THE GOLDEN FLEECE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4458, 27 January 1917, Page 2

THE GOLDEN FLEECE.

VALUES OF ALL-WOOL, CLOTHING SOARING. (From Our Own Correspondent). BRADFORD, NOV. 23. One would think,, judging by the price of the raw material, that at os 3d per. lb for a merino top, the price would be prohibitive, but such is not altogether tlie case. One of our friends remarked the other day that never in all his thirty years history of the Bradford trade had he found such a demand for 56’s as he had done during the past fortnight, there being everywhere a desire to substitute, for the merino. But while that may be so in one case, it is not the general experience of the average top-maker. Of course latterly there has been a very lug demand for line crossbreu tops, essentially for serges, and also military purposes, but all the same merinos, while certainly nearing a prohibitive .level, are still selling in considerable weights, and 'would sell still more if they could be delivered in anything like reasonable time. Some, how merino wool in Bradford these last two months has been used up in a remarkable manner, for whereas three months ago commission wool combers could not possibly accept more 1 orders, they are to-day asking for wool, and even private- firms owning their own machinery are to-dafv prepared to accommodate a man with merino wool to comb. ’1 his being so it is absolutely certain that the trade is quite ready to lift the merino wool which will be available next series, and there should be a nice sprinkling of'new clips to hand. Bur wane are merinos being • used for at the present record values? There is no big weight.of this class of material being used into military -fabrics either of one kind or another. Eton for underci (thing our soldiers and sailors are having to put up with something less fine than merino quality and no one grumbles. The fabrics which the British. Tommy is wearing are all remarkably good, in fact it is - safe to say that never before in any previous war have either soldiers or sailors been so well clothed as they are to-day. The fact is remarkable that neither publicly nor privately has there been any grumbling as to the character of the clothing worn, but it may be said that line merinos are al], going into civilian and export trade, and somehow there is quite as great an outlet for merino made fabrics as there is machinery available for turning out the goods. In December, 1914, we saw the trade almost “funking” because it did not know how the machinery available could get through the big weight- of Australian wool thatconfronted the trade, but since that day two Australian clips have been dealt with and handled at record values. it being really wonderful to lincl the trade as near the sheep’s back, in fact nearer, than at any time in the world’s hist-ory. All this has been done without any assistance whatever from Germany’s competition and consumption. It makes one’s blood as we read the papers this week to find that the civilian population of Belgium has been marched in slavelike fashion to Germany, there to endure still greater hardships, and to think that in the future the German nation will be amongst the first to clamor for Colonial wool when peace is declared. We have repeatedly stated in recent months that the wool trade of the world can do without German. competition, entirelv, and it is the writer’s firm conviction that a tariff will !>e imposed against Germany both for English and all Colonial wools. The merino fabrics being largely made to-dav are fine hosieries, rainproof's, coatings and other fancy mixture cloths. Of course anyone to-day purchasing merino fabrics lias not to consider the question of price but must- be prepared to get bis hand well down into his pocket and pay what the retailer is demanding. Some of the best known manufacturers of hosiery underwear have just about doubled their price for all-wool underclothing. and to-day one must lie prepared to pay anywhere from 12s to 15s a pair for either pants or combinations. In the case of worsted cloth there is very little indeed being pi induced under 10s a yard, and blue serges that were selling wholesale at 5s bd per yard before the war are today worth practically 12s per yard. Of cour.se.it makes a little difference when one comes to buy a new suit, but to-day a sovereign more lias to be paid without much quibbling if a man I wants a merino article.

The question of substitution is no doubt being seriously considered, and wherever possible something of a lower order is being utilised. During the past month crossbreds have advanced in a wonderful fashion, for whereas 2s 3ld would buy the best 4.6’s carded top on the market at the commencement- of the last series of sales, today’s price is 2s 7jd to 2s Sd, and both 50’s and 56’s have risen something like -Id to 5d per lb. Wool booms everywhere and it looks as if prices have hardly touched the top where immediate delivery can he given.