ENGLISH WOOL LETTER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9871, 17 January 1918, Page 3

ENGLISH WOOL LETTER

STANDARD CIVILIAN CLOTHES DEVELOPMENTS BEING MADE IN PRODUCTION. From Our Special Correspondent. BRADFORD, November 14It does not seem possible to say much respecting trade conditions generally. As was reported last week some uneasiness has developed respecting ffie problem of wool supplies, and as this is of very great importance it is worth referring to again. Some sections of the press are endeavouring to make capital out of what they consider to be the latest turn of events in this connection, and appear to be assuraeing the "I told you ao" attitude. It is quite convenient to bo able to do this, and though the writer does not intend to minimise the seriousness which attaches to the great question of wool supplies, he is anxious that nothing should stated relative thereto which would tend to the development of a wrong impression. A short time ago the Hair Section,of tho Bradford Chamber of Commerce requested tho Shipping Controller to do all he could towards bringing supplies of raw mohair from South Africa to this country. This request was made because tho supply of this m’annfacturinfi raw material in merchants' hands was completely exhausted, users having practically all the stocks against existing orders. Naturally mohair merchants were ; desirous if possible of being able to continue their operations, but the shipping of mohair is not likely to bo allowed any more freely than wool. Indeed we may expect to find that the latter will b© regarded the more important of the two. Already this seems to be the attitude of the Shipping Controller, and seeing that it is not possible to use mohair to the same extent as wool tor military manufacturing purposes, it is only to be expected that under the present circumstances mohair will have to give preference to wool. This is in harmony with tho whole policy of the department, and whatever common gossip may say about paucity of wool supplies it may b© depended upon that the Government will do all they can to bring forward the necessary Quantities, tne whole question depending entirely upon shipping Let it he emphasised that tho amount of wool in the country ia eno 6 for immediate manufacturing re 9",rements. At the same time the V“ u ? f e cannot he left to take care of itself and the department may be trusted to make no mistakes in this connection. THE SOUTH AFRICAN CMP. It would be possible to express diametrically opposite, vimv-sea Tbe writer was discussing it only today with one who follows the <»' lr 6® or events very closely, and he stated that tho attitude of growers generally in the Union of South Africa could be regarded as a decided slap in the face for our Government. The refusal-. of. so many of the farmers to sell their dips to the Imperial Government means that our own Government has a much smaller hold upon Empire wools than it an oppose decision from the one apparently arrived a t had been made. This is not said with any intention to interfere with the liberties of South African farmers. They are quite justified in selling their wool in the best market, and if either America or Japan make better offers than the British Government .from their own point of view they are I" trifled in accepting then l - same time if fanners throughout the whole of South Africa; had handed' over, their clips to the Imperial Government in tne same way, as growers in Australia and New Zealand had done, it would have been regarded as a most patriotic action, and the farmers themselves would have risen considerably in the estimation or all other citizens of the British Empire. Three-eighths of the South African clip which ■ represents 167,870 bales is a comparatively insignificant quantity, particularly as it does not include the best clips grown in the country. It may. bo expected, however, that our own shipping authorities will take the necessary steps to bring'forward this wool to mamuacturing centres at home as quickly as possible, and mohair having been placed for the time being on the list ot prohibited articles suggests that space is wanted for wool. This shows that whatever complaints may be made by those interested in the civilian trade here respecting scarcity of wool supplies, the Government is not asleep over the matter. Military requirements have to he considered first of all, and though some growling will be Indulged in respecting the inadequacy of supplies for civilian purposes, that can really only be regarded as a secondary phase of the subject.

EXPORT TE4.DE DEVELOPMENTS. Much interest has been aroused in textile circles during the past week or ten days in stops which have been taken by an Important local organisation,for furthering the interests of the British export trade in textiles after tbe war. A most ambitious scheme has been propounded, involving, if carried out, the expenditure of a considerable sum. of money. The actual amount of cash to be subscribed appears to afford scope for much elasticity, the sum named ranging from, a .quarter of a million to two and a half million pounds sterling. Large as this latter sum of money undoubtedly is, tho writer finds that it is not so much the amount of cash which it is suggested might bo raised as the underlying principles which are arousing attention. In the form in which it is put forward the majority of the members of the trade, particularly those interested in export, are finding cause for adverse criticism. Departmentalistic ideas, theories of co-operation, and dreams of syndioatallsm are too prominent in the language used by those who are advocating tlie new scheme for practical-minded Yorkshiremen, who have played such a large part bv their own initiative in building up British export trade, to be favourably impressed. The w riter lias had the privilege of attending two meetings held for tue purpose of considering the scheme in question, and on botn occasions he was struck with the silent respectfulness with which the advocates of the proposed methods of developing our export trade were received, and the enthusiasm with which those speakers were greeted who spoke in practical business terms, and who deprecated tho interference of officialism in business, defending at tie same time the spirit of independence and enterprise of which they themselves were living examples. It is exceedingly difficult to describe in brief and easily-understood terms what the new schema is. Hints wore thrown out at the second meeting that the Board of Trade might be a medium for carrying it out, one speaker stating that the Board of Trade of to-day is not the Board of Trade of two or three years ago. This the writer took to mean that there has been a broadening of ideas, and a realisation of the fact that in some respects the means by which our export trade has been carried on have not been entirely satisfactory. WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED?

I have already stated that the trade a: large resents anything in the nature of a syndicate or a monopoly. The immediate and desired by the Bradford trade is the building up of export business on sounder lines than ever before. The present move is certainly not a confessioh of past failure. Some might interpret it thus, but this is not the case. One of those present at the second meeting said to the writer that he did not thick that Germany had won any real supremacy in anything relating to textiles except in dye wares. Give them credit for that, and there teems to be

very little left for which they can. be commended. Perhaps _ this is not the general view, and certainly Germany has set a Rood pace in tho matter o£ being first in. the field. The question of export is one which affects the Allies generally, and recognising that Great Britain and America along with Japan are the leading manufacturing countries in the world, and that other of our Allies, particularly France and Belgium, are so devastated by the war as to be rendered incapable of contributing much to the world's textile it remains tor the thr.ee countries first named to step into the breach and show Germany what oan 'be done. Tremendous needs already exist which the Bradford trade cannot cope with, and feelings of great dissatisfaction are frequently expressed at this being tno case. We shall have to exercise patience, let the military orders get out of the way and done with first, and then w e shall be able to devote our attention to the huge civilian and export requirements which inevitably lie in, front of us. Undoubtedly there are certain ways in which the Government can. help the trade such as through a more efficient Consular service, and -probably if this were improved it : would be quite enough to satisfy tho majority in their demands for reforms. They would deal with the rest themselves. Tho writer could not help noticing the imperialistic note which was struck in some of the remarks made. The fact, that the British Government have got hold of a large proportion of the world's wool supplies was touched upon, and hints were made that this might be taken as the starting point of a huge system whereby the whole of our export business . might be efficiently managed and controlled. .Readers may take it for granted that though there are suspicious of Stare. control continuing after the war, the majority will be disposed to make a strong fight for freedom. So long as the. importance of a reasonably priced article is realised, and proper steps are taken for developing markets and opening out new ones, this being dono by the aid of practical experienced men. it seems quite unnecessary for anything further to -be attempted in the way of control pi- monopoly. The latter is dreaded by- the trade and i s not likely to be tolerated.