in the West Riding are'beginning to feel their position. A great many aro landing big weights of direct imports, at least they are having to finance heavy arrivals, and these are experiencing great difficulty in getting the wool home. When cargoes are paid for and firms are out of pocket to the extent of many thousands of pounds, and aro unable to touch the wool often for three weeks and a month, this with largo purchases in London means heavy finanoial strain. Of course, money is easily obtainable, all the same no firm likes to be' paying interest on overdrafts and seeking additional accommodation when un« der normal conditions the irholo system of arrivals and banking could bo worked quite easily.

Business Very Healthy. Trade in consuming centres continues to move on most encouraging lines, and we find that there is just as keen a demand for the raw material and just as large a consumption as ever. Tho outstanding feature in Bradford is that topmakers have, no stocks, and it is with difficulty that they are able to cope with*the demands which are being madei upon them. The writer has tried to buy this week spot lots of 6'i's, and although ho has asked nearly a dozen of the leading topmakers, has had to be satisfied with a paltry eight packs for which he paid 28d. Already this year 64'6 tops have advanced 4d. per lb., and since the war broke out medium crossbreds have gone up something like Bd. Although there is plenty of wool upon paper, spot lots are scaroe and wanted, *x 6 tenmakers to-das .who havft

failed to redeem their January contracts, although they liavo an abundanco of wool bought for them. Perhaps this last fortnight wool, has arrived m bigger voliune in the West Riding, but there is much room for improvement on the part of both railway and shipping companies, and many are asserting that the Port of London Authority is showing preference to the London end of the trade, it being a fact that Bradford topmakers have not yet received wool that came by the samo ship from which other bales wero actually shown and catalogued at the last series of sales. Some are feeling very sore at the continual delay in getting wool from London, which is' the best port to-day at which to discharge Australian cargoes. This is all tending to keep prices very firm, and we. find that values everywhere are very strong indeed. A topmaker who can give quick delivery is able to make oxcellent prices, and even 011 forward account 64's tops are worth 2sl 3Jd. for next May and June, while orossbreds are still travelling upwards. American Licences. There is no official announcement regarding tho attitude of the War Office and tile Privy Council on this important question, but we understand that a few licenses have been granted his week where the bona fides have been beyond dispute. Still licenses' are not' being granted anything like as fast as many would like to see, and whether it be true or no, there 6eems to be some cleavage of opinion between the authorities in London. The shipment of American domestic wools by one or two Ger-man-American houses to Berlin has completely alienated the sympathy _ of the majority in the trade, and what is going to be the upshot of it all no one can say.