OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3793, 2 April 1913, Page 2

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

BLENDING WOOLS FOR TOPMAKING PURPOSES. (From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, FeO. 'S:O. There continues to be a very encouraging market tor the raw material, and tno way wool is selling still siiows that manufacturing conditions throughout Europe are in a very healthy state. We are advised by cable that a monthly sale has taken place in Melbourne this week, and that combing merino wool has again advanced 5 per cent. There is now every prospect of silence at Colonial selling centres for another month, and in the meantime London will speak, and show where the raw material stands. Already many are prognosticating that there will be a 5 per cent, advance in Coleman Street, the wool hunger to bo satisfied being significant. Wo are glad of this, for to find that confidence prevails and is likely to do so, is after all one of the principal factors which go to make a. good wool market. It is quite true that prices have advanced very materially, and for the time being values may have touched the top, but users at the present time still have faith in the future, and notwithstanding dear money, trouble in the Balkans and strikes, wool holds on its way in a remarkable manner. The past week has brought out nothing very new in the wool and textile world, hut as mentioned before very sound and satisfactory manufacturing conditions continue, there is no falling off in the ultimate fabric buyers, they are paving the advances, and there is little to indicate any setback in the course of values, TOPMAKING. Topmaking lias become more of a science than ever beforp in the world’s history, and as one looks behind the scenes and knows wliat is proceeding, it looks as if the art of blending has nearly reached perfection. It is a very common thing when sales are on in London, Adelaide, Sydney, or anywhere else, to hear a topmaker say. that G4’s will eost so much, and the price mentioned is often above wliat can be made in Bradford oti the day in question. One often thinks that such a statement looks on the surface a little ridiculous, and no doubt it does. Still, there is more than a grain of truth in it, it being acknowledged fact that for several series of London sales the bulk of the wool •sold has cost mqrc in the top than could be made on the day the wool was bought. If that he so, the question naturally arises: How r do topmakers make things fit, produce a top at the price at which they are prepared to 'sell, and make a profit into the bargain? Some topm.akers have by no means been on velvet during the past two or three 'years.- For instance, it was--very frequently stated that G4’s woo) bought in Coleman Street last sales'would cost 2s Gd in the top. and a good deal of Jdie wool disposed of .would cost even more. Yet, some good ''weights of average 64’s were sold around 2s s?d to 251 d. Hence many wonder how the thing is»doriie.The explanation can Ivx sot. down to the a>-i of blinding which is largely adopted. There are Lops arid tops ifist as there is cream and cream. If a ;:GMG ■-

man wants what is known as a spinner’s top, then ho expects an unblended article, tlio top being combed out of nothing else but greasy fleece wool of 'Australian origin. This is really a spinner's top, but several firms in Brat-ord produce what can be called a rank and file article, while others are noted for producing a guaranteed fleece top. But the former are most made so far as regards quantity. Now the question' is asked: How is this dtfne? BLENDED TOPS. It has been the writer’s privilege on many occasions to inspect a big pile of wool that was being put down the trap door of more than one large combing establishment in Bradford foxscouring purposes. Such a pile presents a very interesting appearance, its composition even more so. Why? Simply because raw material has been put together from different quarters of the globe, and is now about to be scoured and at tor wards combed into tops. It is here that wft .have the secret of being able to produce an average article at a reasonable market price ” For instance, to-day’s quotations in Bradford for an average 04’s top is about 2s OJd, but it is wellknown that a man can buy at ?,d to £d less. I will understake to say that at the next series of London sales this class of top will cost 2s 7d. Now to bring down the cost of that article to say 2s 6}d, the topmaker blends with bis Australian fleece, wool from say the Cape, Mazamet skin wools, broken pieces, and bellies. In that way lie is able to produce a top that passes muster for an average 64’s, and when the same has been scoured and combed I must say that the average reader can hardly believe his eyes. If one were to nut alongside such a top one made entirely ironi fleece, it would need on expert eye to see the difference, but to a person in the trade, the difference is discernible, while a practical man can see where the increased value of the fleece top comes in. Here we have the reason for Bradford topmakers being able to work to v a price, and to some extent it is this fact which lias helped this important branch of the wool trade to assume such large dimensions. Spinners know full well which class of top gives the best results in the spinning frame, the yarns and the woven piece, but topmakers sav they have been beaten down in price until through'-force of circumstances they have to produce a top to fit the trade. This is really the mason whv so much blending is at the present time resorted to. MAZAMET SKIN WOOLS. One of the- component parts of the cheapened top is Mazamet skin wool, and the reader would be surprised if he knew the big quantities which are used every week in the West Biding. I could name one firm already who this year have bought and sold 5,000 packs. During the past few = years there has been a tremendous development in the trade between Mazamet and Bradford, and three or four firms seem to havesspocialised in the handling of this staple. It is certainly peculiar why the pulling of sheep skins should be so largely done,,in that particular town in France, but no doubt the plentiful supply of beautiful soft water, together with specialising in the work, accounts largely foe the big business which is done. Wool growers in Australia as well as South Africa are under a debt of gratitude to Mazamet pullers for being able to deal so successfully with tremendous weights of Colonial sheep skins, but they seem to be spe-ially equipped with machinery as well as the most improved methods to turn these to the best account possible. It is no uncommon thing for two or three Bradford buyers to be in Mazamet together one competing keenly against; the other fdr big weights of pulled wools. Some sneak of the skin wools being ••'doctored,'' but no doubt many firms are expert in getting a good color, and still retaining an amount cf condition in the wool which is wonderful • considering the color and the handle. One needs to know one's trade to become an expert buyer of Mazamet, but tlio.se in the trade know them thoroughly, and can value them fully as well as Colonial greasy fleece. WOOL AND TOPS’ STILL ACTIVE. ’[he market still maintains all its recent vigor, and business is being done on a fairly large scale. The greatest impetus continues to come from the raw material, and users everywhere are finding themselves carried foiward by a force which they cannot resist. It is quite true that prices are high, quite as higli as some care to see them, but so far as our vision will permit, us to penetrate at present, there is no indication that values will depreciate to any material extent. It is some time since business was on as sound a basis as during the past six. months or so. There has In on less buying of the raw material -‘in the dark,” with the result .hat j eicbases have kept coming cut i. ore on the right side, and this, along v itJi the meagreness of supplies complied with prospective demand and the j, aniise of good trade in ihe future, .vis done much to maintain the sound).ess of the industry as a whole and place it in—if possible-—a better position than it has hitherto occupied.

The demand for wool everywhere is unabated, and where values have Icon held to they have shown a decidedly hardening tendency. This was the case at the auctions in Melbourne this week. Bradford users are already looking forward to the coming sales in Coleman Street which wall commence on March 4th. and it is generally expected that values will show an advance.

For the time being merino tops arc not leading the way in the matter of sales, GO's being Tn greater demand than G4’s. Sales of crossbred tops are still being made at increasing figures, and both low T . prepared and carded sorts have met with a ready market. A large amount of crossbred wool has recently been sold, and prices have also gone up. Clean scoured 40’s Buenos Aires wool is being quoted at 14.1 d. Crossbred spinners have come into the market rather eagerly of late, with the result that top men luave found it easier to make their prices and good GO’s Colonial prepared has made lGld-lGld without any difficulty whatever.