ENGLISH WOOL LETTER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 213, 3 June 1919, Page 8

ENGLISH WOOL LETTER

LONDON SALES OPEN SPLENDIDLY. AFTER TWO YEARS' SUSPENSION. (From Our Special Correspondent.) London, April 3. With.the re-opening of tho London saics after two years' suspension, UlO question of the sale of wool once again comes up for consideration, and it goes without saying that the entire trade is interested in it. Mr. S. B. Hollings, tho well-known Bradford wool expert, has recently been giving ft course of six lectures at tho Bradford Technical Collogs before a class of fifty Australian soldiers, previous to their return to the • Commonwealth, his last lccturo dealing with tho important subject of qualities and yields. This opened up a big subject, it being imperative that growers should understand what wool will give when clean scoured. On the question of qualities the lecturer, gavo somo very sound advice, intimating clearly the different sections of the trado into which the varied qualities go. It is common.Jcnowledge that 60's is tho dividing line .between merinos and crossbreds, and Mr. Hollings was particularly at home on his, lecture on "The Evolution of tho Cross-' bred," pointing out how that the multiplication of qualities from 36's to 58's had placed in the hands of Yorkshire spinners and manufacturers raw material which had greatly helped in the expansion of their world-wido trade. Spaco will not permit the elucidation of

tho various points raised, but there is no doubt that the great expansion in tho hosiery trade, for instance, is- largely due to the considerable quantities of 30's to. 58's quality wool which to-day are being produced both in Australia and New Zealand. The new breed of sheep—the Corriedale—which lias been gradually developing during the past twenty-fivo years, may bo expected to supply a largo portion of the Jmlfbred wool from New Zealand. At the present timo the quantity of this 1 class of raw material is gradually diminishing. There aro only about a million merino sheep in New Zealand', but tho Corriedale is producing an exceedingly good fleece of bulk sG's, a quality that is quite as popular with usora to-day as G4's. It looks as if with the progress of time there will be a larger demand than, ever for fine I crossbred wools, this also being as much 1 appreciated in the United States as in | Great Britain. The lecturer mentioned this in order to lead up to the important subject of wool-combing, a matter which 1 will play a very important pari in tho wool textile world during the next twelve months. As readers know, bbmething like 25 per cent, of wool-combing machinery has been standing in Bradford during tho past _ year, lack of hands and limited supplies of combing wool being the cause. Now that the submarine menace has no longer to be contended with, it is not taking vessels twelve wc-eks to come from New Zealand to London, half the time being now occupied. This is bound to tell upon supplies. Combing Charges. Commission wool combers have not been slow to take action with regard to tho 48 hours working week, which came into operation a month ago. Tho combing charges liavo been' revised, and these now make 11 very appreciable difference in the cost of tops. Charges are more than double what I hey were in pre-war days, and tho whole matter will tell upon tho ultimate cost of the fully manufactured article. All the same; providing combers obtain plenty of wool, their jol> will be u. profitable one; in fact, the same can be said for every branch of the trade. We give below tho charges current in July, 1914, and tho new list. They make 1111 intercsting comparison:—

July, Present I!)]-!. IH'icM. liei' lb. iior lb. Merinos- d. d. Tea ring 5 to I and over ... 2J S3 Tearing; i and under fi lo 1 21 fij Tearing 3 ,hihl under -t to 1 2i (j| Tearing 2 and under 3 to 1 3 7 Tearing under 2to 1 3} ' 7J Burring J Gilliug in } Dry Combing -. *i i 'I Tearing 12 io 1 and over ... 2} 51 Tearing 8 and under 12 to 1 2J 5J ■ Tearing under 8. and 1, same as merinos— \ Burring 3 « Gilling in } '*} l)r,v combing — *£

au's— Tearing 7 to 1 and over 43 Tearing 5 and under. 7 to 1 2 41Tearing. under 5 to 1 2J 4 Hurring i I "3 Gilling in J ])rv. combing — •fS's and 50's— Tearing 7 to 1 and over ]J Tearing 5 and under 7 to 1 Ij 4} Tearing under 5 to 1 2 ljj , Burring -J Gilling in { *5 Dry combing — *i 30's to 4(J's— Tearing li to 1 and over 1} 8| Tearing C and under Btol if 3} Tearing under G to 1 1} 3{ Burring -J ' *§ Gilling in 1 i *\ Dry combing — . Carding, backwasliing, and gilling only 1} 8 PrepnTing--33's, .IG's, 40's H 2f Over 40's If 3 Slipe and skin wools '.. I *1 Burr.y and seedy wools } ' *} Gilling in '. i *■} Dry combing ' — *} Scotch wools If 3{''Extra. French Trade.

There has been a move in regard to the textile trade with France, the Ministry 1 of Industrial in I J aris having at last agreed'to sanction the importation of considerable stocks of yarns and pieco goods which have been ordered for months by French importing houses. There are orders on the books of Bradford spinners lo the tune of five millions sterling, and piece goods to the value of ten millions sterling, all waiting shipment to France. Considerable annoyanco lias been caused by the refusal of French recommendations to allow piece goods to bo executed, but If. Loucheur has at last yielded, and with a view lo bringing down the cost of fabrics lo the French populace, has agreed to the importation of considerable weights of yarns and fabrics. At the same time the general conditions in the export trade are causing serious misgivings. Licenses to send \raw and partly manufactured product to Continental neutral countries arc still difficult to obtain, and the outlook is not too bright. In tlio best-informed circles it is felt that when peace terms have been signed by Germany the blockade will be lifted, which will not bo before the time.