OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 7

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

(Fbom Our Own Corbesfondemt.) BRADFORD, March 31. RUINING A NATIONAL INDUSTRY No. I.— A UNIQUE TEST DEMONSTRATING THE INJURY OP LIME AND SULPHUR DIPS ON WOOL. Knowing that the Witness rauks among tho first in advocating the growing of a. perfect staple of wool, I set before its readers an epitome of a test applied to South American wool which I personalty have conducted and which I think should be put on record for 'tl.e> benefit of wool growers throughout the world. It is with thio sole object that I give a,r account of tho proceedings n; s letteix Ever since South American wools began to be freely imported into British and Continental markets, all manufacturers ha\tf had just cause for complaint against tbo nature and character of Argentine wools, and with the lapse of time this complaint, instead of being removed, grows strongmand stronger still. One would have thought with the spread of science and knowledge in the art of sheep-breeding and wooigrowing that South Americaa pastoralists vrould long ago have ceased those practices, the 1 continuance- of which is sure to be -attended with disastrous results upon ±--& value of the clip. Let it be clearly . ■ stood that I offer .no complaints South American wool itself — that is, it- is grown- pure and simple* without ucing damaged by deleterious dressings, which, instead of calling forth, as they should, the strongest condemnation of the agricultural officials oosf s the Argentine Government, are not only countenanced, but actually recommended by them. It will be the object of this paper to point out the mistakes in treating the growing fleeoe, end io offer such evidence as cannot be gainsaid, m the hope that the warning may come in time and be regarded. It does, indeed, seem quite an inexplicable coincidence that South Africa and South America should be sailing in the same boat in the adoption of practices which are acknowledged by every practical wool experfc in the world to be highly- injurious to the wool fibre. The writer of this, having been bred and brought up in the wool trade, and for a lifetime watched it through every stage of manufacture, saw some year, ago that, by dipping treir sheep in a mixture of lime and sulphur, Cape sheep men were operating for the ruin of the pastoral industry. Knowing, too, that generally thej were ignorant of the great causes that were keeping their wool prices down, to an abnormally ipw level, I set to work to point out a few defects and some reasons why Cape wools were figuring so low. lne fact of the case was that British manufacturers, through repeated bad-working results of Cape wools, had begun to look upon them with strong suspicion, until they were only saleable at prices which were far below those current for similar wools grown, in Australia. So many manufacturers, by using Cane wool, had had their materials and fabrics spoiled that many had totally discarded the use of Cap« wools, fee-v*« that the only safe way to escape r-f'^T loss and to ensure —satisfaction to tfaei* customers' for the manufactured article <mIS by using no wool which, during growth, nad been brought in contact with any injurious mixture. In ' a .special .article given to 4 leading Cape -paper, and another to tho Farmer and Stockbreeder; of Xondon, I made statements and allegations concerning Cape wools which were so astoundLig as to command the attention of the agricultural officials of the Government of Cap* Colony. The statements I- then made so impressed these gentlemen that they determined to institute a special investigation among Bradford and Yorkshire wool users generally, to see if my allegations were correot, the Agent-general of Cape Oolonyin London himself pursuing the inquiry. The < whole of the Bradford and London wool brokers, in one solid voice, said % "Amen to me, and they, moreover, pointed out th*» disrepute and bad name which Oape wools had earned for themselves among users of the staple equally in England, on the Continent, and in America-. The result; was that the agricultural officials, confronted with the consensus of opinion expressed as to the deleterious effects up_oa the wool fibre, reconsidered their position in "regard to their recommendations of compulsory dipping in lime and sulphur in. cases of ©cab, and permitted the use of other remedies, harmless to the fleece, but equally efficacious. I now come to make against South American wools the same complaints as I did against Cape wools, and, fupported by the testimony of an undivided opinion of the wool trade „of ' England, the Continent, and America, .1 assert that, among the causes -which aie riaaking against the popularity of Argen'.tine wools, there is no more fruitful source of suspicion than the recommended use oE lime and sulphur and tobaoco dips- in the dipping of sheep. COTJRSE OF PRICES. I cannot say that Bradford is a great I deal better than -when I last -wrote* in. ao.

far S3 actual business is concerned, though Taw material is being held much more tightly. There continues to be a rather mixed feeling about the future, some still feeing of opinion that unless there is an increase of business at the consumptive end of the trade crossbred prices must weaken. However, it is generally felt that values have touched the bottom for the time being, and that it is very unlikely we shall see much change either way until heavy imfjorts cease to exercise xhe untoward influence which, is at present felt. A few «ood transactions are reported, and a> little' «orering hai been done, but nobody seems disposed to buy forward. However, the feeling is much more cheerful, and there is. a prospect of more business in the near future. The following table shows the course of prices during the past month, and more changes have" occurred than for a long time back: —

Prices during the pasl month have moved Bownwards, and for some descriptions are *rery nominal to-day. The firm close in ILondon has stiffened the market, all qualities bei.ng.now -more firmly held than a fortnight ago. Mohair is very quiet, and the buyer with particulars down could toperate possibly id below what I have Quoted." \

« s * a CO Descriptiom I I J_ £ £ d. > k d. d. hoggs ..< ... Xincoln wethers ..} ... Deep-grown hoggs ... Deep-srown wethers White super hoggs... White super wether* ... Shropshire hoggs ... Shropshire wethers Ordinary half bred hoggs ... prdinary halfbred wether"" Wiltshire Down tegs Wiltshire Down ewes ... jßuper 60"s. col. tops ... Ordinary 60"s, col. top 3 ... Ordinary 50*8, coL tops ... Ordinary 40's, col. top 3 . . . Ordin'y 60*s, Buenos Ayre3 tops •Turkey average mohair . . . Cape firsts, mohair iv in n ii* 113 ll* 11 103 123 l£f 24 23 17 s* 11 10| 11 105 1U iv n 10J 12 12 23i 22f 17 13} ni 10J 10J W 10} 10J w a 14 in 23J 22J 17 12J In 10J iS! a 10} 12! ii* n* 23i 24 17 13 11 10* 10* 101 10* 101 111 10* 10* 101 11* 11* 24 23 17 13} 231 16H 14*1 23J 15 14 23* 15 14 23J 15 14 23* 15 14