OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2915, 26 January 1910, Page 7

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

J (From Oua Special Coekespondent.) j BRADFORD, December 10. 1909. WOOL-GROWING IN SOUTH AFRICA. After the hurly-burly of the wool pales the trade has once more settled down to normal, and business looks more hike what it usually is. At the same time it is just as well "that we have such a big event as a saries of sales, for then we sea at onc-3 where wool actually stands. Recent purchases aro already arriving- in consuin- ] ing centre:-., and while the raw material ! looks dear enough, fitill it is hardly s.o extravagantly high as it was in September. Users can well 'io with something more reasonable, for prices then were extravagantly high. It's all xight enough for wool-growers to receive big figures for their clip, but at the same time it must always be borne in mind that when the user finds he car. do no good, with the wool, he is not long in devising means for remedying an unprofitable situation. If growers could have heard one-half • the grumbling tfeat haa been made about dear wool this lastsix months they would thiulk that a dead F-et had been made .--gainst prices, and no doubt there was when thing* declined in October. Wool would have still further slipped back but for the large needs of users, and sfc is only an absence of stocks which caused -/; lues to slightly appreciate. However, busin-sts is proceeding apace, and the way woo! has been sent out from the London warehouses to buyers is certainly encouraging from many standpoints. Whenever a man has bought, instructions have at onoe been given for the dispatch of the same, thus clearly proving the great, need that exists for a speedy supply of the raw material. j SOUTH AFRICA AS A WOOLGROWING COUNTRY. Some surprise seems to have been expressed at the announcement made by the well-known wool statisticians, H. Scbwartze and Co., that supplies of wool from South Africa have this year advanced 104,000 bales compared with 1908. I am open to admit that personally I am among that number, and such r.n increase ii« certainly mere than anybody ever expected. Yet for all that it is but the natural sequence of events. Cape pastoralist-s manifesting more progress in sheep-breeding and woolgrowing than at any time during the past half century. With the Governments of the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal waking up—thanks to independent legislation and some practical farmers at the head- of affairs—other neighbouring States —I may call them such —have been stirred to adopt a forward programme, hence we see- from Capetown to Johannesburg, from Pretoria to Port Elizabeth, and right through Natal, sheep-farmers everywhere doing their utmost to v:vovj more wool, awj prepare it for market in a much better way. Some years have elapsed since, greasy Cape wool made 13d per lb, and yeo that is what actually todk pla.ee at the recent series of sake. Certain parts of South Africa aro very much like the northersi regions of South Australia, the far west of New South Wake, and Western Australia. No matter what methods aro

adopted 1 , the wool will bo red and earthy, but buyers can get over that if there 'is not put up with the fleece th© bailies a-ndi britch, which is so frequently done by South African farmers. It is bad enough having to estimate the clean yield of sand and earth in combing- wool without having to calculate the shrinkage on heavy bellies and britch, «nd all rejoice to <Wv> somo improvement on these line?. SIGNIFICANT FIGURES RESPECTING IMPORTS. A close: analysis of the figures respecting imports of wool into this country .shows that during recent yesrs our supply has advanced by leaps and bounds compared with the early part of the present century, and it is surprising that we have not today. » glut, as was the ca.se from IBSS to 1893. I well remember the time when ail users were '•bunged" out with stock, and the lata Sir Isaac Ho'den's prophecy was fulfilled that we should l have wool at the price of cotton. Such was the case, for very good) fieece crossbred dropped to 4d per lb, and at one time even decent merino greasy, could be bought for a penny mere. There/ is no mora astounding phenomenon in connection with the raw material than to find the present large production moving out of hand and being absorbed with the sama agility, as was the ease in IGOO, when sup-. plies were a full million bales than) they have been this year. That is one aspect of the wool situation which has received but scant recognition, and yet it proclaims eloquently the. expanding nature of wool consumption in all countries alike. The following figures show trie total imports of wool during the past few years into Europe and America of Australasian and Cape wools, and Schwartzes' figures ara worth close analysis:

THE BEST WOOL-GROWING PARTS OF SOUTH AFRICA. It may not 'be generally known to Australian rentiers, but the Western Province •of Caps Colony is unquestionably the besfc wool-growing axea in the whole of South Africa, due undoubtedly to a good climate and pasturage. Farmers in. this part of the .colony are not. so addicted to shearing; every six months &s they are elsewhere, consequently the wools are better liked, and. a? a rule, we get more uniform results. There U always far more competition for these wools than for the red. earthy fleeces grown in other parts of tho colony, and being as a rule better prepared for market is also another important essential which helps to promote competition. The confidence of the trade has in the past been very largely shaken in Cape wools owing to their disappointing yield, it being no uncommon thing for the most expert buven? to be from 3 to 5 per cent. out. in estimating the clean yield. Statements have oftentimes been made of tops costing anywhere from Id! to 2d more than expected owing to excessive shrinkage in the wools, this meaning a direct loss to buyers. It only needs men; to be so bitten? two or three times io &ee them leave alone South African wools, but with little farmers' clips being better skirted ard locked, competition is again broadening, and there are move people buying Capo wools than formerly. A STEADY MARKET. There is not a great deal new to say regarding the situr.lion. Things are pursuing the even tenor of (heir course, and, as far as one .can see, there is not now likely to be much change with the year fast drawing to a close. Interest has 'been kindled with the opening of the Sydney Bales, and if the cabled results .".re to ba relied upon, then wool seems pretty deadr. At the same time the fact is very significant that importing topmakers are still willing tellers at last weeks prices, and it seems strange if wool is costing so muck that top-makers are Still prepared to accept; what they were quoting a week ago. There ia not a great deal of business passing, the political outlook no doubt gmuencing a.' good many in their actions. Thin month importers begin delivering pari of their. now contracts, and it hardly seems likely; that spinners are going to pay more whenl they have tops bought at Id to 2d less than what is being quoted to-day. So far as v.rw business i; concerned, there is very, litfle doing. Even direct importers state emphatically fh.at they are not finding much demand, .-try.! n»->w contracts are being taken up with very little zest. Most attention at present seems to be given to orcesbreds, and these are btill Belling in fair quantities

both for home and export. The feeling generally seems to favour higher prices, and, judging by the cabled reports from New Zealand and Buenos Aires, crossbred wool is selling freely There, seems to be with many people more hope entertained over the strength of croesbreds than merinos, some thinking that there is more lattitudo about the former. However, there is no doubt that coarse qualities are 6till reasonable, and at 14d to 40's nobody can sav they are dear. The demand 16 still good for 46's to. 50'e, and wool sella freely; ir fact, it is a somewhat scares article, and anything of either carding or combing length can easily be disposed of. During the past wee'.- a fairly healthy demand has sprung up for crossbred fleece ■•wools on home account, largely due to the fact that users are being forced to come into the market, they wanting now the raw material. The difficulty with many is in not being able to buy, stocks being so small in the hands of everybody. Even English staplers fee,' that their position to-day is a very strong one, andi there is also more doing in skin wools. Mohair is very quiet, business of only a hand-to-mouth oaaractsr being done.

Total Australasia! . Cape. Colonial. Year. Bales. Bales. Bales. 1890 . .. 1,411,000 288.000 1,639,003 iesi . .. 1,683,000 322,00C 2,005,000 1832 . .. 1.335.000 291.OOC 2,126,000 1803 . .. 1.775,000 200,000 2,074,00.1 1894 .. .. 1,896,003 256,00;.) 2,152,003 1893 . .. 2.001,00-0 269.000 2,270,003 1833 . .. 1.846,008 2SS.00C 2.134,00;) 1897 . .. l,S34,O0O 274,000 2.103,00!) 3893 . .. 1.703,000 273,000 1,932.00!) 1899 , ,. 1,641,003 267,000 l,903',COJf 1900 . .. 1.456.000 140.COO 1.506,000 1901 . .. 1,745,000 217,000 1.902,000 1302 . .. 1,699,000 234,000 1,933,000 1303 . .. 1,451,000 234,000 1.685,003 1904 . .. 1,371,000 201,000 1,572,000 1905 . .. 1,622,006 2CS,000 1,842,000 1908 . .. 1,833,000 233.000 2,071,000 1907 , .. 2103.030 287,000 2,390,003 1909 . .. 2,072.000 276 000 2.348,000 1903 . .. 2.296,000 330,000 2,676,000