OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3828, 26 July 1927, Page 13

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(Fboai Our Special Corp.espoxdent.) REASONABLE OFFERINGS EXPECTED FOR JULY LONDON SERIES. BRADFORD. May 19. Though very little has been heard recently about the new wool packs made entirely of crossbred wool, which were at one time advocated as a means for preventing jute fibres finding their way into the raw material packed in jute bales, practical attention to the problem has not diminished. There is too strong a feeling in wool manufacturing circles respecting the damage done by stray pieces of jute, hemp, and other vegetable matter in fabrics of various kinds for the subject to die out entirely. It was perhaps too much to expect that the proposed tares of crossbred wool would find approval from everybody. The great obstacle in the way of their general use was the cost, and it really did seem a somewhat expensive proposal to bale wool in tares made entirely from the fleece of the sheep. In one or two ways the remedy would have been as bad as- the disease- ‘ Besides the cost there would not have been sufHcient crossbred wool to provide all the tares necessary for any real good to be done and to leave enough to supply ordinary manufacturing demands. It has, however, remained for experiments to be' made in the preparation of paper-covered wire tares and chemically-treated jute tales. Reference has been made previously to both these in the press, and so much is expected of them by several London woolbroking firms that they have agreed to send quantities to their head offices in the colonies for experimental purposes. lhe decision to send out these packs was made after a meeting held recently in London between wool growers representatives and buyers. It is the intention to use the packs sent out for next season s wool, and when the consignments arrive in this country an examination will be made of the tares to find out how they have stood the strain of handling in transit. It is also intended to watch the wool packed in these bales through the combing process, and notice will be taken of any foreign matter which is found in the tops. Reports will be presented, and if they are favourable no doubt an increasing use of either one or the other type of tares will be recommended. EXPORT BUSINESS. The publication of the Board of Trade returns for April again directs attention to the important Question of our export trade with colonial- and foreign countries. It is very depressing from the Imperialistic point of view to find that even the Governments of our own colonies are persistentlj' inclined to place duties on textile goods made in the United Kingdom, and even with regard to foreign trade this tendency is not regarded with approval. fl. he principle involved, however, is almost as old as the trade itself, and so long as manufacturers in Bradford plead for import duties against Continental goods they have no case against the same policy being advocated either on the Continent or in the colonies. Meanwhile it remains for us in presenting a record of the state of trade in Brad'iord to include figures showing what quantities of tops, yarns, and piece goods have been exported recently. An encouraging feature of recent months is that larger quantities of tops and varus have been despatched, but there is ho improvement in export of piece goods, the very thing which is most needed to satisfy the manufacturing end of the trade. The following shows our exports oi worsted yarn to the various destinations in the first four months of this as well as the same period of 1913:—■

16,905,000 8,210,000 12,039,900 • 7 he i a . bo \9 figures are of particular interest m Bradford because most of the worsted yarns sent out of this country are spun here from tops which have passed through the local combing machinery. It may be added that whilst our exports of tops in the first four n O OM-nnn shls$ hls - year amounted to gnnn 3 nAni°R l> increase of nearly r i oqc ° b ■■ On t l ie corre sponding period of 1926 and nearly 4.000,0001 b on the corresponding period of 1925) the exports 1“ brst fou r month s of 1913 amounted to 10,630,6001 b. FINAL REVIEW OF LONDON VALUES. Nearly a week has now elapsed since the close of the third series of London sales and one or two points with regard to the position in that centre may now* be mentioned. The first is that the total quantity sold was 74,000 bales, which does not look a big weight compared with the 124,200 bales originally stated to be available. On the other hand, the total known withdrawals of 45,000 bales will not unduly swell the amount expected to be offered at the July auctions. It is

anticipated that the quantity then to be b. ought forward will be about 130,000 bales. It will be noticed that the total of the number of bales sold and those withdrawn is 119,000 bales. The balance not accounted for probably represents wool which never actually came forward into the -catalogues, but is still held in Bradford and Huddersfield. It is understood that owners there informed the selling brokers that they had wool which they were prepared to offer in the second week. As it never came forward it no doubt remains in the centres named, and unless it can be sold at better price? than are current to-day will probably go into consumption. There is a fair prospect that certain classes of wool, particularly Queensland scoureds, will sell quite as v.ell in July as they have done recently. -All the selling brokers have now issued their final reports of the series, and the majority describe crossbred wool as being no cheaper than in March, though I find it difficult to agree that this is absoutely correct. My own estimate of the movement of prices for the principal descriptions of merino and crossbred wool compared with the March series is as follows:—

Jan.-April, Jan.-April, Jan.-April, To 1913. 1926. 1927. Russia . . lb. 376,900 lb. lb. Sweden . . 351,400 472,500 302.200 Norway 487,000 408,500 343 700 Denmark , 621.300 533.800 523 500 Germany . 10,225,SOO 3.059,800 6.467 900 Netherlands 568,500 274,400 345,900 Belgium 383,600 51.600 126,800 France . . 493,600 126,200 70'100 Japan . . 469,900 894.200 U.S.A. • • 18,300 9,300 3,300 Australia . Other coun- — 429,900 511,400 tries . . 3,378,600 2,364.100 2,460,900

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND WOOL. Greasy merino— Superior .... Par to Id dearer Average to good . . Par to id dcarer I’oor condition . . Par Inferior locks & pieces Scoured merino— Par Superior Par to Id cheaper Average to good . . Id cheaper Inferior . . id to Id cheaper Faulty locks & pieces Greasy merino lambs— id to Id cheaper Superior Par Medium Par Inferior Greasy crossbred— Par Fine superior . . Par Fine ordinary . . Par . Medium superior Medium ordinary id cheaper id cheaper Coarse superior . . id cheaper Coarse ordinary . . Lambs id cheaper Id cheaper Scoured crossbred— Fine Par Medium and coarse . Slipe crossbred— Par Fine Iambs . . , Par Medium lambs . . Par Coarse lambs . . . Far Faulty classes . . . Greasy Punta Arenas— Par Well conditioned . . id to Id cheaper Wasty id to Id cheaper Greasy Falkland Islands Par to Id cheaper SOUTH AFRICAN WOOL. Snow white— Super Westerns . . Par to Id cheaper Super Par to Id cheaper Medium Par Inferior Par Greasy combing— Light •Par Heavy * Pa r Greasy clothing— Light •Par Faulty •Par • Nominal. Very little offered ; less sold.