OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3994, 29 July 1915, Page 3

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

WOOL VALUES NOT YET AT THE TOP. CVEOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT-! BRADFORD, June 17. We liavo before remarked that the wool trade is passing through a verj remarkable time. Since wo last wrote things have again hounded forward until the price of fine tops has made another- record. It is almost past comprehension to think that 64’s tops have been sold at 3s 7d. Some say that they believe they can make 3s 8d for a good article, and there is nothing to indicate that the top lias yet been touched. This is not being dictated by tho price of wool or’ the smallness of stocks, b :c:» e verybody seems surfeited with the raw material, tho standard of top values being entirely set by the scarcity of supplies compared with tire demand. The whole situation is very acute. There is perhaps hardly so much forward business being dene as the re was, but all the same a huge turnover has been effected, all of which indicates th© anxiety of spinners to make pr ovision for the future, and it is ,veilknown that big weights of tops leave been bought from topma'kncs for delivery right up to the end' of March 3916. There arc those who prophesy that the situation then will be worse than it is to-day if the war is still on, hut it is almost incredible to think that the Germans by then v ill not he pushed out of Northern France, so that- combers will he in possession of their own plants. That is really what is wanted, and until there is a larger .output of tops, wo are not likely In see any lowering of merino values.

GREAT HIM TAIN A GENERAL PROVIDER. Readers, perhaps, may ask why there is such a stir in the wool and textile trade, and the reason is not far to seek. Great Britain has' had l forced on herself the role of general provider to the Allies, in fabrics as in many other things, and apparently neutrals are only asked to supply when the English trade is incauahlo. The suggestion that has appeared) in the press recently, and which has been talked about both, in London and ill Bradford, to the effect that the Government should restrict, if not abolish, recruiting in tho vital trades, has much to support it. If men want to enlist, however, it is a very difficult matter to stop them, and the boom in recruiting in the West R d ng has not yet died out. Mills are finding more buTno.ss than they can accept', chiTly from merchants for civilian, goods. The siluation shows the inlli: nee of war right through, though the trade doing is chiefly on ordinary fabrics. The demand for crossbred and flick re.-rino yawps is so gioat that fine counts have risen to an abnormal price, with the result that- manufacturers will not guarantee any delivery dale and buying line dia sv goods is a very difficult- matter, when any yardage' is wanted. The prices of many cloths show big rises on those ruling, a year ago, fifty per cent increase being nothing at all uncommon. This applies to- woollens as well as worsteds, nuingo and, shoddy having advanced in some eases 00 or <0 per cent Demand still runs on tweeds serges, and worsteds of quiet, small designs, and it is likely to continue in the same way. It is rumored that there has been some trouble in various places, chiefly for export, over the dyes used on certain serges, manufacturers not guaranteeing the colors. This is only to be expected to-day and probably very soon the few overseas customers now doing bus;ae-,s here will be pleased to take anything they can get, if the trade is hooked full of army orders for our own, the French and Italian Governments. American civilian cloths are selling on the English market, but in no big weights.

PRICE OF ENGLISH WOOLS. For one.;.' ivj will make a little departure and ask the reader’s attention to the position of English won Is. Tiio middle of June marks the opening ot English fairs, and this week they have begun in real earnest. It has been rightly stated that for its size Great Britain depastures more sheep than any other country in the world, and it seems almost incredible that something like 28 million sheep should be kept. One cannot hut wish that the same proport'oii of . sheep was being depastured in Austarli-u, South Africa, and New Zealand, but that is a physical impossibility. New Zealand is doing exceedingly well, its 24 million sheep being to-day worth more than ever before? But’the Homeland produces a greater variety of sheep and qualities of wookthan any other country in the world, and perhaps it is this feature which is the most significant. There are nearly thirty pure breeds and the qualities of wool^ range all the way from coarse lcempy Scotch, sav 26's quality, to 64’s, even a few merinos being depastured still in Suffolk, and wool quite equal to the. average grown in Australia- is produced. The fairs opened under exceedingly good eouditons. and .slietpfarmors are evidently very pleased with what they are obtaining’ Lincoln wools are realising up to Is 6:1 per lb. for washed fleeces, good half-brcds are making Is gd, and' even Downs arc making up to Is 9d. These are excellent values, and there is nothing to indicate any falling off. Even lvtrry Hili lmgs which are a breed of sheep grown in Ireland, the quality being almost equal to a 4(s’s New Zealand, are making Is Sd. Perhaps we cannot do better than, show readers how standard descriptions of English wools have moved during the past year. We show where values stood a year ago, at the beginning of January, day, and; it will be se°u what effect the war has had upon the different descriptions enumerated :• — Lincoln hogs (June 1914) 12-id, January 1915) 13-hd, (June 1915) 18d ; Lincoln wethers 12d, 13-d, lSd ; Leicester hogs 12id, 13:'{d, LSd ; Leicester wethers 12-id, 14d, lSd • _ Irish hogs, super 13d, 16d, 20:1 ; Irish wethers, super, 1.3 d, 16d, 2()d; selected Kent tegs 13£d. 1.7(1', 19Jd; selected Kent wethers 13d, 16d, 19(1; Cheviot-hogs, super 14d, 18d, 19d ; Cheviot wethers, super 13d, 17id, 19d; half-bred hogs (Mid. county) 13.1 d, 15pi, 19(1 ; halfbred wethers (Mid. country) 13(1, 15?t----1.6(1, 19d; best Scotch cross hogs 11 pi, 13-id, 14id ; wethers lid, 12:16', 14(1; Southdown tegs 15. pt, lS;pl, 21d; Southdown ewes 15pl, 18|d, 21(1; pick Shropshire hogs 15cl', 18d, 20pl; wethers 15-15 pl, 19d, 2CRd : Wiltshire Down tegs 15i-15f]d,. 18d, 20(1, ewes ].sd, 171(1', 19id; Hampshire Down tegs 15-15.p1, 17pl, IDJcl 1 , cw.xs 15d, 1.7-pl, 19pl: Welsh fleeces, bust 12(1, 13d. 14td ; B-adnors, fine 12pl, 135(1, 145(1; Herdwick ewes and wethers 8;]d!, Bid, 10pi; Sex.)tali blaclcfaced ewes and wethers 83d, 8-pl, IOJd. AUSTRALIAN SALES. Although, no cable has been published respecting the sale which took place in Adelaide last Monday, private messages received in Bradford state that good combing wool advanced about ten per cent. Tills harmonises with what has token place both at Brisbane and Sydney, and a- cable received by the writer from the latter centre renorts a very keen (fernand for all good, wools with crossbreds stil" booming. As one looks forward to the next series of London sales, wo fully expect to soo the same lino of operations. The whole market is in a most healthy state, and good, com! ing wool bids fair to stand at a higher point than at last series. Still there are some in Bradford who think that merino wool ought nob to go high r, giving.as a reason the congested state of combing establishments, and also full warehouses. We shall, hew vrr. be greatly surprised if merinos do not advance at least 5 per cent, and all crossbreds from 46’s upwards b’d fair to move up 10 per cent. The whole