OUR ENGLISH WOOL TRADE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13306, 16 February 1914, Page 7

OUR ENGLISH WOOL TRADE

AX IMPROVING JIARK„:T, t—^t

(From our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, January 9.

Tho trade now waits with interest the opening of the first series of London sales, which begin next Tuesday. There is a good deal of speculation aa to what is likely to take place, although j at the moment "the general opinion favors firm prices for merinos, with a possible slight improvement m crossbreds, due entirely to the beggarly quantity which is available. The Antwerp sales seem. to have been more or leas a fiasco, only a third of the offerings being cold. and had it not been for two importers being prepared to meet the market, there would !have been only a good handful disposed of. One thing is evident, namely, that prices offered by buyers were unaccptable to holders, and the hitter must not have been able to see a profit on their wools, which clearly hhow.s what they have cost m the first instance m Buenos Ayres and Monte Video. It simply amounts to the wools bought m the months of September, October, and November being too high for Europe, and even Australian bought wools during September and October are likewise impossible of sale at a profit. This is making some a little uneasy about the forthcoming London sales, but our » experience is that Antwerp offers a very )x>or criterion to the larger and more important series that takes place m Coleman street. The writer has little doubt as to what London will do. We are satisfied that considerable urgent requirements exist which Qiave to be filled, particularly among Bradford importing topm&kers, and having > bought so very little m the colony during the first two months of the season, they will be compelled to go to ' London m order to fill out their requirements. DEMAND FOR FINE WOOLS LIKELY TO BE KE33N. The more 'one looks at the situation , the more it is evident that merinos hold a strong position, for trade is still running largely upon fine made goods. What Bradford cannot understand is the incessant talk about higher, values by outside parties. Of course, it is but natural for a man to shape his views according to his own actual experience, and if the home trade is to be the sole arbiter of prices, we are confident there will be no advance m fine wools. Tlie home trade seems to have realised that it is very improbable that merino prices will go any lower, an<l although the West Riding is by no means so active as we have been accustomed to see, consumption is m the aggregate very considerable. The great falling seems to be at the yarn and piece end of the trade, and although this last fortnight "particulars" have come m more freely, to obtain new business rock bottom prices have had to be taken.. We knowspinners who m order to keep their frames running have sacrificed every fraction, and the prices ruling for yarns are anything but what they should be. Not for years have wo heard spinners complain so bitterly as they have done during tho past three months, and they are equally unwilling to listen to the statement that prices for wool are goinfij to b_ "higher. The attitude of the wholesale buyer has completely chansred, and to-day it is one of absolute indifference to the raw material, their movements being solely guided by the trade they have m piece goods. Some of our overseas markets for fabrics are not very responsive. Business could be done m very considerable volume with Canada, South America, and the Near East if they offered the chance. iSouth African and Australian markets are fairly good, and the same can be said, of the Far East, but India is not what it should be. - STOttvS OF TOPS IN FRANCE. We are able to see from the published returns the quantity of tops which were held at the combing establishments m the North of France at the end of 1913, and it shows that there has been a very considerable increase compared with the end of November, while if we go back to the end of December, 1912, the increase is still more pronounced. The following figures speak for themselves :

Merinos : December 31, 1913, 4,652,192 kilos; crossbreds, 6,579,302 kilos; total 11,231,494 kilos., November 30, 1913, 3,784,058, 6,179,829; total 9,963,887; December 31, 1912, 2,858,644, 4,574,---755; total 7,433,399. We do not know what significance to attach to the fixtures, and they are all the more surprising m view of the repeated statements from France that trad© is go good. Compared with 12 months ago the aggregate increase is 3,789,095 kilos, there being a larger increase m crossbreds t'ha-n merinos. If the French trade is not maintained at its present level, then when the big weights of raw material are to hand, there will be m Roubaix-Tourcoing some fairly big stocks. French buyers have undoubtedly been well to the front m Australia, and their operations have certainly helped the sale of the raw material m a splendid fashion, but during the past fortnight, the news from Roubaix.has not been of that inspiring nature which one would like to see. Since Christmas "futures" have also displayed a strong rising tendency, but during the "last few days' bulls have been realising profits, the result being that values have slightly receded.. v All the same we shall know, more fully next week m London the actual conditions obtaining at the French centre, And whether or not buyers from the Continent are able to operate on the same extensive scale as they did last series. GREAT BRITAIN'S TEXTILE VTRADE

After all "figure play a useful part m demonstrating' the work of the textile industry-, and also exhibiting the extent of our overseas trade m wool, as well as partly and fully manufactured textiles. Tlie Board of Trade returns published yesterday make pleasing- reading to the majority, but they are not so exhilerating to members of the / tex-til-e trade. All records have.been broken during the past v 12 months, a clear proof that this country is not the back number which some are constantly asserting it is. There Ims been sj. record trade, the increase being no less than £62.631,305 on the preceding year. Unfortunately our shipments of'rav material and its products ar© not so healthy as one could havo desired, but when one looks at the aggregate, th© trade done is indeed very commendable. Our export of wool is wanting, but it simply means that this country has retained more for consumption than m the year previous. Tho worst featuro of all is the •decline m the exports of worsted yarns and worsted fabrics, but apart from this thero is not much to grumble at. The business done is still colessal, and when America settles down, wo think that there will be an advance m most commodities. The following figures are instructive as showing what we exported Inst year and during tlie two preceding years : — Wool, 1911. _0,777,0001b5 ; 1912, 47,131,5001bs- 1913, 28,662,1001h5. Top?, 37.988,200, 44,826,100, 43.634,100. Woollen yarn, 5,751,400, 6,246,500, 4,809,---900. Worsted yarn, 59,623;400, 56,779,---100, 49,917.600. Yarn, alpaca, and mohair, 15,992,100, 15,494,200, 17,221,400. Yarn, hair or wool, unenuxnerated, 9,714 l , i 2O0 1 9,369,100, 8,477,000- Woollen tissues, 97,717,300yd5, 100,530,000 yds, 105.957,100yd5. Worsted tissues, 78,494,900, 72,136,200, 62,511,900. Wool and mohair plush, 354,900, 386,400, 386,00 c) 1 . Flannels and delaines, 7,642,800, 7,567,900, 7,719,100. Carpets and carpet rugs, 8,543,100, 8,811,800, 8,602,900. Blankets, 1,122,409 pairs, 1,124,259 pairs, 1,044,787 pairs. Hosiery wool, etc, £956,656, £1,037,656, £1,006,---847. AMERICAN TRADE. There, is evidence that Bradford's trade with America is an expanding one, the shipments for December being most stimulating. The colonial wool shipments show an increase of £45,988 compared with December 1912, but the most pleasing feature of all is the very sensible advance m tli© exports of Wool dress' goods and linings, th© increase here beinjt £99,523. Worsted coatings are also the lirgest total wo 'have seen for any month since 1907, and hopes are raised that m the courso of a month or two a big volume of business will be done. Bradford really, waits

for inspiration from that, quarter m order to galvanise into renewed activity the wool end of the trade.