THE WOOL TRADE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19023, 25 May 1936, Page 11

THE WOOL TRADE

AUSTRALIAN REVIEW VALUES UNCHANGED JAPAN'S INFLUENCE SYDNEY, May £6. At the auctions held for two aays in Sydney this weak, values w.ere liiaiutaineu on recent basis". The catalogues comprised autumn-shorn clips, lepflered wools, ciutcJiings, lambs, and other oddr nients. Considering the supplies of crutehings offered of late, the prices secured for them were- highly satisfactory. Antunm-sWn wools were very keenly competed for, withdrawals being practically confined to reoffered speculators' lpts, which carried reserves above the figures w fc c fr purchasers were prepaied to pay.. ■ . . Japan was again the outstanding buyer at the sa>sj her purchases em, bracing fleece lines, skirtings, lapibs, and crutehings. The consistent Japan, ese purchasing activity on the Sydney market/this season is shown by the tact that, exnqrts of wool from New SOHW Wales to Japan during th® ten months ended April 30 were 399,360 hales, the largest quantity shipped tp any cqnntry and being 129 per cent of the total exports made. The United Kingdom wen, pied second ppsitiqn, with bales. Yorkshire supplied welcome coinpeti, tion on gopd length, fleece lines, at, recent auctions. Austrian manufacturers were noticeable buyers, securing fleece, skirtings, and crutchin.gs in. appreciable volume. French, Wfmb #™f operators bought in limited strength, bidding from the Continent not being brisk The London market had a similar experience with European inquiry at the May series. Financial uncertainty in France e.nd disturbed conditions in Spain have unsettled trading on the .Continent. Some criticism was heard during the main wool-selling season in Australia regarding the rate at which the clip was being marketed. Reason for gratification now exists that the great hulk of the year's supplies is ,-bqlcL- Circumstances will prpbablv improve m Europe, but it larre wool offering were now beuig submitted it is unlikely that the market would haye escaped ill-effects from the present Continental situation. The autumn-shorn lines submitted tins week generally showed average quality, were sound, hu,t did not display normal length and carried dust and vegetable fault owing to adverse condition* dicing the Girovqng period. * ■" STOCKS OF TOPS

At. tthf close, of March the stock of tups on in France, fceigiuro, and'«■■<*many was otf,iOo,uQLt>, beuig iO,to/,AA)(a less/thau aitiw similar uate a sear before. The reduction was almost eUJ tireiy du* to the- snuallev quantity on, hanu in liermauy. German stocks were only 4,lltt>4Wlb, a decrease, ot 9>ui,200'ib on twelve months previously. French holdings, were a uecline of on the total a year ix>.fore. In Weighing the quantity held was 7,451,4001 b, being 686,40p1b less than, at March, W3S, Considering the. nioro rapid sales oi wool, and the larger arrivals abroad the absence of any large expansion iii stocks must be regained as satisfactory. In France ajid Belgium Hie liolUiugs increased "slightly in March, but tliat development was normal, as some supplies must be accumulates lor the off wool-selling months. If Germany were in a position to finance wool imports more freely, her purchases would probably be, heavy, as her stocks of tops are abnormally small. At theci.d of March, isfl» she held 13,822,6001 b greater stocks, than, at the similar date of tliiA year- Until* the financing of imports becomes, easier for; her or arrangement enable her to secure raw; material by ' reciprocal, trading ageements, a marked revival in, her wool-buying m Australia- is not likely. In iforch the turnover, at tlie, Bradford, Conditioning! House was not quite equal to March, 1935, but showed considerable, improvement; on February. The total turnover in March was, 8,810,7301 b, being &$,36Db less, than in March, 1935, ; but %4sjMh more than, during; February last." The weight of. tops handled in Jlaixh. of \qsMo> on March, 1935, and 1,81g.236j8?; on last February. For the three months endejcl March t-he total turnover "was, 2&m9831h, being 8,179,3831b!beloiy; the, 19& totah Turnover in topa Was 15v946,d991b, displayipg a decrease 0k2,375,933,1b, compared with 1935. The* recovery, in. tlie. figures for March was, a- welcome development* A, downtrend- ih th« eajriier period of the j vear raised dpubtfi as U>, the.maintenance of English conßumßti?n,_bufc the regain recorded' in March, combined with Yorkshire's wool purchasing! in Australia and London, gives reason, for,, satisfaction, as to the use of wool; in, establishments, FRENCH. TRADE. j French exports of tops in 1935 were slightly less than during the preceding year; yarns, showed-» considejrablp decrease, and fabrics also displayed, a substantial, reduction; but the tppa treated at the, conditioning, houses, in France during the year shewed an.; increase; of 14 peivcent on the 1924,;t0tah- In Janu-ary-February the figures, exhibited an increase on the, similar two months of 1935: Internal trade was responsible for the improvement. During the. past two years the quantity, of wool used in France, has. declined: decidedly, and less wool has. been imported. Figures compiled by" the Imperial Economic Committee show, that the weight of imported, wool retained in the country, plus domestic production, has. been a* follows; 1929 ... 605i600,0001b 1930 "" ... 617,200,0001 b 931 " ... •-. £O37O0:0OOll. 932 '" 514,400,0001 b 19 53:'" 6QQ,800,0001b 1934 " . ... 38oy?e0,0Q0lh 1935 .'.'.' .'.'.' ,!'. .- 441,600,000^ 1 The total for, the past'year, indicates improvement compared with the pieced, ing 12Months, but, shows a marked, reduction .on previous, periods. Decrease in exports is the chief reason. This season Prance has bought in,slightly larger, volume in the Commonwealth, but, like inanv other purchasing countries, dissatisfaction is felt regarding the volume of reciprocal, business winch Australia provides. Exports of wool from South Africa to French ports from July 1 to January 31 last were 40,300,0001 b. an increase of 12,000,0001 b on the totall for the similar seven months of 1934-3* More extensive purchases were, in addition, made in New Zea and and Argentina. Of nil Australia's foreipi purchasers of wool, France has been the one consumer which has rot publishodstatements regarding the use of substitute fibres to replace wool. In an article publMmHn the Textile Mercury and Argtis if ltradforrl, M. Maurice Dubi-ullC-. a. French authority, expressed the opinion that the fibres arc not products that displace wool but cotton in the cheap good?.. - '