OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3098, 30 July 1913, Page 17

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, June 13. 1 MANUFACTURERS DEMANDING MORE WOOL. There exists in Lancashire a powerful body known as the British Cotton-growers’ Association, the chief object of which is to raise capital to promote cotton-growing in countries other than tho United States. I need hardly tell readers that the Southern States of America form the chief source of cotton for tho big Lancashire spinning industry, and in years gone by the trades has been sorely handled by the erratic nature of the market, due largely to manipulation. In Liverpool, New York, and one or two more centres, cotton exchangee exist, whore “futures” are very largely dealt in, big transactions being done daily by “professional” cotton-buyers. Liverpool and New York are the two principal centres where, every year, a big volume of paper transactions is effected, markets being “rigged” and “hammered,” often without the least real legitimate cause. For the foregoing reason this powerful body has arisen of merchants and spinners, whose chief object is the promotion of cottongrowing in the British colonics, as well as in other parts of tho world, in order to defeat tho professional crowd, who care not whether prices are rushed up or slumped, if by so doing they can make immense profits. The object of the association is undoubtedly a worthy one. and it is to be hoped tliat it will succeed. For some years experiments have, been tried in the cultivation of cotton in various parts of the world, and it looks as if it will take a lifetime in order to produce sufficient to set beyond the influence of such manipulators supplies needed by Lancashire spinners. ■MORE WOOL WANTED. Some large houses in Bradford seem to bo somewhat perturbed by tho present high altitude to which wool has risen, and knowing that reasonable prices are tho foundation of a good overseas trade in yarns and piece goods, they have asked if it was not possible to inaugurate a similar body to be known as the British Wool-growers’ Association, or by some such name. They aro not at alt troubled about the name given to tho association, but their chief concern is tho production of a larger quantity of raw material. So far the matter has only been casually mentioned, and I do ~ not think it wifi as yet take definite shape, unless wool continues to rise still further, when, no doubt, the “big-wigs” of the trade will discuss the advisability of finding pastures new where sheep can be bred. This raises the question as to the production of larger quantities of raw material. Tho question is well worth asking. Is it feasible? Some of tho older and more experienced members of the trade, thinking of the time when woo! was costing less than half what it is to-day, and seeing no prospect of any such low values obtaining again, are naturally concerned by the large as when the same c'ass of wool stands to conduct the trade, and tho more danger there is attached to market values when prices arc as high as they aro to-day. Everyone can see that when crossbred wool was 6d per lb the amount of capital needed to do a big trade was nothing like so large as when the some class of wool stands at lid and 12; and the same applies to merinos. It hits been frequently said lately that with good merino wool worth anywhere from 13d to 14d per lb invoiets come to something compared with the time when similar wool could bo bought at 7d to 8d; and the same principle runs through the entire textile industry. Many contend that the present high values are largely due to the increased needs of the world and a steadily-diminishing supply of raw material. No doubt important factors aro operating, and if wool gets less it is bound to depreciate in value. Wherever one turns the verdict is the same—namely, that sheep stocks are decreasing, and that new land is not available whore increased j numbers of sheep can be kept. Perhaps i a short table, giving tho latest sheep stocks J of tho world, would not bo out of place, and the following aro the dotai’s: WORLD’S SHEEP FIGURES. 1893. At Latest Dates. Europe •• 198,191.214 182.345.920 Australasia . 110,561.331 117,011,654 South America 102.847,134 109,684,079 North America 57,158,600 63,466.952 Africa .. .. 31,890,052 50,293,014 Asia .. .. 21.957,752 92,848,787 Total 522,609,083 615,850,406 THE SUPREMACY OF THE BRITISH j COLONIES. No one can consider this subject with- I out realising the important part which Australia plays in the sheep and wool world, and tire thanks of tho manufacturers of Europe and America are duo to the pasiornlista “down under” for supplying them with largo and important quantities of raw

material. One lias only to think of what Australia, Now Zealand, a.nd South Africa are growing to realise that the major portion of the wool needed to clothe the world is coming from the three sources named, while, if wo put alongside, to swell the aggregate, the home-grown clip, we see that Great Britain and her colonics are a long way ahead of every other country in turning out the golden fleece. The oft recurring droughts in thp Commonwealth play sad havoc among sheep stocks, as was witnessed during the seven years of successive drought which lasted from 1896 to 1902. The Commonwealth will alwavs be subject to this terrible calamity. Sonsequently, there is need for more sheep to be depastured in other parts of the world. If good annual rains could be relied upon in Australia another 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 sheep oould be depastured without runs being overstocked; but with the general increase of agriculture it looks as if Australia will not depasture many more sheep than are found to-day. Steadily but surely the animal is being pushed further into the interior, and as fortunes have been lost in the past in the dry, sandy plains of Northern South Australia and the great desert of West Australia, no important increase in sheep-production in the Commonwealth is to be anticipated. Now Zealand, no doubt, can depasture a few millions of sheep, but it is doubtful if the increase will ever amount to much. In South Africa occasional droughts afflict the land, the result being that wool-growers there do not look too optimistically upon increased sheep stocks. A Larger animal than has been grown in the past will be looked to as the chief source of increased wool supplies, but from what we hear the bulk of the sheen country at present available is fairly well stocked, and until methods of intensive farming are adopted it is not likely that the number of snoop will increase greatly. If wo turn to South America wo find that agriculture there is developing, and that many sheepruns have been given over to the growing of wheat, maize, and linseed. The question therefore arises. From what quarter can wo look for an increase in the number of sheep, 1 oi what countries arc capable of depasturing more sheep flocks? Wo can on'y think of’ Patagonia, Chile, Russia, and Siberia, it being a well-known fact that there are still fairly big tracts of land in the countries named that can rear .a few more million sheep. It seems to me that Asia offers tho greatest possibilities for sheep culture; but tho absence of a Teutonic race is against developments. It looks to the writer as if tho countries at present engaged in this industry will have to contribute to the world’s needs, and I hope that droughts have disappeared for over. THE WOOLLEN TRADE. So far as the woollen trade is concerned, there is really not a great deal to say regarding the business of the week. It is quite true that the bulk of the machinery in the mills continues to be very well run, but during those last three weeks there has been a distinct slowing down in the number of new orders placed, and were it not for tho fact that most manufacturers are executing old orders a general state of quietness would obtain. This is duo to two causes. Manufacturers have now reached what they call “between seasons,” it being practically too late to expect any important repeats on cloths which are being run for the current summer season, while it is too early to feel the pressure of tho coming winter trade. Some have made their first deliveries, while other firms are busy executing orders; but on the whole there are not many new orders stir- ( ring, and all this is against tho market. Tho second reason is tnat it looks ns if fhc time has now arrived when all the cheap cloths and low prices have come to an end, i and the ultimate fabric-buyers are at grips with manufacturers in preparing for tho next spring season. One of them this week said that they were doing a nice solid worsted fancy suiting at 4s 6d, and for the same quality cloth and the same weight | they wore compelled to name 5s 2d for j next season. It simply meant that whereas j they were paying last year at this time j 2s 8d for two-fo’d 40'e yarn, 64’s quality, j out of which the cloth was made, tho same spinner is to-day wanting 3s 4d. Conse- | quently the manufacturer is compelled to name the higher price in order to cover ! the extra charge. So far, the next spring season has not yet begun to shape as it i did a year ago; but all the same, there is yet time for confirmations to come in.