OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3613, 12 June 1923, Page 17

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

MODERN USE OF FLANNELS. (From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, April 12. Rochdale is about the biggest centre for the mai ufacture of flannels nad shirtings in England, but the latest reports say that a. spell of slackness is still being experienced in the flannel trade. Most of the mills are fairly well employed, but not on goods for quick delivery. 1 ..is is significant, and well deserves the attention of those engaged in growing, buying, or consuming wool. Practically every person m the civilised world in one way or another wears flannels and shirtings, though the bulk are worn by men. Twenty-five years ago, and even less, before the presen* vogue of hosieries came into being, and when the majority of ladies turned to underwear mad© from hosiery spun worsted yarns, very few men wore pants and vests, the majority wearing flannel undervests. This greatly hit the white flannel trad ; but there has been a wonderful development in other directions since those days which has more .than compensated for the lessened call for white flannels for underwear purposes. In the “good old days” what lady was there who on Sundays did not wear a white flannel petticoat? All members of the female sex was never considered to be really dressed unless they had this as a leading article of their wardrobe; but those days have gone never to return. However, as one door shuts another usually opens, and it is so in this case. The flannel trade has grown very materially during the past few years, thanks to a world wide demand for shirtings and other important fabrics of the flannel older. Let us try to be more explicit and enumerate the different articles which to-day are being largely made lo meet modern requirements. NEW CLASSES OF GOODS.

Just as the law of evolution operates in all spheres of life, it has been operating to considerable advantage in the flannel section of the textile trade, and instead of the white flanrels of 25 to IQO years ago flannels are being made of an altogether different texture. It is a remarkable fact that flarrel and shirting manufacture seems to go hand in hand, and is responsible for the consumption of a big weight of what we will call second-class merino wool. It is remarkable that very little fine crossbred wool is made into flannels or shirtings, being rather too rough to oe next to the skin. However, we find practi-

~.m 1 manufacturer a large jn-h-er of shirtings, and here we have a wide field of production. Any reader has o. iy to took into a hosier’s shop window to see what a big variety of shirtings are being mf.de. There are the usual woollen stripes of medium quality, in which there has been used a fair percentage of cotton in order to ureve-nt the shirtings from shrinking, but there is a still bigger variety of fine wool shirtings and “tropicals.” It is in tiie latter that there has been a big development during recent years. For instance, with the Far East adopting Western ideas, a big field is opening out for the sale of very light weight fancy tropical shirtings., and these are being largely exported to all hot countries, particularly to our colories and South America. Then, too, here in Great Britain, as well as America, summer time sees a big number of men wearing these light-weight fancy shirtings, largely produced by flannel manufacturers in Rochdale, Huddersfield, and Bradford districts, although these have supplanted the old shirtings made 20 years ago. At one time what are known as health flannels were largely made into mens shirts and undervests, these health flannels being entirely made from black and brown merino wool mixed with white to get the shade. During the war millions of jards of these so-called health flannels were made for the troops; but they were very largely produced out of black dyed wool, being blended with white simply because natural wool was not grown in sufficient quantities But more upon this point later ...... . What are these tropical shirtings made of 0 As already indicated, the development of this trade has been an important adjunct to the wool trado, and these tropical shirtings are all made from fine merino wool—yaxns spun to a long length in order to get a light weight when the fabric is finished. Often these worsted yarns are spun to 2-60 s, which necessitates good 70 s to 80’s quality wool; and, as already indicated, these goods are sent throughout the entire world, for, being made as they are into fancy stripes and excellent colours, they naturally appeal to all men for summer wear. Then the ladies sometimes make theso fabrics into blouses; and

although to-day knitted fabrics are very popular among the gentler sex, the time will come when the shirt blouse will have a turn. It is the manufacture of tnesc tropical shirtings which has largely annulled tile demand for woollen fabrics, and we are glad to know that as one class of article has fallen into the background another has taken its place. It is a remarkable development that so many worsted yarns are being used in the production of flannels and shirtings to-day. WOOLS USED. Let us now look at the other side of 'one question and see what classes of wools are largely used in the production of woolien. flannels and shirtings. Being made on the woollen principle, combing wools aro not required, but clothing descriptions. The ■very fact of being made on the woollen principle necessitates short-fibre wools, and it is here where a big quantity of short clothing lambs, pieces, bellies, and locks is used. Good merino lambs are specially sought after for this purpose, and Rochdale firms are very extensive supporters of West Australian merino lambs, because of the absence of Burr, which does not necessitate any carbonising. Then these wools do not :! cr felt so quickly as the lam.be from V ictoria and New South Wales, although lambs grown in these States, including Queensland, are largely bought for this purpose. The use of lambs wool helps to give a full handle, particularly when the blends contain a fair proportion of cotton. In the milling process, the Limits wool bursts to the surface of the cloth and gives the. flannel a very woolly feel. Then, as already indicated, the shorter parts of the shorn fleece, particularly pieces and locks, are largely bought, if free of stains, for this purpose. Of course, if the pieces and locks are discoloured, they are only fit for dyeing purposes and are taken by other branches of the woollen trade; hut if pieces, bellies, and locks are a good colour, then excellent support is always forthcoming at the hands of firms who produce flannels. CRICKET’ AND TENNIS FLANNELS

This is an important branch of the textile trade which has come to the front, during recent- years in a remarkable way, and a few firms have gained a reputation for the production of these cream flannels, which are largely list'd for outdoor pastimes. The same wools will do except that the yarn must be spun to a theker count., and when, woven must be well milled. Here firmness and solidarity are two essentials, and experience has taught firms what to do to obtain this, and to-day, as already indicated, there are several firms making cricketing and tennis flannels to j>orfeet.ion. Of course, the latter are light r in weight, but that can be regulated by ilie count of lhe yarn spun: and although lighuy milled and finished, they are made a good weight to satisfy wholesale houses dealing in these excellent articles. The reader will theret.liercfoie see that the flannel and shirting trades of the country are all important adjuncts of the textile trade, and provide & big avenue of consumption for large supplies of merino wool of a clothing character, which is a good thing for Australian and South African wool-growers. .Manufacturers of these fabrics are absolutely compelled to use those shorter stapled wools on account of the close finish required in the fabric, and it is an excellent thing for wooi-growers that these oifferent lengths of staple cun be used to advantage in the production of an endless variety of well-made and acceptable fabrics, both for mens -bind women’s wear.