YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 53, 26 November 1917, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

TRADES STILL DEMANDING REFORMS USING LESS WOOL FOR NEW MILITARY FABRICS. • (From Our Special Correspondent.) . Bradford, September 13. Wo are writing this before the result »f an important round table conference is known, which is at pre'eut, taking place between the heads of the various Government Deportments and representatives of tho wool textile industry. Lnst week Mr. Andrew Weir (Director of Supply) received an important deputation, representing; all sections of the trade. Ha listened attentively to their -views, which were afterwards put before the Financial Secretary to ihe War OfJce, and as a result an Important deputation have met this week ■in London to go thoroughly into the various questions upon which there has been all along a lack of agreement. It is to be hoped as a. result of this round table conference an agreement will be arrived at on the various points which have given rise to so much dissatisfaction. The time for adverse criticism is past, and the authorities, knowing how the land lios, and the feelings of intense disapproval which at .present obtain, seem disposed to meet industry and arrive at a common agreement, whioh will provo acceptable both to the Department and the trade. This huge business cannot go through satisfactorily unless there is an agreement of policy, and while the trado recognisos fully that there 'must be somo measure of State control, the opinion is strongly held that when military' needs have been met the new Board of Control should havo an important say in determining what shall be' done with the balance of tho wool supplies. The Glalme of tho Trade. ' There are three things upon which the trade seems to have set its mind, and Is naturally making every effort possible to obtain them. The first main point Is in the constitution of the new Board or Control, and its relation to all wool and tops set aipait either tor Government or civilian purposes. There B also the question of labour, and the portion they shall have on the Board of Control. The members of the trade recognise that Labour has a rightful voice .upon matters in whioh there is at state national-owned •wool, and more particularly where military orders havo been entrusted to various flrmß. In other words national interests need to be guarded in a broad notional sense, but apart from hours and wages, the members of the trade say that no reasonable case can bo mado out for Labour representatives hav'ng any say m deolding anything relating +o private capital and privately-owned businesses. If that principle is not acknowledged, then a very strong stick will bo niade for tho backs of the trade when the war finishes, and Labour has no right whatever to have any say in deciding tho working of- pri-vately-owned,, business. Then spinners feel that they havo a perfect right to deal with wool and tops doled out to them without any furthor Government interference. Every man is loyal, and ib willing to iplaoe at «Jie disposal of the Depart ment every reasonable facility for executing Government orders, bnt when 60 per cent, of machinery is so employed, the various departments of the trade maintain that tho remaining 20 per cent devoted to-civil work needs no Government interference whatever. All that apinners want is reasonable treatment, and enough ■wool and tops to oxeoute orders taken on Home and export account. Whether they will get what they are wanting remains to be Been, but after what we have experienced in regard to Government interference, there seoms to be nothing to justify a continuance of the recent policy. The release of more wool an 4 tops when they are available is a demand strongly supported by common sense and practical experience. The French Trado. The past two months has been a chaotio time in the textile business of this country with France, all duo to bungling on the part of officials. Tho Frenoh trade maintains that it has Bpent big' sums of money in establishing new centres of Industry outside Roubaix and Tourcoing, which are still in tho hands of the enemy, that there is now machinery to employ all round 100,000 hands, and therefore the British authorities should put no stumbling blook in the way of them obtaining wool, topß, noils, and yarns in order to keep their running. The trade at that end naturally feels they have as perfect a right to the raw material supplies of the British Empire as Great Britain- herself, and therefore tho practical stoppage of business during the past two months has given rise,to feelings which ought not to exist. However, the French Minister of Commerce has been over in London, and after much negotiation a broad policy has been arrived at whereby in futuro it should be possiblo to export sufficient quantities of raw and partly manufactured materials to satisfy French manufacturers/ The whole business is done for mutual agreement, and as wool, tops, noils, and yarns can bo supplied without in anywise jeopardising British mills, these should bo forthcoming to meet all demands. A new order of things also obtainß in regard to export to Italy. The Government itself is now responsible for all export, private business has been brought to a completo standstill, and hero again we have reasonable cause for dissatisfaction.

Making Military Cioths. It will be remembered that in the report of the Committee of Inquiry it was stated that wool had been used with a prodigality which was really shameful. That may sound strange to readers, but at a tima like the present, when it behoves the Department to husband their resources, there is justification for the statement. So army has ever beon clothed so well ;in any war in the history of the world as at present, and the complete outfit of the forces. fighting; under the British flag is the envy of Gorman soldiers. In the production of khaki serge 80 per cent, of pure new wool has been used, the remainder being khaki munso, nulled from cast-oil khaki serges, which is good stuff. The committee have recommended that less pare wool be used, and during the past few weeks the advico has been acted upon. In the making of khaki serge cloth a pure solid worsted warp is used, spun from 44's to 46's tops (all pure wool), and tho woollen weft is made of a

blend of 60 per cent, of pure wool and the remainder is pulled worsted thread waste which has been garnetted. which Is still all wool, about 15 per coat, of this being used along with wool noilß and khaki mungo. Really sneaking, the serge cloth to-day is made out of half wool and half mungo, which produces auitc as warm and serviceable a cloth as before. Last week 80180 good orders were given out lor a Belgian tunio' sergo cloth, whioh is 260z. in weight, 56 inches wide, and is made from a 2-24's worsted warp and six skoins woollen weft. The' woollen yarn is composed of 50. per oont. low New Zealand crossbred crutohings and 60 per cent, of tunio serge. A Portuguese blue cloth order has also been placed in considerable volume, which is an all-woollen fabric. It is made from 45 por cent, of low crossbred wool, say about 44-46's quality, 20 per cent, of 46's prepared noil, 5 per cent, of noil dyed black, 25 per cent, of hoisery clips garnetted, which is all wool, and 6 per cent, of dyed blue hosiery clins. The warp Is spun to 10 skeins and the weft 9J skeins. We give these details to show the class of fabric which is now being made, all-with the ob.icct of economising wool, and the fabrics resulting are certainly sound and satisfactory. All crossbreds Wanted For military • Purposes. It is now known that all crossbred wool available is wanted for military purposes, and the Department will sell nothing of from 40's to 50'b quality to be used for civilian or export nurnoses. Nobody objects to this; in fact, everyone quietly acquiesces, and all are willing to do their utmost in executing military orders. Tho only free market for crossbred wools is South America, and cable news received this last few days is to the effect that America and Continental neutrals are paying prices .on; a clean scoured basis enual to the combed ton here in Bradford today. This means that wool in Buenos Aires and Monte Video is pence ner lb. above tho Department's price, and everyone knows that tho values fixed by the British authorities are very still. It would be a real good thing for the Allies if tho Argentine Government would declare war against Germany and so reserve h»r wool supplies/ and commandeer present stocks for use only for military purposes.