OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LIX, Issue 9211, 2 November 1908, Page 7

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

WOOL AND WATER

fFroin Our Special Correspondent.)

BRADFORD, Sept. 11th, 15)08. Tho wet shoep qiiesfciou is a matter wliioli every wool-grower throughout llio colonies and South America is ■ftry familiar with, and iv coustimiufr streas, Che same difflculties arise only iv a somewhat different form. It' I may so term it, the woolsrower is troubled with water iv its first form, while the topmaker aud spinner is concerned about it iv the excessive "couditiou" of tops, uoils, aud varus. It all'amounts to the same tiling in the end. It' moisture cau bo doposited upon wool, and tho snmo cau be safely carried in the ?,ells of tho wool fibre without any iujury to the same as far as the sale-room, tlieu tho grower materially benefits, for water weighs sensibly heavier thau tho wool fibre itself. I dou't suppose that much would bo heard of tho wot slieop question if water could be carried in wool without the latter heating, mid so sensibly injuring tho fibre. We all know that for water to get inside a bale, or for wool to be baled in a damp couditiou is very liable to cause spontaneous combustion, it being no uuoommon thing to see fire break out in a cargo of wool when coming from fnstraliau ports. Only two years ago \ less thau five vessels from JSew Zealand were found to be on fire, all due to spontaneous combustion in their cargoes of wool. But it is not the wet sheep question that I want to speak about, but the precautions taken at this end to sen that justice is done between the various brandies of the trade. Twenty-live years ago such a tiling as a couditiouiug house was not known, in fact, it is ouiy within tho last dozen years that such nu important institution was founded in Bradford. That its existence was sorely iieoded has been justified by actual results, aud to-day the wool trade at the consuming oud lias h?eu so specialised ■that such an important institution is an absolute necessity. Iv "the good old days" it was no uncommon thing for merchants or dealers in tops, noils. and yams to take a watering cau ami give the various products a good drenching before the doors were closed the last tiling at night; or, all tho iioor and gaugways would be watered. Very many years ago it was found out that woof was of a very hygroscopic nature, that is. it readily absorbs A|oisture. Even to-day it is a very "■minion thing fur bales shipped at all ports iv Australasia, South Africa, and South America to weigh on arrival home six to ten pounds heavier than they did at the time of shipment. We all know that if rhose very bales are left in a dry room where the temperature is very high that in a week's time the moisture will very largely have evaporated, consequently wool in London docks and elsewhere is always stored iv as cool a place as possible. Now the fact of wool, tops, noils and yarns being sold in the past with too much condition upon them, a standard of "re-gain" has beeu established which is accepted by all consumers throughout the world. It was no joke for men buying these commodities to find that they were j purchasing 25 per cent, of moisture. This meant to the man who was fortunate enough to be able to palm off such goods so heavily conditioned that he could either undersell his competitor, or else obtain a thumping good profit. The result is that conditioning houses have been established iv Bradford, and at several Continental ceu- j tres, it being their work to tesc samples, to fiiid out the amount of moisture in them, and then upon the jfcfficial certificate published the seller allows or receives according to the standard of re-gain allowed by the trade. PRICES STEADY. | During the past week things have continued to manifest a fair show of life aud activity, aud although it is too much to say that business is normal, still the amouut turned over tends j to expand. Plenty of business could i be done if topmakers would accept ! what they sold at a fortnight ago; but many have now cleared as much stock as they cure, aud are demanding firmly what they have all aloug beeu asking. Actual experience enables one to say that the bulk of the business done is at } 4 d to KU\ lower rates than what, topmakers are quoting, and although to-day's price for a super (iO's top is 22}<U\, yet it is only with difficulty that this figure can be made. A penny more is being demauded for 04's, some even wanting 24(1. But I ; they cannot sell, spinners preferring i to gee through all their tops rather thau be forced into what they still i believe is not a very sound position. A good deal is being made of the iucreasiug stocks in London, aud brokers | be wisely advised to get rid of j fHe bulk at the next series of sales. The quantity of wool in this district I is by no means heavy, the amount of . machinery ruuuiug being insufficient to comfortably get through all the I wool that is on hand. During the past . week further decent sales have been made both of merinos aud cro.ssbreds, ! but the quantities are not large. No- | body seems willing to speculate, aud there are fewer quantities of forward I sales thau we have seen for many years j back. All through the trade a hand-to-mouth policy prevails, and perhaps I that is as souud an argument as any j for current values being maintained. More crossbred tops of a carded I description have been chipped to tiie j ■Continent, aud some very little prices have been taken. One or two coininis- I ■sion woolcombers are fairly busy, | direct imports fiudiug them with a fair amount of work. There is plenty I of enquiry on the part of spinners, | and during the past ten days frequent offers of new yarn business have been ' made; but the spinning margin is \ already exhausted, aud, if accepted, nothing but a direct loss would result. ! The fact of offers being about is an i indication of more business doing, and this is a feature which in encouraging. Mohair is much quieter, trough more transactions in Turkey P reported from Constantinople, ape firsts can be bought in Bradford cheaper than what they can now be purchased at iv Port Elizabeth aud lauded here. Prospects are said to be brighter for lustre dress goods for next