OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 16

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(B'rom Our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, September 12. PAST AND PRESENT METHODS OF WOOL-GROWING AND MANUFACTURING. The wool question, like the poor, is ever with us, and it will be a bad day for the inhabitants of the world when the fleece of the sheep is not available for the production of the clothing which the human body needs. One has to go back very far to the time when the fleeces were not used for the purpose of clothing, some of the earliest records clearly indicating that the woolled sheepskins of those days were used for giving protection to the human body against the elements. Sheep and goats, though not as we know them to-day, seem to have been in the world from the dawn of civilisation, and no doubt they were among the animals created in the early days of the world’s history. The evolution of ways and means of handling the sheep’s fleece until a piece of cloth was first made is a long story, and we do not suppose that it will ever bo known how in the first instance the art of hand-combing was discovered. It may bo taken for granted that every process of manufacture in the early years of the industry had to ba performed by hand, the various fibres of the shorn fleece having to be twisted with the lingers until the thread was firm. That may be taken as the beginning of cloth manufacture, which has gone on ever since, finality not having yet ' been reached. If wo go back only 100 years we find that great changes have been effected, and development is writ large upon the processes of textile manufacture. In the old days in the villages of the West Riding of Yorkshire a horse used to bo employed to turn a very primitive machine for opening the fibres of wool and carding it. Then camp the spinning of the thread with the old distaff, later followed the hand-spinning jenny, and finally vj have the self-acting mule spinning frames which are in practically every mill in the world. The present generation, looking back 25 years, can see the big development which has taken place in the class of goods manufactured, and while to a large extent this is due to the different class of wool produced, the machinery in use is also very largely responsible owing to the facilities it gives for manipulating the raw material in many new ways. TAX ON WOOL IN ENGLAND. Very few members there are in the wool trade to-day who know that there was a period in the history of Great Britain when wool entering the country was taxed. Such a word sounds strange to the cars the average Britisher, who favours free wool, for wo believe that even the most ardent tariff reformer would not favour any scheme that would place a duty upon imported wool to-day. About -J.OO years ago a great agitation was boguh in English wool-growing circles in order that a duty might be placed upon the “largo” importations of Australian and Cape wool into this country. We have lately had the privilege of looking over an old record which gives an a-comi; of the commotion that was mudo by the landed proprietors of Great Britain, who, to save the interests of their tenants, advocated in no unmeasured terms the placing of a heavily-increased duty upon imported wool from our colonies. At that time our imports were u mere bagateilo compared with their .present dimensions, but the serious fall in the price of English wool was said to be due solely to the heavy imports of fine wool that were com'ng from Australia, the Cape. Germany, and Spain. No doubt it had some effect upon the price of domestic fleeces, and especially when the general public was showing such a preference for the fine-haired cloths which were made fioin the mor.no wools then produced. The House of Lords in 1828 held a special commission, and much evidence was given both for and against, but in the end the manufacturing clement of the West Riding, along with that of the West of England, triumphed, and the duties wore not reinstated. Nevertheless, it is well worth putting on record that there was a period in the' his.tory of Great Britain when im ported wools had to face a duty, but there is very little doubt it will have been the last time in the nation’s history when such an indispensable commodity as raw wool will be taxed. The fact is remarkable that on the Continent, where heavy duties have to be borne by imported woollen and worsted fabrics, the fleece of the sheep is admitted free, and with the application of the free wool clause of the American tariff every nation on the face of the globe, so far as we know, that, can manufacture wool will bo admitting the raw material free of duty. We give below an official list of the duties chargeable on wool imported into Great Britain in the early years of the last century:—

RATES OF DUTY CHARGEABLE. Per cwt. d.

Wool from Wool from British Foreign Possessions. Countries.

wool not of the value of Is per lb; Id nor lb on wool of the value of Is per lb and upwards.

GREAT CHANGES IN WOOL GROWN. The elass of raw material that is being grown to-day varies very considerably both in quality and character, old hands engaged in the industry going so far as to assert that the trade has been revolutionised during the past 30 years. Take, for instance, the production of crossbred wool. If we go back into the eighties very little indeed of this class of raw material was being produced, but to-day practically one-half of the southern world’s clip consists of crossbred wool, and to all appearances there is every prospect of this class of wool increasing in quantity. Even Australian nastoralists arc more favourably impressed with the position of prices which are to-day obtainable for “freezers”, compared with the prices ruling or merino sheep, and w T ith the splitting up of so many large and important stations pastoralists ■ are to-day able to give more attention to the production of both carcase and fleece. The result is that crossbreeding is being more and more engaged in both in Australia, New Zealand, and South America. If we look at the merino wools which are being grown to-day, they vary very considerably both m quality, length, and general appearance from what they d’d 25 to 30 years ago. Stations innumerable could bo mentioned whore the cla-ss of merino wool that is being grown to-day is altogether different from what it was in the younger days of many a present proprietor, simply because the needs of manufacturers have changed, and experience has proved that it pays bettor to grow a larger animal producing a somewhat less quality fleece than the small, fine-haired sheep of 25 to 30 years ago. I here is no State in the Commonwealth that has shown such a marked change as South Australia, thanks very largely to the stations in the Lower North district. One cannot overlook the immense influence which many of the leading stations have had upon the rank and file clips of Australia, and we certainly think that Australian wool has not deteriorated in excellence, although its quality may be a little stronger to-day than formerly; Still, that has been more than compensated for in other directions, and we find to-dav practically the whole of the mer’no clips of Australia on a higher level than they over wore, because they are meeting the needs cf manufacturers more effectively and fully than ever before. POINTS TO OBSERVE.

The chief points which wool-growers have to observe is that they should produce a fleece showing a satisfactory quality, nico length of staple, sound and good unconditioned wool. If they carry out this programme they can always rest assured that there will be a good demand for their raw material, and though there is not at present much prospect of any higher values, if to-day’s level is maintained it will satisfy the majority, for wool values arc undoubtedly on a level that pays well. The trado has always appreciated the characteristics we have mentioned, and merino wool should be of good quality, and certainly should not drop below 60’s, otherwise many buyer's will find fault and say the wool is too “strong.” Some of the South Australian clips are a little wanting in quality, but , no doubt climate and pasturage favour the production of the deep stapled merinos, and if they receive a trifle less per lb, that is more than made up for by the extra weight of shorn fleece. We certainly think the outlook for merino wool is as bright as ever, and nothing seems to get along better than this article. We find that fine wool to-day is as much appreciated by spinners and manufacturers as ever. It is in strong demand, for with the increase in the purchasing power of the multitude they are all alike disposed to buy something nice and soft, which will meet their requirements. Good wool is always at a market price, and although the standard of value ha's at times varied considerably there is nothing whatever to indicate that an era of lower wool values is at hand, but the reverse. The world’s needs are undoubtedly expanding, and one regrets to learn and see that the flocks of the Commonwealth arc not keeping pace with the increase requirements. This is rather unfortunate, for with the higher style of living and the increased requirements of the populace more wool is bound to be wanted in order* to meet existing and prospective needs.

BUSINESS STILL LIMITED IN WOOL AND WPS.

The tone on ’Change to-day lias been fully as cheerful as it was last week, largely owing to the development in the American tariff question, and the certainty that it will not bo long before the Bill is passed. It cannot be said that there is any great increase of now business in any department, hut prices ail round are keeping firm at recent rates. Many members of the trade arc turning their attention towards the probable course of the raw material in London when the sales open, and it is generally expected that when selling commence all prices will be somewhere about last sales’ rates. There is very little doing in the raw material in this market, largely in anticipation of the coming auctions, and scarcely anyone has any good business to repo t in this direction. The top market, is stationary so far as prices are concerned, though in fine descriptions rather more inquiry is increasing, and the question of prices is quite as difficult as it has been. Some affirm that little' figures are yet being taken for tops of 64’s quality,' but as a general rule the price for a good article ranges around 2s sd. Any forward business which is being done is put through at Id less than the prices named. In the crossbred market business is slow, this applying to all qualities. Values are keeping steady at recent rates, the price of a good 40’s prepared being around 15|d. Some buying of crossbred raw material has been done, the purchases made by one or two houses being fairly largo. The export yarn trade still furnishes the chief topic of complaint among spinners, and there is nothing cheaper to be reported from any Continental country. The inquiry is small, and what offers are to hand are too low for general acceptance. Spinners of mixture yarns are the best situated, and rather low prices have again been taken for white botany yarns.

Until 5th Julv, 1803 .. Free From 5th July, 180,3 to 1st June, 1804 5 .3 From 1st June, 1804, to 5th April, 180.1 5 10 From 5th April, 1805, to 10 th May. 1806 5 11 8-20 From 10th May, 1806, to 6th July. 1800 April 6 4 2-30 From 5th July, 1800, to 15th 8 1813 J illy, 6 From 15th April. 1813, to 5th 1810 10th V 11 From 5th Jul v, 1819, to Id lb ‘ October, 1819

Per lb. Per lb. From 10th October, 1819, to 5th January, 1823 .. Id 6d From 5th January, 1823, to 10th September, 1824 3<1 6d From 10th September, 1824, to 10th December, 1824.. Id 3d From 10th December, 1824, to 5th July 1825 Id Id From 5th July, 1825 .. Free §d on