YORKSHIRE WOOL LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3112, 5 November 1913, Page 17

YORKSHIRE WOOL LETTER.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, September 19. WHAT ARE TOPS? The announcement that a. compromise has been effected between the desires of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and that the duty on imported tops under the new tariff will be 10 per cent., directs attention to the question, forming the title of this article. Regular readers of wool literature at times cannot but have been struck with the frequent use of the term “ tops,” and they must have asked the question equally aa frequently, “ What . are they?” The answer can bo given in one sentence; Tops are wool that has been put through practically the first process of manufacture—that is, combing, all combed wool being called in the trade by the term “ tops.” This subject is a most interesting one, especially to the growers of the raw material, and the frequent letters the writer has received from both Australian and South African sheepmen clearly show that they have a very faint idea of what tops are. I shall try to-day briefly to explain the term.

THE WOOL TRADE SECTIONALISED.

I have no space to go back into the early days of the wool trade. In the “ good old days ” that some men take delight in speaking about there were no combing machines, the wool being combed by hand by long combs in the houses of the people, there being still one or two old men living in Bradford who worked hand combs. This old process well deserves a chapter to itself; but for the past 30 to 40 years wool-comb-ing has been almost entirely done by machinery, and to-day that branch of textile manufacture has certainly almost reached perfection. No doubt the word combing_ was in the first instance derived from women combing their hair with bone combs, the idea being to straighten out the ha-irs of the head to make them look presentable. We all know that if the hair on a person’s head is left to itself it very soon becomes matted and unworkable; hence combing is resorict] to, by the gentler sex in part;cular, in order to dross their hair in an attractive, stylish, and presentable way. The same principle applies to wool. When it comes from the sheep’s back, and has been passed through the scouring operation, the wool emerges from the end of the machine in a mass, and there is a conglomeration of fibres, the staples all being more or less mixed together. Before wool can bo used in the production of worsted yarn every fibre must bo straightened, and that is done in the combing operation. It is not the writer’s mission to-day to explain how this is done, the process being intricate ; but that it is well done i.s shown by the splendid results one gets in the combed top, when all the fibres of the staple arc laid parallel, and all the extraneous matter, in the shape of short fibre, which is called “ noil,” along with sliced, shiv, and burr, are entirely removed. I have already mentioned the fact that the wool trade is scctionalised—i.e., it is split up into several departments, each of which is specialised The question has often been asked, “ Why do not manufacturers purchase the raw material and turn out same in the finished article ready fur the wearer’s back?” This is done in hundreds of cases, particularly in the manufacture of woollen cloths; but in the production of worsted fabrics the business is to a largo extent departmental, there being large contingents of topmakors, spinners, and manufacturers. I do not know that the trade loses a groat deal by adopting these principles of business, for often a manufacturer can buy yarns to better advantage than ho can spin them, while a spinner undoubtedly can obtain tops from those who are essentially topmakers often cheaper than ho could make them himself. This is entirely due to each section of the trade having specialised in its own department, and. so far ns the West Riding is concerned, the custom has grown where there are a big number of firms carrying on the business. One has only to think of the great number of qualities which some firms of topmakers produce to see how impossible it is for one spinner to make such a variety as he regularly uses. There are several firms in Bradford which are making as many as 20 different qualities and grades of tops, and it is this specialisation which has been of such material good to the entire wool trade. Of course, if a spinner largely uses, say, one or two quali.'ics of either merino or crossbred tops, lie very frequently buys that class of wool, and has it combed on commission; but a*, a rule topmakers are the largest purchasers of the raw material, every bale being taken and sorted, and every fleece made the most of. This is really die secret of successful topmuking.

Almost every week I find Bradford topmakers offering to sell tops at what seems to be almost an impossible price in view of what wool is costing, but eonvhow they manage to do this and live. Take an example. To day I could easily buy an average 64’s top for spot delivery at 2s 4|d, the best 64's being quot* d at no more than 2s sd; yet I venture to say that out of straight fleece wool that will bo bought next week at the London sales- a man should have at least 3? sid to get back his own. The question arises, How is it done?” Simply by topmnkers sorting every fierce that a bale contains and making the very utmost out of it. To all appearance the bulk of the bale may be of 64’s quality, but out of it may come 10 per cent, of 70's —say just the shoulder wool off each fleece. That small proportion is taken and blended with other 70’s wool, while if there is 5 per cent., or even more, of super 60’s quality in the same bale, that is taken out and put into a blend of the same quality. After many years’ experience and observation I have come to the conclusion that the essence of topmaking is using to the upmost capacity every pound of wool that a bale contains. BLENDING. It is a well-known fact that a good deal of blending is to-day being done in the production of tops. By the word blending I simply mean that a fair proportion of different wool is taken, but of the same quality, the whole being put together in a pile, which is mixed and then combed. For instance, a toprnakcr puts into one pile or blends together a portion of South Australian merino, Montevideo, and probably Mazamet skin wool of the same quality. That constitutes a blend, and when the lot has been scoured and combed it has to be a very expert eye to detect the constituent parts of the top. As a matter of fact, blending iias to-day become quite a fine art, and it has brought into existence tops which are guaranteed to bo made from pure greasy wool. The exigencies of the trade have brought this about, and no doubt real advantage has accrued from it. It is well known that blended tops can be bought often cheaper than tops guaranteed to be made out of pure greasy fleece; but in real spinning value, and the results in the piece, I should say that the latter is still the cheaper article. However, the top trade is to-day a huge one, and the gratitude of growers throughout the world should be forthcoming, because topmakors are a long way the largest buyers of their clips. In combing wool tho final process consists of forming" a long sliver into balls, the average weight of a merino ball of top being 71b. It is this long-combed sliver which constitutes what is technically known in the trade as the top, the next processes being those of drawing and spinning. ADELAIDE'S FIRST SALE.

The news to hand of the first sale at the South Australian capital has come as a welcome relief to the doleful talcs which have emanated from Bradford for the past two months, and for once it is plain to bo seen that there is a healthy demand for merino wool. The initial sale has gone very much as I expected, and it is parent that South Australian growers have been well off of the competition of French buyers. I know for a fact that the bulk of Bradford limits were at 2s 4d to 2s for 64’s tops, and it was evidently expected that the wool would come at the price But, no such thing has happened, all cables stating that decent 64's will cost 2s sd. The market is all the better for this sale, and it cannot but have a very beneficial effect upon the West Riding, where undoubtedly the whole market needs an impetus such as colonial sales can give. I have seen in days gone by when Australian selling centres have boon a real stimulus to consuming centres, and I should not bo surprised if the same thing occurs again. The verdict from both Adelaide and Brisbane cannot but bring to a finish the cheap selling which has been indulged in, and seemingly somo Bradford importers did not icarn by past experience, bitter and' expensive as it oftentimes has been. The prices cabled by Messrs Elder, Smith, and Co. (Ltd.) have been eagerly conned in consuming centres, and to find such big weights sold at such good figures shows the inherent strength of the situation. The samples I have seen which have come to hand indicate clearly that the South Australian clip this season is going to bo well grown, though it is heavier in condition than a year ago. Still, the wool is right for manufacturers, apd that is the most important thing of all.

BRADFORD INFLUENCED BY AUSTRALIAN SALES.

Interest to-day has largely centred around the news from Australia, the results of the Brisbane and Adelaide sabs coming as a surprise to the majority. The result is that prices to-day arc firmer,, without being qnotably dearer. Those who have been selling on forward account at Id less are no longer disposed to fix up contracts, and all find that topmakers have stiffened their backs. There is really not mueh change in spot business, but the low prices recently taken are to a large extent a thing of the past; and although it is still possible to purchase hero and there average 64’s under 2s 3d, still that quotation is a firm price for a decent article. The tendency is towards more activity both in merinos and crossbreds. The lone of the latter is better. Topmakers are somewhat firmer, but it is difficult to make more money. Spinners say that they have still no difficulty in buying docent 40’s prepared tops at 15£d, 46’s carded at 16id to Ifia-d, 50’e average at

19£d, and 56's at 22d. Business is not by any means good, though many arc under tho impression that a good deal is being held back in tho hope of seeing lower prices; but these do not look probable. There is a little more doing in English wools, and although the market is not active, there is a tendency towards developments. The difficulty is to adjust tho prices to what fleeces cost in the first instance. There is also a little more doing in skin wools. although no more money can bo made. Taking the market as a whole, it shows a slight improvement, the dearness of wool in overseas markets being the. chief factor in emphasising the position of the raw material.