OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3342, 7 October 1911, Page 7

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

GERMANY’S LARGE TRADE IN WOOL AND TEXTILES. VFROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] BRADFORD, Aug. 25. The figure Germany cute in the avco! and textile world is a very important one, and this is well-known by not only Australian wool growers, but by everyone frequenting the sale room of either Coleman Street or any selling centre in the Commonwealth. It may be said with considerable truth that the principal buyers of 'Colonial wools are England, France, Germany, the latter country being the second largest purchaser" of Australasian grown wools. I am only sorrv that I cannot lay my hands upon the official German statistics showing the quantities of wool imported in Engiing pounds, from all quarters my tigures only relating to the exports of wool direct from Australia and the ports of Great Britain. Theso no doubt are valuable as far as they go, but to gain a comprehensive view of the whole facts, one wants the official returns of the British Board of Trade, and these are not available. However, sufficient data is to hand to give the reader some idea of the consult, ptive capacity of the Fatherland, and the facts and figures prove conclusively the important part German spinners and manufacturers play in consuming wool. These thoughts are the direct outcome of a few items which have come to hand from Germany during the past flew days, the following paragraphs appearing in the Yorkshire “Observer” _ last Wednesday, and coming from Berlin: “The slieep-rearing_ industry has for a. number of years been steadily decreasing in Germany. Some twenty years ago the number of sheep on German farms reached 25,000,000; it has gradually melted away to 5,000,000. This decrease in the head of sheep lias proceeded simultaneously with a rapid growth of the German consumption of wool, the number of worsted spinning spindles being practically quadrupled within twenty years, and the consumption of' wool rising from roughly 50,~j J tons in 1873 to 200,000 tons to feed about 2,500,0-00 spindles. In other words, Germany is now the second largest wool consumer, and absorbs one-fourth of the total world’s production. These facts have engaged for some time the attention of GermanColonial circles, who are at present redoubling their efforts to promote wool growing intheir own country in order as they put it, to protect the German woollen trade from a highly dangerous dependence upon foreign supplies of raw material. The Gorman-Moroccan wool-sheep growing syndicate, which has been in existence for a year or so, states inits annual report that it had entered into relations with the Mannesman Brothers from the beginning of its existence, and with them had founded an experimenting concern—the Morocco Sheepgrowing Company Limited. The purpose was to utilise the large tracts of land acquired by Mannesmann Bros, in southern Morocco for sheep growing as soon as politics had settled down. The syndicate believes that in this it will be successful, especially as most natives are already growing sheep for wool on a small scale. The activity of the syndicate will be directed chiefly to the improvement of the sheep, to the forming of large flocks, and to a more busi-ness-like handling of the wool. The Mannesman Brothers are the people whose operations in Morocco have led to the interference of Germany in Agadir.” it will be seen from the above that ihere has been a great reduction in the number of sheep depastured in Germany, and although only five million lie spoken of as existing to-day, yet the latest official figures I find give a return of 7,703,710 sheep. However, even that number is small; and considering that the geographical area of Germany is larger than Great Britain, there ought to be depastured at least 20 million sheep. > One cannot but hope that if an effort is made to increase its sheep stocks it will receive the support of its own agricultural authorities, for the world wants more wool producing animals. GREAT BRITAIN’S TRADE WITH GERMANY. That this country conducts weekly a big trade in wool, tops and yarns goes without saying, and I wil try in this letter to give the reader an intelligent idea of the extent of that trade. At the same time let no one suppose that we take nothing from Germany, for a certain quantity of raw wool is imported every year. This indeed does seem strange when so little is produced, but I take it that the bulk of the imports will be Australian wool that is offered at the Bremen sales, or a few lines of imports which are sent on to London for relsale. I give the latest available particulars showing the imports of sheep and lambs’ wool during the past four years : IMPORTS OF WOOL FROM GER- ' V MANY. Year. Lbs. Year. Lbs. 1907 ... 3,896,000 1909 ... 2,915,000 1906 ... 4,080,000 1908 ... 1,627,000 It will be seen from the above that the quantity is not large, and less is sent to this country when holders in Germany can make a profit at home. Great Britain’s trade with Germany consists of large shipments of tops, nols and yarns. In fact, Germany is one of England’s best customers and it will be a dark day for many firms in Bradford when the Fatherland ceases to make the items already mentioned. I do not know any more important contributing fact to the prosperity of Worstedopolis than the immense trade which is done weekly in Germany. The reader may not know, hut the present Lord Mayor of Bradford is a German, and the heads of some of the largest and wealthiest business houses are really Germans, but nationalised Englishmen. lam only sorry that official figures are not available to the end of 1910, but I give. them below to the latest dates obtainable. The following are particulars showing what Great Britain has exported to The Fatherland during the past few years:— EXPORTS OF' BRITISH GROWN WOOL TO GERMANY. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs Lbs. 3,387,000 2,960,000 5,096,000 5,470,000 COLONIAL AND FOREIGN WOOL REEXPORTED TO GERMANY. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs Lbs. 89,136,000 94,210,000 99,509,000 92,542,000 It will be seen from the above that Germany is a larger buyer of Colonial and foreign wool in England, and the figures can be taken to represent principally purchases in London.. What English wool is shipped all goes through Bradford, and is mostly represented by clean scoured descriptions, it

being futile to export greasy fleeces when all raw material goes in free. The most important branch of Great Britain’s trade With' the' Fatherland is in semi manufactured materials, and hero we have some startling, figures. The following shows the quantities and values which, have been sent during the past three years:— Export of Shoddy, Mungo, etc.— 1008: Quantities, 2,138,7001b5; value, £69,135. 1909: Quantities, 2,081,300 lbs; value, £64,786. 1910: Quantities, —; value, —. Wool Waste.—l9oß: Quantities, 1,144,3001b5; value, £86,676. 1909: Quantities 2,852,2001b5; value, £137,464 1910 : Quantities, —; value, —. Wool Flocks. — 1908: Quantities, 892,0{K>lbe; value, £9,295. 1909: Quantities, 932,900; value, £9,192. 1910: Quantities. —; value, —. Wool Noils.—l9oß : Quantities, 5,835,900; value, £342,219. 1909: Quantities. 7,049,8001b5; value, £416,691. 1910: Quantities, value, —. Exports of Combed or Carded Wool and Tops.—l9oß: Quantities, 11,662,000 lbs ; value, £727, 267. 1909': Quantities, 14,535,600; value, £923,546. 1910: Quantities, —; value, —. Export of Worsted Yarn. — 1908: Quantities. 31,847,1001b5; value, £2,785,865. 1909 : Quantities, 36,052,800 lbs; value, £2,942, 849. 1910: Quantities, 39,245,0001b5; value, £3,617,689. Export of Mohair andi Alpaca Yarn. • —1908.: Quantities, 9,461,6001bs ; value £1,211,229. 1909: Quantities, 10,892,100; value, £1,308,598. 1910: Quantities, 11,953,500; value, £1,503,155. Export of Woollen, Yarn. — 1908: Quantities, 451,2001b5; value, £38,126. 1909: Quantities, 586,Q991b5; value, £50,604. 1910: Quantities, —; value, Yarn of Hair or Wool (not enumerated). — 1908: Quantities, 4,844,3001b5; value, £186,028. 1909: Quantities, 5,316,8001 b ; value, £185,685. 1910 : Quantities, —; value, —. Exoorts of Woollen Tissues. —1908 : Yards, 4,259,700; value, £1,100,2.50. 1909: Yards, 4,307,900; Value, £1,196,255. 1910 : Yards, 6,157,700; value, £1,655,101. Exports of Worsted Tissues. —1908: Yards, 1,611,700: value, £376,997. 1909: Yards, 1,731,000; value, 421,339. 1910: Yards, 1,870,400; value, £413,476. I say the above provides food for thought to every reader of this issue, and it shows from a commercial standpoint the close relationship that exists between this country and our friends on the Continent.