Recent reports show that fantastic
prices prevail at Belfast. Buyers will
bid any figure to get goods. The mills
are running only twenty-five hours a
week because of the dearth of flax
and yarns, and there has been a wild
scramble to pay anything that will
induce a manufacturer to guarantee
a delivery. Many of the largest manu
facturers are out of the market and
will not undertake any further busi
ness until they know they can get
flax. It is not a question of price of
goods for buyers are more than will
ing to pay well.
During the week a tow yarn that
sold a month ago for 62 shillings
brought 80 shillings and it has been
no uncommon thing to hear of prices
ten times normal being offered for
very ordinary . grades of lines It is
reported that the Cambric Combine
will advance its December list 60 per
cent. This is the base list for band
kerchief cloths. Substitutes of many
kinds are being bought, but many
United States buyers want all linen
goods and do not care to handle the
substitutes if tliey can avoid it Some
Scotch weavers are offering very
handsome samples of cotton damasks
and mixtures of flax and hemp. But
to the buyer who wants all linens
and -under choice brands these things
have only passing interest.
The January . imports of limms
amounted to 4,420,668 square yards,
ocmired with 647,01 .a year ago.
The coven months receipts of linenes
reached 17,983,698 yards, compared
Knitted
weight.
Read Httmi
with 6,513,777 a year ago. Belgium
and France have begun to send in
linens again in a small way, most of
the importations coming from Great
Britain.
