OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3415, 29 August 1919, Page 13

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

RAW MATERIAL PRICES VERY FIRM. GREAT SCARCITY 0;F TOPS. (Fbom Oue Special Cokuespondknt.) BRADFORD, June 12. Last Thursday a sale of colonial wools took place in Liverpool, the event giving rise to considerable attention. There is no wonder at this when one saw the catalogue, it being impossible to put up a selection of superior combing wools without the whole combined buying powers of the trade being centred upon such offerings. Altogether about 10,000 bales were catalogued, the selection being very much superior to the last sale that took place at the Mersey port. Let us look briefly at the high-class merino offerings. SOME SUPERIOR LINES. The days offerings opened with wools from Victoria, brands well known to all frequenters of either the London, Geelong, or Melbourne sales. It can be said that these merinos were nothing short of being "picture" wools, embodying as they did everycharacteristic that a wool buyer could desire. The writer has always maintained that there' is excellence in breeding and growing wool as much in crossbreds as merinos, -and whatever quality of wool is under consideration, there are certain outstanding characteristics which determine the market price. For instance, there is quality, length, soundness, and condition, all features which determine what wool is worth In the super West Victorian merinos offered at Liverpool last Thursday, all these were present in a marked degree. The prices realised for such clips as EO, Mt. Bute, Springwqod, and Terinallum show clearly where things stand. At the last series of London sales a world's record was made for greasy merino combing wool, several Victorian brands selling at 60d. A sample of Mt. Sturgeon which made that high price was shown to Australian soldiers at the Bradford Technical College about a fortnight ago, many stat : ing candidly that they thought the thing was incredible. All the same, when they handled the ram material they at once realised the excellence of tlfe staple, and admitted that it possessed superfine qualities which can only be grown in a portion of West Victoria. Still the wools offered in Liverpool last Thursday possessed the same characteristics, hence the high prices realised. The following are well worth putting on record:

PURPOSE FOR WHICH WOOL IS USED. It h well worth, asking to what purpose the above high-class, merinos are put, and it must be said at once that they are used for a variety of fabrics. First of all, they are wcol bought by both spinners and manufacturers, being well above topmakers. It was well known at the last London sales that those who purchased these high-class merinos were the very cream of Bradford spinners, and also a few outside wooilen manufacturers who wanted the wool regardless of price. The bulk of ihese high-class merinos are what are ■ known as warp 70's. but. it is raw material that will spin up to a finer count than the fibre appears to be to tho naked eye. None of the wools catalogued in either Liverpool or London could be designated as CO's, but they would spin to 1-70's, perhaps to 72's or even 74's. It is such wool as this that has helped to standardise qualities in Bradford, and when a person, speaks of 70's quality, the real meaning is that the wool in question should spin to 1-70's count of yarn and represent 70 hanks, each hank measuring 560 yards to weigh lib. These high-class merinos have been bought during the past month by those who must have Quality, character, and softness of handle, and spinners and manufacturers purchasing them cannot but be well satisfied with the results. Probably the yarn spun from these high-class merinos will sell around 15s to 16s per lb—a price that clearly indicates that it_ is of little consequence to thotfe purchasing the fullymanufactured article. A DECREASING QUANTITY. The writer is able to speak from actual knowledge, and regrets to say that yearly the supply of these high-class merinos is diminishing. This is to be regretted for many reasons.• We have to face the fact that more stations are being broken ud and passing into a good many more hands. This inevitably means the breeding of crossbreds", growers to-day making the cash returns the alpha and omega of their sheep-breeding business. Australian pastoralists to-day are showing unmistakable signs of wanting to produce what they call a dual-purpose sheep, and can anyone find fault with the object? At the same time it is to be regretted that some of the high-class merinos are fast disappearing, and although a certain number will always be grown, yet there are today no big properties in West Victoria, and the output of high-class merinos tends to diminish yearly instead of increase. Some have asked why these merinos cannot be grown elsewhere in the Commonwealth, and

the reason is plain. Climate and pasturage are paramount factors in determining both sheep and wool, and it is a fact that, one* out of West Victoria, the areas are very limited, indeed, where really high-class merinos can bo kept that are equal in merit to those produced in the Skipton district of West Victoria. Really excellent wools aro grown in the south-eastern portion of South Australia, which all smack of a West Victorian character; then the New England district of New South Wales is a good run-ner-up, while Tasmania also produces highclass merino wool that will take a good deal of beating 1 . MARKET CONDITIONS. Although holidays have interfered with the regular routine of business, still the market is by no means devoid of interest and life. There seems to be the same keen search _ for spot delivery of tops that one has witnessed during recent weeks, and E rices aro all exceptionally firm. This can o expected, for there promises to be no relief on this head. It is understood that commission woolcombers' charges are going to bo advanced, which will be the direct outcome of_ the recently-increased wagei being paid to combing operatives. Even this will not stop trade, for topmakers are to-day able to sell almost any weight of tops, and as far forward as next NovcmberDecember —in fact, there are firms in Bradford who are refusing to sell further for delivery this year. "There is also a distinct movement towards lower qualities, and everything indicates a larger demand for 46's in N particular. Tho want of the hour in Bradford is a, largely-augmented supply of tops, and this is not to be expected until more men are found to run machinery, particularly on the night turn.

,' -Mark. Description. Bales. Prices. Grease— d. Yarram combing *20 604 Yiarram Park —first combing .. 13 60 Edgarley — super A combing H -8 604 Edgarley—first fleece 18 64 Edigarley—A first fleece .. 9 635 Edgarley—super combing 5 654 Edgarley—first fleece 20 66 25 61J Hyde Park —super combing .. 7 65 Ter inallum/ South—super comb10 m Terinallum/South—iRfst combing 11 63J Springwood—ex. super fine .. 12 67 Springwood—super combing .. 15 664 S.S./Trefusis/New England20 644 Scoured— . GKP/Antrim—AAAFE .. .. 8 74 19 68 JM/Tonkoro —2nd combing W 29 664 32 80 Eddington—AA E .. .. .. 23 76 Maxwelton —A combing E and W 31 80 Maxwelton —S combing E 8 784 10 80 Maxwelton —fleece E and "W .. 7 78