YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3066, 30 April 1917, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

: : ;OUTLOOKJFOR COLONIAL V"> . WOOLS > "

-1 (Proin/ou? * 1 i-rpu f .Bradford, March 8. ■• yThe sales canio to a. tinieh .lnst SaturBfty, and. no Tegrets vera apparent amone buyers, lor three weeks they had lolled *• j * ,i e *« el >onees;and: the Exchange, ■•■ and, although.,;on; .Government days the auctions wo- littledefter, than a comedy, thofaqt-of there being 58,500 balee actually 6old/ana.B7.6o<f bales either re- . eeryed; or requisitioned'by ; . the Govern,meat for aiUtery purposes, shows clearly that a fair, weight of wool has. been dis;tribated. .Whether; the, sales, are pronounced a eucc6ss.br a failure depends' , entirely from wliafc. standpoint they' are : -Yiewed, but -wo regard.thorn as! being .unique, merino- values climbed ; ,to a height which they.havo not reached- '• 'I£ evlo " sl J> ereaev combing iVVest Victorian Vools of the Mount Bute mark touohed 3s. 6d. it shows clearly .enough what good Wool is. actually 'worth. Equally as cood valaes were paid ;Jor scoured,merinos,".and to all intente jand purposes the auotions closed with ■everybody satisfied.at the eolind state of •Values. Of course fhe shadow of Government intervention was over everyone, Jut- bo long as men are able to handle . 'free wool, bo long will they bo prepared io operate, because after all it is a sense of their needs which is most appreciated. Ino next series of'auctions begin on March 20, the list, of amvale has been ■ ■■ SL 08 ?" 1 ; nndtthero is available something ; like 84,000 bales.

- ■;■• -' Changes Seen. is no need to waste any further space in riving details of the auctions, and the following table mil supply ■:. all details, indicating how the auctions : closed with those of Januarys—Greasy merino, superior, 2d. to3d. 'Jiigher; greasy merino, average to good, 3d. higher; graasy merino, poor condi- . tion, ltd. higher; greasy merino; inferior looks aricT pieces, higher; scoured merino, superior, 4d. higher; scoured . merino, average to good, 4d. to 7d. Uugher; merino, inferior, 'id. to 6d. higher; scoured merino, faulty locks pieces, 4d. higher; greasy merino, Jambs, superior, 2d. to X 3d. higher- ■■...' sreasy merino, lambs, medium, ljd' . higher; greasy merino, inferior, Id. (higher; greasy crossbred, fine superior, .'.-.Ed to Sd. higher; greasy orossbred, fine ordinary, ljd. to 2d. higher; greasy crossbred, medium superior, 2d. to 2id. higher; greasy, crossbred, medium ord'na*y, lad- higher; greaey crossbred, coarse superior, unquotable; greasy crossbred, J coarse/-ordinary, unquotable; greasy ■■crossbred, lambs, Id. to Sd. higher; scoured and sliped crossbreds, unquotable, i ■■ ■■

\ '■ SQVTK AFRICAN ..WOOL. Snow white, super Id. higher; snow ■white, medium, lα. higher; enow white, ( inferior, firm; greasv. combing, light, .par to Id. lower; greasy combing, heavy, . i<l. to 2d. lower; greasy, clothing, light,. . fully par; greasy, clothing, faulty,-fully ■ P 8?- :■ ' • • ■- ■• . .' ' ■ •■ '■'■ Should London Sales be Abolished? The question, is V| beins discussed, in wool cirolesvas to whether, in face' of what happened last series, the eales should be abolished. A few are of the opinion: that'in view of the Government appropriating eo many wools and to some extent interfering with'what took place, there is no need for any further series, and that Government-owned-wools s can ■ 'he offered privately in future: Wedo v n6t share those views in-the'kast. "While no doubt it is annoying, .to. see'catalogued onlv about 6000 bales perday,:yet that is infinitely \>etter with a free open market than that buyers should be asked to see ■ samples drawih from bales, and that the wools should be sold privately by tender. The best way by far to dispose of wool is nitlto,disturb pre-

sent existing . arrangements, and what the trade feels most ncutely about is that" the. Government should retain its hand upon distribution when it has satisfied its own military -requirements. Thq trado would work very loyally, and put up with -much inconvemonco, i£ they wero assured that after tho War Office has satisfied its own needs nnd those •of our Allies, tho balance of wool would bo. offered by public auction-. That is all, it. uska, for then irritation wjbnjd ceflso and grumbling bo a thing of the past. i .. Tho Outlook. Messrs. H. .Dowson ami Co. have some very pointed remarks to say' regarding the future, ; nnd as we do not think wo can improve upon what they say, wo herewith reproduce same :— "The're has been a remarkably strong market, which is not easy to explain alongsido. tho pessimistic views which obtain, and the general reserve shown by dealers.' Many who are not engaged on military order's for tho Government have, however, been desirous to securo wools, fearing that it may be difficult to proeuro supplies later owing to tho abnormal war conditions. There are also many Government contractors who have preferred np to now to select their requirements in the open market. 1 "The new order of arrangements is not being graciously accepted by the buyers. J?ho long-drawn-out series, the email offerings per diem, and the heavy withdrawals of wool by the Government arojnaturally irritating. It is only just, however, to realise that everything yet is in the initial and experimental' stage. Of course, dealers and topmakcrs aro feeHn? the restrictions acutely; being limited to a very small sad precarious business, with the Government in the field as a preferential trader, holding a monopoly of the raw material, and able to. fix prices as it. deems wisest. "The large Government offices recently acquired in Bradford are now open, a.nd will be used- as a headquarters for , distribution of wool, under the direction of a staff of wool experts and olerks. The modus operandi will be to have regularly on show samples of Governmentowned wools, from whioh manufactnrers or their authorised buyers may select their requirements. They are to be sold on a clean, scoured basis according to scheduled rates. Government contractors will be supplied at a lower rate of values than those consumers who are engaged on export or home work./ The yield is to be estimated, and has to be mutually agreed on; although without-in-epooting tho bulk this'boconies a rieky undertaking. Tho wools, which have been withdraws in London have beon mostly reserved for showing in Bradford, as 6tated above.

"It ie understood that schemes are being \coneidered by the authorities, whereby priority is to be given to .tho export trade in preference to the Home trade, but no final announcement has been made, and it is hoped that the trade will be consulted before a decision is arrived at.

"The promise of an allowance of 50,000 bales iqerjno wool to the United States is now, oijjaging the attention of the Department. It is not yet announced when they will be available or ."by what method they will he sold, whether in publio auction or by ah. auction for/ United States buyers only or by private treaty. ..'.'...

"There is etill a widespread discontent finding expression. The trade does not take kindly to these new restrictions and limitations, and it has. not'yet had a clear and adequate exposition. of the main .reasons. which would justify what appear to be the. intentions of theGov-, ernment; consequently, there is perhaps; more destructive criticism' than Tielpful constructive advice. . The chief objection,' however, in the minda of lesponsiito firms, in the trade lies in the feeling that the War Contracts Department exoeeded its functions-when it assumed the-con-trol of anything beyond direct military needs. In its rumoured intention to controlthe Home, and export trade, and to make merino tops which are not required for military purposes, it_ has aroused a strong and almost unanimous opposition, which is organising itself for protest,'under the aegis of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce.

"The promises made by members of the Department that -wools 'which could lie spared from the necessary requirements for military purposes would be offered by public auction gave great eatisfaction tp'the, trade, but the rumours that merino wools are to be combed for the Department give rise to fears that these promises may be nullified and the surpluses for'auction reduced to a minimum. A clearor and fuller exposition on these points is due to the trade." '