YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 56, 29 November 1917, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

INCREASING GOVERNMENT KIiUUiREMENTcJ

(From Our Special Correspondent.) . Bradford, Uctouor 4. During the week <i nuiuner of Army Council Oroers Have been ismicd rqlallut; lo uio pri-ueni and future couuuet ot uie wool textilo niuubiry, aua some ate worui more tiiau passing attention, it haa been luuinatca very cieuny tliac further largo kiiwu onlors ai« Koiug to placed. liany mis year the Win , Uiuce auoptun a, very soubiuie plan in placing these Army oiders. Instead ui the uinuiuo meiubcucs t'oiDij direct to lirnia witn oruers, manufacturers' committees were esuiuiunea in iuun ccutres us uradlurd, Locus, D«\\s- - anil lluddorsfieia. iiealiy they were manufacturers' associations, «uu Uie iiuparinieiit Has dealt directly with the secretary of tho various asficciatkme, intimating tnai so many milium yarus We to be plaoed in Huddersfield, Hatlcy, Dewsbuvy, or elsewhere, according to tue manufacturing capacity of the districts. 'Phis has saved oiiiciaia a good deal of won;, and haa led to a moro equal distribution of tho orders than would, otherwise liavu taken place. It now turns out that, somo 16 million yards of khaki aro tp .be given out for production from next u'lnu-U-l'y to the end of April, und tho various associations have been asked to say wh.it they can take. By this system ell manufacturers arc given a reasonable chance. Last week wo mev'.ioned that in order to make wool suppiios go further, the AVar Office Cloth Department Jiod decided to uao larger quantities of tho by-products oi the trade, henco bij;. weights of garnetted thread wastes, noils, and lihaki mungo mado from cast-off soldiers' suits aro being blended. As a. matter of fact, 50 per cent, of virgin wool now forma tho basis of tho blends for the -woollen weft yarns, tho warps still being spun from pure wool tops in various lengths, according to tho weight and quality of the cloth required. It is really surprising what a blend of wool and other materials prMucee, and tho cloth is spoken of as being in no sense inferior.

Yarns Required for Government Cloths. An item of considerable interest is a list of tho warpa that are being spun lor the production of thu various cloths required by the Army. There ia no secret abouli this, because they havo been published ill a, series of articles sanctioned by the Army Council, and the particulars below give sonio most useful information to growers an showing what qualities of wool aro required, and being largely used in the production of Government cloths. Every wool-grower ehould digest the following particulars, as there is a wealth of information in them. A little ciplanation will be very useful.

The shalloon cloth mentioned is really a fabric, being made for the lininjß of shells, and has never been made for or used by the British Army before. It is uied for lining the ehell which carries the charge, and is made in various strengths, according to the weight of tho charge ineide tho shell. Kot only are theso shalloon cloths made from medium crousbreds, but also from the _2?ry best merino. The particulars supplied below are all crossbred, both warp and weft:— Tho cream serge is a, very thinly-made fabric, and is largely ueed for the lining of tho greatcoats. This is all lor the purposo of retaining the heat if tho body.

The drab serge is simply the ordinary aorge for British Tommies' tuoica. It has a medium quality warp and a woollen weft, spun from 10 to 12 jjkeins. Tartan io. 2 is a flucr quality khaki fabric, auu is really the cloth that ie being made to-day in very bis Quantities. This! too, is used for soldiers' tunics. The wnipcord is a very sound, bulky fabric, entirely used by the Hoyal Field Artillery, being made solely into riding breeches. The roadcr can easily understand that the H.F.A. men require trousers possessing great wearing capacity, as th;y are subject to so much wear and tear when having to ride on horseback and in the operation of firing guns. The tartan serge is a very well-made fabric, which is used in the production of soldiers' trousers. It is heavier than the drab serge. The Russian serge cloth is distinctly coarser in quality than that used by Great Britain ami her Allies. It is a well made, sound fabric, heavier in weight thiiu the cloths made for tho British Army. Big quantities have beou made by West Kitting manufacturers. The following are the particulars of the warps and wefts iiscd in the production of the clothe enumerated:— Shalloon-2-40's, crossbred warp, white; 1-28's, crosßbrcd weft, white. Cream sorge-2-36's, E6's quality warp, white; 1-20's, E6'e quality wcit, white. Drab sergc-2-2rs, 44's quality warp, khaki. Tartan, No. 2-24's, 48's quality warp, khaki. ■• \Vh:ipcord-2-12'6 50 per cent, 6gj quality, 50 per cent. 64's ouality warp. Miaki; 2-12's 50 per cent, 50's quality, 50 per cent. 64's quality weft, khalu. Both reverse Tartan, No. 4—2-121's. 50's quality warp, khaki; 1-65's, SO per cent. 50's quality, M per cent. 60's quality weft, khnki. Russian—2-12's, 32's quality warp, white; 1-6's, 32's quality weft, white. Officers' Uniterm Cloths. Tho Secretary to the War Office has issued an order intimating that the scheme for the manufacture and supply of standard cloths for officers' wear is now complete* and that it is illegal.for any manufacturer to produce those and for merchants and tailors to sell them without Government sanction. along it has seemed very strange that manufacturers could produce officers' clothing and (sell it privately to merchants iiiid tailors, the Government providing nothing whatever for officers. Of course, they so to first-class tailors, for their outfit, nnd apparently they have been paying more than circumstances warranted, in order to stop all n.hance of profiteering, the Government has had sixteen standard cloths made covering the requirements of all officers, and now manufacturors wishing to make theEe have to asply for pwmiesion. Prices have been liXfid Tight away from tho raw material to the tailor, who can only charge standard lixcd values. Distribution Sale '.'Off. The trade hae been exporting Uiutlbcro would be this month a distribution sale of colonial wools in London, but. oving to the small number of applications niaclo by manufacturers the thing has hccn.oeGlared off. Evidently usera can sittiefy their requirements at. tho Wool Distribution Olhce. Manor Row, Bradford, nnd. therefore, the lust has been heard of distribution sales for some time to-come. it has been mentioned that possibly spinners who own their own comhins riachines may be invited to co to J*™on to select their own wool, but that *s u-ry unlikely. Revised Ton Prices, Thero should liavo been published early this week a revised list of. top prices, but this is not yet forthcoming. l.very. thing seems to point to some sensible auvauccs, and now the Government desires spinners to stop no frames, but to use whatever stocks of tops they l'<uo on hand, which will bo replaced m due course -at current prices. Spinners are also requested to tnako a return of .all outatandW contracts. This :« being done to clear up arrears and bo cranio the Department to mako a straight-edge. Thev will then be able to completely carry out'tho present scheme of fctate central.