OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 13

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

WHY FRANCE BUYS CROSSBREDS. BRADFORD, December 29. The sale at Dunedin was the only one held in overseas markets last week. A year or two ago New Zealand wools offered very little attraction to French spinners and manufacturers, but that can hardly be said to be the case to-day, this being one of the many changes which have come over the manufacturing industry during the past few years. Northern France has always been re-, garded as an important user of merinos, and no doubt still takes big weights. The finest French-spun yarns and fabrics require fine merino wool, r.nd the latest developments among French manufacturers in the production of even lighter weight fabrics necessitates an increasing use of still finer quality wool for “ long ” counts. Yorkshire spinners and manufacturers are, however, finding that the purchasing capacity of the average man and woman is such that they want- fabrics at as reasonable a price as possible. Of course, there is a certain class of people who buy what they fancy regardless of price, but the bulk trade is done for the million. Bradford has always had an eye to this, and woollen manufacturers around that centre, as well as in other parts of the West Riding of Yorkshire, have not neglected it. Everybody knows that crossbred wool costs less than merino. That no doubt is the reason why French ’as well as Yorkshire manufacturers have looked upon certain classes of crossbreds with more favour, French manufacturers (both of men’s and women’s goods) regarding fine crossbreds as raw material that they can turn to good account. Repeatedly in our cables from the different selling centres in New Zealand during the past six weeks we have had the words, “ France buying pieces.” This shows clearly that French mills can use the shorter stapled parts of the fleece, these being combed on the Schlumberger machine and then mule spun.

FRENCH PURCHASES IN LONDON. The very fact of French mills purchasing in New Zealand as well as at the recent London sales important quantities of wool of about 4in stable shows clearly what class of goods some of the manufacturers are producing. One of the outstanding features of the last London sales was the large purchases by French buyers of slipe halfbred and threequarterbred lambs of 50’s to 58’s quality. Their operations in these wools at the September-October series were much less, but at the last series they .repeated what they did in July. This indicates that in July manufacturers had shown their spring fabrics for 1928, that some reasonable orders had been placed, and that between then and the opening of the November-December series of sales they had booked further important business, Possibly winter repeats were also responsible for these wools being purchased. The fibre of the crossbred sheep produces a somewhat heavier fabric, though it is remarkable what count of yarn can be spun from 56-58’s quality. We have seen dress goods spun from 50’s that suit the British climate admirably, and from counts of yarn up to 32’s dress goods suitable for wear in England, France, or any other part of the Continent can be made at a reasonable price. This is being recognised by Bradford dress goods manufacturers, and if Bradford can use the combing portion of the fleeces of these qualities and France the pieces two definite outlets for crossbred wool are assured. UTILITY OF THE COMEBACK. We are very glad that French mills have discovered the manufacturing properties of New Zealand slipe wool of from 50 s to 58 s quality, but unfortunately very little is now being grown. It is of the comeback order, and works up remarkably well, but we do not expect New Zealand pastoralists to breed many sheep producing it. We often wish that some of the farmers would go in for producing a bigger number of comeback sheep. This could be done by the introduction of merino rams into the crossbred flocks. The first cross would produce a much finer fleece, while the second cross would easily come up to 58’s. It has been well said that Victorian and Tasmanian pastoralists produce the finest comeback wools in the world. At the same time one must recognise that climatic conditions play an important part in deciding the operations of New Zealand pastoralists, and no doubt the development of the freezing industry has encouraged an increased breeding of sheep producing crossbred wool of the lower qualities, though even deep wools have become very scarce. USE OF CROSSBRED PIECES. . We often wonder if colonial pastoralists have any real knowledge of the purpose for which crossbred pieces can be used. French buyers purchase the pieces because they are shorter in staple. Here again the machinery upon which the wool has to -be worked up is the deciding factor. Bradford puts the fleece on to a Noble combing machine, which, above all, requires a good long staple. French topmakers put their crossbred pieces on to a Schlumberger combing machine, which can handle much shorter stapled wool than the Noble machine. That means a very big difference in the resultant spun yarn. Again, theHL,is a big difference in the spinning of Noble-combed tops and the Schlum-

berger-combed tops. The former will produce a much smooth and more solid yarn than the latter, it being an acknowledged fact proved by many years’ experience that either cap or fly spun yarn is less “ woolly ” than one spun on the mule principle. This is due to the difference in the length of the raw material used in each case. A number of long fibres of any kind are easier to twist tightly together than short ones. A little experimentation will easily prove this, and it will be found that though one may succeed to twist short fibres the surface is not as smooth as when long ones are used. The principle is quite simple, the real complication coming in .when the idea is carried out on an extensive mechanical scale suitable for the tremendous manufacturing requirements of modern times. French firms have always been expert at producing full-handling cloths, more after the style of woollens than worsteds. Pieces and bellies can be applied to this purpose, but in Bradford it is recognised that the tops is comparatively short.

HAS BRADFORD DELAYED TOO LONG?

Bradford importers have been criticised for not buying more wool earlier in the season, but there appears, after all, to have been some discretion in their refusal to operate when their competitors were rushing in almost as if the current clip were the last which was ever likely to be offered. The true, position is that importing topmakers have not been successful in getting down prices for fine wool to their own liking. Even their forward selling at a time when there appeared to be nothing whatever to justify it failed to influence the market in their favour. It now remains to be seen whether those who have speculated will eventually be able to get wool at the price tentatively fixed. In any case, the topmakers who take the precaution of buying their raw material before selling in the top are far more likely to come out on the right side. The position of crossbreds is equally as good as in merinos so far as the prospective stability of prices is concerned. The first half of the season in New Zealand enabled a fairly reliable basis of prices to be established, and, judging from the present output of tops and the latent demands on home and export account, the second half will see prices continue to move around the present level. Taking Dunedin prices in comparison with those paid in the same centre a year ago, we find an advance of 3d to Cd per lb, which is surely adequate proof of the present standing of all qualities of crossbreds. In Bradford there has been a disposition to sell most qualities of fine carded crossbred tops at slightly less money, but some crossbred topmakers are in an optimistic mood about the future. The dearness of New Zealand crossbreds is naturally causing more attention to be paid to corresponding qualities of South American wools, and it is understood that extensive purchases have been made at Liverpool and Buenos Aires.

The most encouraging, feature is that consumption in local mills continues steadily, and the recent slight ease in prices _ for tops can only be regarded as an incidental circumstance asscJciated with the annual stocktaking and the inclination of some topmakers to reduce their stocks. It also indicated the negotiation of new business more in line with the cost of the raw material, though it is also well known that forward sales of fine tops have been made at prices necessitating a further fall in wool to leave a profit. Some diversity of opinion is expressed as to what will happen to the raw material next year. Home trade requirements will in all probability be on a big scale, Continental demand is certain to revive more or less, and. judging from reports received from the United States, users there will want further large supplies.

(For Continuation of Farm and Station see Page 19.)