OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3313, 12 September 1917, Page 11

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(Fbom Otra Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, July 12. THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE TRADE. In past letters I have intimated to readers of this issue that members of the wool textile trade were passing through a very critical period, and but Tor the war there would be a revolution. Nobody desires to see that, and I do not think it will take place: but there will have to be some modification of the conditions imposed upon the industry by the War Office through the services of the Priority Committee; otherwise there will be a conflagration. There is no denying that even the authorities responsible for applying the principles of State control are uneasy. This is evident to those who are in close touch with tho officials in Bradford, and is due to more o»- less mismanagement and the applications of principles which are not businesslike, and certainly not British. To those at this end of the trade the position of the colonial pastoralists appears to be a very enviable one, although, no doubt, the grower has quite a full hand in dealing with the fly pest, shortage of labour, shearing difficulties, and by no means least, the limitation to one customer of the sale of his shorn fleeces, bringing with it the knowledge that in an open market he would realise pence per lb more for his wool. I have repeatedly called attention to the fact that we are passing through extraordinarily difficult times, and from tho woolgrower to the actual manufacturer n-y one desires to be unloyal, or to do anything which will jeopardise the Empire's interests while the war lasts. After the air raids in London during tho past week it behoves every Britisher to redouble his efforts to put down such a ruthless foe; and as long as the world lasts the name "German" can never command any respect from a decent law-abiding citizen. It would be a calamity to the entire world if Germany had to extend her borders in the least, because her foul deeds cannot be mentioned without feelings of anger and resentment rising in the breast of all. Germany, I say, is unworthy of participating again in the raw materials of the entire world, and, the sooner such a nation is wiped off the face of the earth the better it will be for the balance of humanity. It is therefore with feelings of considerable pride that tho whole wool textile industry realises that the raw material requisite for providing tho outer covering of man is being grown very largely in the British colonies, and that with the aid of France, America, Russia, and Italy the day will dawn when Germany will be brought to her knees. RATIONING THE TRADE. In my last letter I tried to explain at some length the end and purpose of the Priority Committee. The alpha and omega of the work of that body is doling out supplies in harmony with conditions as revealed by supplies in London. Last week an important census of stocks was taken, and I understand that about 25,000 census forms were distributed throughout the United Kingdom. Taking stock is entirely a new departure in the wool textile trade of Great Britain, and there have been no fewer than four such stock-takings during tho past 12 months. It is all done with tho purpose of informing tho Government authorities responsible for working the wool trade what wool and partly-manufactured stocks there are in the trade, and on tho results of that census tho Priority Committee will be able to work more accurately. Rationing so far has pone down very badly, duo to the Priority Committee allocating in the majority of cases not half the quantity of wool and tops to keep machinery running up to the end of August. A great number in the trade feel that they have not been dealt with in a frank and candid way. The Army Council order issued in May gave spinners tho privilege of consuming all crossbreds they could up to June 11, merinos up to July 2, after" which dates they could no 'onger consume ad lib. any stocks they held. Considerable soreness has been created during the past week when spinners, on reccivinrr their allocations, found that the retur ■•• cover June 1 to August 31. and merino spmnevs esDeeially feel that they have been " had." No sound reason is forthcoming: why these Priority certificates should g-o back to June 1 when full privilege was granted spinners to use off their own stocks till July 2; but this astounding fact has come out in many cases where tpinnei s consumed in June all the tops allocated

which are supposed to last them till the end of August. This means that the Priority allocations aro little more than a farce, "and this fact alone has naturaliy caused expressions characteristic of Hades to bo mode. Is there any wonder that the eutiro trade is upset with such unbusinesslike treatment? Many firms aro so > incensed that they have taken the law into their own hands, and, instead of letting machinery stand and turning their workpeople on to the street, as they would have done if they had stopped when they had consumed their allocation, they are running, as usual, and using off stock which they maintain, having been paid for, is then property. The past week has seen the offioiala at the Wool Office in Bradford literally bombarded with tho bitterest complaints, and the authorities have had to decide whether they were to let maohinery stand and turn workpeople out, or allow spinners to go on working as usual. I have already tated that the authorities are more afraid of labour than anything, and they know that if they put mills on to fewer working hours, serious trouble will result. The present high cost of living means that it takes workpeople all their time to make ends meet now that they are working 45 hours instead of 55A, and the Priority Committee knows that they must use common sense and not kill the goose which hitherto has laid the golden egg. THE QUESTION" OF SUPPLIES.

The fundamental principle underlying all trade to-day is that of supplies, and readers will know more of this aspect of the case possibly than wo do here. The principal man in charge of the Priority Committee has stated thie last fortnight over and_ over again that for the time being_ there is an adequate supply of raw material; but the shipping difficulties are such as to necessitate the Army Council and the War Office taking a long view. The officials have repeatedly stated that they feel it incumbent upon them, after having provided for military needs, to build up a reasonable stock, and. they seem determined to put into tho warehouses of the country sufficient raw material to provide for the needs of the armies and the navies of Great Britain and her Allies for at least six months. It has also been stated unofficially that it will bo the end of the year before the last Australian cliu is actually got away from the ports of tho Commonwealth. The War Office therefore feels that it cannot afford to be prodigal in allocating supplies. This really is the cause of the Pnority Committee distribution scheme falling upon evil times, and, as I have already said, the question of supplies lies at the foundation of all the trouble. It is well known, as shown in Dalgety's monthly figures, that the shipments from Australia and New Zealand during the past two months have been decidedly small, and I am told that no improvement can be expected for some time. All the same, it seems to many in the trade that the Shipping Controller can not ignore the teeming textile population of the North of England; and, so long as the wool is there, provision must be mado for bringing it home. The reader will therefore see some of the difficulties which confront the trade to-day, and until these are solved there is bound to be considerable difficultity experienced in running combing and spinning machinery for some time to come.

WOOL-OOMBERS ON SHORT TIME. Last Monday the wool-combing operatives in the merino department began to work short time, both the day and night turns playing. This has not gone down at all well with the workers, but is done with the idea of making supplies last longer, and so conserving stocks. As .the Prime Minister stated a good week ago, it behoves everyone in this country to make sacrifices, and if a little more thriftiness was manifest on the part of the operatives in general, the impression prevails that even the wages earned by working 45 hours per week will help them to tide over the present days of stress and strain. Of course, no short time is being worked in combing crossbreds, because these are very largely wanted for military purposes ; and as fast as crossbred wool is being combed and spun it is woi"ked up into khaki sorgo and hosiery fabrics. Further, large orders are on the point of being placed which can be taken as evidence that the army authorities are not looking forward to an early termination of the war. GOMSVIERCJAL CABLEGRAMS. LONDON, September 5. At the tallow sales to-day 878 casks were offered and 727 sold. Mutton: Fine, 70s 3d; medium. 67s 6d. Beef: Fine, 71s 6d; medium, 673. LONDON, September 6. Bank of England returns: Gold coin and bullion in stock, £51,828,000; reserve, £32,068,000; proportion of reserve to liabilities, 18.92 per cent, ; notes in circulation, £49.670,000; Government deposits, £44.462.000; other deposits. £124,997.000; Government securities, £57,794,000; other securities, £97,730,000. Discount on short loans, 4i per cent.; three months' bills. 4-? per cent. The commonwealth loan scrip is at 4s 9d discount. Consols, £55 10s. Following are the quotations' for colonial stocks, as compared with thoeo for the pre-

Wheat and flour arc at a standstill, pending operations on the commission's new prices, to come into operation on the 17tn inst. Oats, peas, and beans: Finn and active. Sugar: Unchanged. Butter: There 13 a great scarcity; prices are mostly unchanged. Danish, nominally 300 s. Thcro is but littlo shipping from Denmark, as the bulk is being consumed locally, owing to the shortage of margarine. Tin: Spot, £240 17s 6d: three months, £240 7s 6d. Stocks. 20,673 tons; spot. 5804 tons; afloat, 4973 tons, deliveries, 1027 tons.

Silver, nß|d per oz. Other metals unchanged. September 8. The hemp market is inactive. Prices are tmohanged. Rubber. —Para, 3s 2Jd: plantation, 2s 9gd; smoked, 2s 7|d. Copra is unchanged. Rabbits. —There is little doing owing to She small quantity released. Mutton: No Australian or New Zealand is offering. Lamb, 10£d; South American mutton and lamb, Hid. PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS. IMPORTANCE TO NEW ZEALAND. (Fhom Oub Own Coheespondent.) WELLINGTON, September 4. A question regarding the sale of German interests in the phosphate deposits in the Faorfio Islands, was asked in the House tolay by Mr E. Newman, jvho drew the at-

tention of the Prime Minister to the announcement of a recent sale in London of enemy interests in phosphate areas in the , islands of the South Sea*. These phosphate deposits were of great value, and had i been extremely remunerative to the shareholders, returning dividends of as much as 25§ per cent. Ho asked the Prime Min- . ister whether, in view of the importance i of having cheap fertilisers in New Zealand 1 i if we were to increase production greatly I after the war, ho would instruct the High ! Commissioner to make inquiries into the sale of enomy interests in those islands with a view to the acquisition of some of shem5 hem by the New Zealand Government. ["he sale to which he referred, which took place on July 6, was of the German interest in the Pacific Phosphates Company. ! Ho would suggest that the Prime Minister should inquire whether it was possible for the New Zealand Government to acquire a 1 controlling interest in this company. » Mr Massey said he would be very glad • to have the inquiries made. While in • London the Finanoe Minister and he h>

tca-viewcd the Imperial authorities in regard to these islands, and stressed the importance to Australia and New Zealand of Ocean Island and Narewa Island. They were given a promise that nothing would bo done in the way of disposing of these islands without consulting the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. TIE BREAWSTIiFFS A*!* PR©- | DICE MARKETS. j Friday evening. In the absence of offerings there is no- ! tiling doing in the local wheat market. Three of" the Dunedin mills have had to cdose down; two others have sufficient wheat on hand to keep them going for another month or eo, and the remaining mill has enough wheat for about two months' milling. One Dunedin mill, however, has a pretty substantial etook of flour on hand. Fowl wheat has further firmed in price, and ae high as 6a 6d per bushel has been

obtained for small quantities. There is very littlo on oiler. Oatmeal is quoted at £2l a ton for 25V, pearl barley, £2O 10s • pollard, £7 10s (fixed by Government); bran, £4 5s (fixed by Government). There are few lines of oats offering from Otago growers. Sales have taken place during the week at 4s 2J,d, ex store, for A Gar tons for seed purposes, and also at 4s 3jd for A Cartons, 4s for B Gartons, and 4s for feed oats, all f.0.b., s.i. There is not, however, much doing in the local market. For a 600-saok line in the Gore district 4s Id on trucks was offered from Dunedin, but the grower found a higher bidder in the south. The. Tarawera, which sailed from Dunedin this morning, took a few thousand sacks to the North Island, in fulfilment of orders received within the past few weeks. A fair quantity of the shipment was composed of under-grade lines, for which there is a fair inquiry from the north. PRODUCE REPORT. The broken weather has delayed the cutting of chuff in the south, but the market has been supplied with consignments from the north und Otago Central. Good quality is selling at £6 ss, delivered in Dunedin. Merchants are out of stock of oaten and wheaten straw, no supplies having arrived on the market for some time. The quotations are, therefore, more or less nominal. Good quality potatoes have been sold during the week at £4 ss, and the market is firm at this figure for any freshly-picked lines. Most of the stores are busy picking over sprout-eel potatoes, and the market is kept well supplied. Canterbury consignments are now lessening, as farmers ore too busy with spring work, and probably present prices do not induce them to get their potatoes ready for the market, although it is reported that supplies are still plentiful there. Eggs are plentiful, and bakers have now commenced to preserve quantities. The stocks of onions are sufficient to meet the demand. Milled and dairy butter has advanced Id per lb. There was a medium yarding of pigs at Burnside on Wednesday—not sufficient for requirements. Best porkers railised up to 9d per lb, others Bid per lb; best baconers from 7fd to 8d per lb. Current wholesale prices are as follow: Chaff. —Prime oaten sheaf, £6 to £6 ss; medium to good, £4 10s to £5 10s (sacks extra). Straw.—Oaten. £3 5s to £3 10s; wheaten, £2 10s to £2 ISs. Prime clover hay, £5 10s to £5 15s. Potatoes. —Prime lines, £4 5s per ton (sacks in); medium to good are unquotable. Melbourne onions, 20s per cwt. Eggs, Is 2d. Butter.—Milled bulk, Is 4d per lb; dairy and separator, in lb packages, to Is 4d. Honey.—Bulk, 6d; 101 b tins, 5s 6d; 2lb pottles,- 15s to 16s a dozen; 21b tins, 15s. Pigs.—Baconers. 7£d to 8d per lb; porkers, Bid to 9d. B;tcon.—Rolls, local. Is 2d: .Christchurch, Is 2d • sides, Is Id; hams, Is 2d; ham rolls, Is 3d! FRUIT REPORT. Small lots only of apples having arrived during the week. Those came mostly from Otago Central, and realised up to 4£d per lb. The market is quite bare of cooking apples; any odd lines bring high prices. A few cases of apples and pears have arrived from Canterbury cool stores. The apples brought from 10s to 12s per case, and the pears up to per lb. Owing to the impossibility of obtaining citrus fruits from Sydney, consequent on the strike in Australia, there is a stronger demand for apples. Some 400 to 500 oases of island oranges and 200 cases of American Valencia oranges arrived during tho week by the Tarawera. The prices realised are given below. Cauliflowers are about the only vegetable available. Supplies of these are commencing to ease off. Spring onions, lettuce, and radish are now commencing to make their appearance on the market! Rhubarb is also coming forward. The following are the current wholesale prices: Apples.—Otago Central Dessert. 3?d to 4£d; cooking, to 3d. Canterbury: Lord Wolseleys, to 10s 6d; dessert, lis to 12s, Lemons. —Aucklands only available ; lis Oranges. —Poorman, for marmalede. 12s to 14s; Island. 14s to 19s, as landed, 22s 6d repacked ; Valencia, 40s. Walnuts, 9id to 10^1. Cucumbers, to 12s per dozen. Ravotongan tomatoes, to Is 3d per lb _ Cabbages: Good, to 7s 6d per dozen ; inferior. 2s to 3s per sack-. Cauliflowers: Best. 10s to 10s 6d per sack; medium, 8s to 9s; inferior, 2s to 4s. Letuco, to 2*s per dozen. Parsnips. 3s 6d to 4s per cental; sacks, to 7s; oases, to 3s 6d. Carrots, 3s to 4s per cental; sacks, to 6s. Beetroot, Is 6d per dozen. Spring onions. Is per dozen bunches. Radish, Is per dozen. Swedes, 4s per sack; 2s to 2s 3d for cental bags. Potatoes— Taieri-grown, in sack lots, 5s per cwt for choice. MERCHANDISE MARKET.

Cheese is in very short supply, and cannot be quoted at under lid per lb. All descriptions of tinned fish are getting scarcer every day. The position as regards the new season's salmon is that all orders given to the snippers some time ago have been cancelled, and the prices withdrawn. Fresh quotations have been received for Coboes and Pinks quality, but Skene River are quite unprocurable. Landed prices of the qualities named will be very high. No stocks of sardines have come forward recently, and supplies are_ getting into small compass. Current quotation? are 7s 6d for small and 13s 6d a dozen for large. Fry's homoeopathic cocoa is quoted at Is 10s per lb, with few stocks now available-. On Monday last kerosene and benzine were advanced 4d per case. Bicarbonate of soda is quoted at about 25s per cwt. Sago is worth to-day 36s per cwt and tapioca 375. Cream of tartar is quoted at 3s per lb. Before the war it was selling at 10J,d. The duty on cigarettes, as provided for under the new Budget, is 25s 6d per thousand.. Previously it was 20s 6d, and before the outbreak of the war, 17s 6d. Old Dutch oleaneer is quoted at 24s per case. On account of tho strike in Australia supplies from this quarter are cut out, and efforts are now being made to obtain a paroeJ from America. Supplies of Outicirra eoap, -which is now on the prohibited list from America, have become very short. A small parcel which

\v;is brought down from the North Island is quoted iit 17s 6d per dozen. Economic fandsoap is quoted at 14s per ease. Manufacturers cannot supply orders at present.

Currants are becoming short on the market, only small parcels having been received this season from Mildura.

Norton's egg preservative is again very short on the market. Three Crown Mildura currants arc worth 8d per lb. Sykos's drench has advanced Is per dozen bottles. Old Gold tobacco is aaain available.

Cotton seed oil is worth 10s per gallon. Seeded raisins, packets, have firmed in price, and are now selling at 6s 6d and 6s 9d, according to quality.

vioua week : — Aug. 30. Sept. 6. Victorian 4's 95$ p, 5 ! Victorian 3Vs 844 84} Victorian Si's* Jlf 73 Victorian 3's • •■• 62i ? New Sou** WaJes 4's S2J- 821 New South Wnlos 3?,'s 9'S 9"S No«- South Wales 3?,'s t S0 S ?°* K"pw Ponf-fi Wale, 3's 70.V 70 Queensland 4's 00\ 00\ Queensland Si's %~h P7 i Queensland S's ■ G2 63 Pnuth Australian Si's "2h r2h Pout.h Australian 3's s '* 57 * Kew Zealand 4's 86J SB* Kew Zealand si's 73§ 734 Kew Zealand 3's R4 en Tasmanian s'.'s 72i 72* Tasmnnian S's <?5* WW*) West Anstrnlian Si's 7-),} 74 West Australian S's 60 G03. * 1029-40 currency, t 1020-30 currency.