ROMNEY MARSH ASSOCIATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3853, 17 January 1928, Page 13

ROMNEY MARSH ASSOCIATION

EXPORT TRADE INCREASING.

MASTERTON, January 11. A meeting of the council of the New Zealand Romney Marsh Sheep Breeders’ Association was held at Masterton tonight.

It was that the export trade for New Zealand Romney was increasing, and that since September 21, 1927, a total of 267 Romneys had been exported from New Zealand, as follows :—Six stud rams and 61 stud ewes to New South Wales ; 22 stud rams to Argentine; 72 stud rams and 71 stud ewes to Patagonia; 30 stud rams and five stud ewes to Chile; one stud ram and one stud ewe to San Francisco ; and eight flock rams to New South Wales.

The report of the sub-committee regarding the compulsory inspection of ail registered flocks wag adopted, and it was decided to submit it to the annual meeting of th e association in June, with a recommendation that all members have their flocks voluntarily inspected.

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

CLEAN COSTS FOR SOUTH AMERICAN CROSSBREDS.

BRADFORD, November 10. A big volume of business i s done in New Zealand wools in. the West Riding of Yorkshire, that district having consumed wool from the mutton breeds for centuries. For 300 years before any crossbred woo] came from New Zealand the combers, spinners, and manufacturers in Bradford were handling English fleeces which are of similar quality, length, and character to the New Zealand produce of the present day. Certain records show that Bradford

spinners produced lustre, demi-lustre. and Down yarns 100 years ago. These yarns were from wool which had been handcombed, and were possibly spun on the jenny, although Down wools would be more sub able for woollen than worsted yarns. Still, when long wool was combed by hand in the homes of the people, it would also be spun in a similarly primitive fashion, and that was the beginning of our modern crossbred trade in tops, yarns, and piece goods. As tho annual clip of New Zealand amounts to between 575,000 and 600,000 bales, and 75 per cent, of it comes to Bradford, readers will understand why so much interest is shown in it when the season for its disposal commences. The first sale at Wellington will have been held in Wellington before this appears in print, and the season starts with crossbred wool values on an altogether different

level compared with 12 months ago. _ but in considering their present position and probable movement in the near future, it is necessary to remember that crossbreds are sold in Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The following are clean scoured costs, c.i.f., Liverpool, at which Uruguayan wools are being offered to-day to Bradford topmakers and spinners from Montevideo. They are particularly interesting in view of the fact that the season is only on the point of commencing in Buenos Aires—6o’s, 41d; 53’s, 37jd; 56’s, 34id; 50’s 30d ; 48’s, 23£d : 46*3, 21d; 40-44’s, 19’d. A year ago 40-44’s B.A. wools were being offered at 15d, 44-46’s at 15Jd, 46-48’s 17d, and 48-50’s (M.V.) at 22d. One B.A. cable quotes 19|d for 40-44’s clean, c.i.f., Liverpool, an advance of 4d per lb on last year. These figures show that the New Zealand and South American clips will be sold at much higher prices than last season, and that there will have to be an advance in the selling values of yarns and piece goods to enable users to make adequate profits. WOOL SCARCE IN BRADFORD. All cables received from overseas markets last week indicated a maintenance of recent prices. We do not know, any centre where cheaper wool was obtainable, and during the selling period in New Zealand and South America the whole industry will undergo a serious test. Some Bradford topmakers are still forecasting easier prices before the end of November, but the scarcity of wool in thi s district is such that the opening of the next London sales ia being anticipated with quite exceptional interest. It is a long time since we saw possible buyers expressing such definite views about the demand and the prices

that will be paid. If our own judgment of the situation is correct and demand develops on lines corresponding to the known scarcity of the raw material, we shall probably have an all-round advance of 5 to I 7-s per cent. Such an advance, however, ,s not in accordance with the better judgment of importers and selling brokers. Like the majority of users, they prefer a continuance of consumption without any definite advances. It i s recognised that every addition to the cost of the raw material only increases the danger of a reaction. The immediate influence operating upon prices will, however, be the great scarcity already mentioned, and from the selling point of view the wool market in London promises to remain quite satisfactory. Some good new clip Queensland merinos have arrived, and we expect other new clips from New South Wales, but the offerings of crossbreds will be small, consisting mostly of slipes. We do not expect a oig supply from South Africa, though it is understood that a few farmers’ clips from the Graaff Reinet district will be included in the catalogues. This information has come from Port Elizabeth, but the prices ruling there will encourage practically all ‘ the farmers to sell their clips locally. " The most surprising thing in the information from Port Elizabeth last week was that supplies were falling off there. This is probably only a temporary phase, for during November and December a big weight of wool should be arriving in every selling centre in South Africa. TROUBLE IN GERMANY. Rather disappointing news has been received from Elberfeld in Germany to the effect that about 40,000 textile operatives are locked out. They have asked for wage increases varying from 12£ to 20 per cent., and the masters have offered a reduction in the number of hours worked per week, which is said - to be equivalent to an increase of 10 to 16 per cent, in the rate of wages. The significance of the news to Bradford is that the Elberfeld district is an important outlet for lustre, demi-lustre, mohair, and alpaca yarns; but strikes and’ lockouts do not appear to continue long in Germany. Ihe Dusseldorf strike was over in about a week. Any dispute between employers and employees in Germany is nevertheless somewhat disturbing, particularly as the financial position of the textile trade is somewhat critical. Due note has been taken in Bradford of the fact that trade is being carried on Un Germany with large sums of money borrowed outside the country, and that wages paid to the operatives in Germany are about 20 per cent, below Bradford. The latter i s an adverse factor in our export trade, and as Germany has been a large borrower in the United States any serious development of trouble with the textile operatives is certain to be followed by a curtailment cf loans. The probability of a prolonged dispute is, however, rather remote, as it is understood that there is some difference among the operatives themselveg on the wages question. It will be very unfortunate for Bradford if orders for yarn are cancelled, or there is any demand on the part of German clients for deferment of deliveries The export houses would be first to feel the effect of this, as they would be under an obligation to take deliveries from the local spinners. This however, i s anticipating tho worst that can develop, and. as already said, there is little probability of the dispute continuing very long. OUTLOOK FOR MERINOS.

The outlook for fine wools is quite as good as for crossbreds, but there will have to be a better response from the manufacturing end of the trade than is immediately forthcoming if the prices for fine wools now being paid are to be justified, though, of course, allowance must be de for the fact that Continental buyers seem able to step in freely where Bradford can only tread with caution. No doubt the Bradford spinners of tops combed from good merino wool are fairly well filled ip for the time being, and are taking the precaution of considering new business only on the basis of present cost. The dress goods manufacturers in this city are in a very uncertain position, finding very little inquiry which justifies aii inc’ - °nse 'n machinery activity. It is encouraging to clear goods out of stock, but though the time ha s come when machinery should be got going on extensive orders for next spring, nothing definite appears to have been accomplished yet in that direction. One of the best spinners of botany .yarn ha 5 stated this week that there 1s a 'Terence of 3d per lb between the prices manufacturers are prepared to pay and what spinners are compelled to ask on the present basis of wool. This difference i® certainly too much as between spinners an! manufacturers, and yet amounts to v ery little indeed in the price per yard of the cloth Prices for merino wool are dictated to-day by the strength of competition in the open markets of the world, and there is no visible remedy for the present discrepancies other than a better demand from wholesale piece goods merchants and , retailers.