CORRESPONDENCE. WOOL MARKETS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18409, 16 June 1925, Page 11

CORRESPONDENCE.

WOOL MARKETS.

TO THB EDITOa •Ot "THE PmZSS." Sir,—Under "Fall in Values" in this morning's "Press" you Lave a, vcry intcresting report from your London correspondent.

Tor tho past ten years it certainly has not been wise to always follow the statements made at different times bv men at the head of affairs. We wer'o told by the head of the Wool Control in London that woo! was very short.in supply,'and that at the present rate of consumption there would be a serious shortage. That very statement was a menace. It gave growers an extravagant idea of the value of wool, ami gave manufacturers an even more extravagant idea.

It was also these conditions that gave the manufacturers of substitutes for wool a glorious opportunity-. Woo; prices were so high that the world looked elsewhere for its clothing. These substitutes to-dav are a serious menace for wool-growers. Their onlv safety, if they knew it. is the present tall in the price of wool. Now, while reviewing the whole situation, would not the New Zealand farmers be much wiser to sell their wool locally? _ For the past two or three years wool at thrt first sales in New Zealand has almost always brought belter prices than wool shipped abroad. It is hard to understand why growers ship wool in a season such a"s this, when prices have been so much tnorc favourable locally. It is also interesting to nnrj farmers holding wool, not being satisfied with tho prices- offered at the first and second sales. It. is safe to couut on a market breaking when prices are out of all reason.

_ It has been quite clear, too, that finished merchandise, in woollen as w.ell as cotton goods, has been in ovcr-sup-Ply for at least a couple of vears, and while the raw material has'been inclined- to be high in price, the finished article has been weakening, with most mills, even in Xcw Zealand, not working full time. t It is possible that in ten vcars' time we will look at the wool and butter control, and even the wheat control, a3 a passing phase of madness. It mav be that we are building glass-houses. It is quite dear that when he gets protection, a business man deteriorates rapidly, and when these different shelters are removed from his business concorn, he will likely have a very rockv time. . *

The writer has very serious doubts as to_ whether any Government is wise in giving wheat-growers protection, llourmillers protection, butter producers combine; and rings. It may be that such Governments are really a menace to the peoplc-4»ot only to the worker, but. eventually, a-serious menace to the man with,capital.—Yours, etc , T '■.'„•■ - ' SOFT GOODS. June loth.

THE BANK THOROUGHFARE

10 •THE EDITOR OT "THE MESS."

j Sir,—The suggestion made.by your j correspondent, Mr Geo. Gould, that an | island or safety zono should be placed iii Colombo street mid-way between the Bank of New Zealand and the United Service Hotel' to regulate • the pedestrian traffic should bo given a trial. London traffic could not be controlled without safety zones. A temporary islarffl at little expense should be given a trial. If found to relieve and help traffic a permanent concrete fixture could be laid down. To enable- the constable more .efficiently to control the traffic, tho garden plot in front of the City Hotel requires a slight alteration. The north-western point should be extended a few feet further to the northwest, and a denned footpath should be laid down around tho plot. This'would mako for greater security for pedestrians, and would make motor-cars travel behind each other. All roadway and no footpath is dangerous in this particular local";y. A raised asphalted footpath should connect the Bank corner and the garden plot, and possibly another' island mid-way between these two points would prove' » great convenience, both to the regulation of the vehicular and pedestrian traffic. I am of the opinion that the new engineer should formulate' a scheme, and lay it before the Council for open discussion, whose business it is to try and carry through improvement schemes for "the good of the city." Surely the Citizens' Association should interest itself in this direction, and .should invite suggestions from the -public. The executivo should' examine them and if found to be practicable they should see that their members on the Council try to carry them through. I throw out briefly this suggestion : Utilise the half. acre (or thereabouts) of idle land at the-rear of the new Municipal Chambers for a motor parking place. The entrance is in Worcester street next to the N.Z. Automobile Association's rooms.. —Yours, etc..

CITIZEN.

TO THE ZDITOB Or "THE PBE3S." Sir, —There would bo no occasion for some years' to come .to take such a drastic stop as prohibiting vehicular traffic from passing through this thoroughfare at certain hours if the following suggestion were given effect to: I. insist on tho 'Postal Authorities erecting another main postal box, and a second private letter box lobby, also a stamp counter in their new building in Hereford street, the new boxes to be allocated to firms south of the Square, the present boxes to be re-distributed to firms in, or'north o,f the Square. By this means all reasonable northern motorists with their business premises south of the' Square would avoid tho "bottle-neck" altogether, as they would travel into Hereford] via Oxford terrace, and thence ,east or south. It would then not be necessary for thousands of' cyclists, and- junior clerks to rush madly through the '* 'neck'' to avoid late fee postage. The right-of-way adjoining the Strand Theatre would be more freely used, thus again relieving the Colombo street thoroughfare. I.throw out this suggestion for the consideration of our Councillors, hoping one great mind will rise to the occasion.—Yours, etc., RATEPAYER,

THE TRAMS

TO THE EDITGX 0? "THE PIESS." gj r _Our Tram Board has been criticised considerably lately, so one more or less should make little difference. Some opinions have had good, sound criticism, constructive and otherwise. . The opinion I put forward concerns the cost of rolling stock, and the numerous samples that arc on the lines. All business people know that to standardise an article is to cheapen it. Henry Ford has shown how to do it. Why have not the Board taken a losson* Again, look at the cost. I believe some of the trailers cost as much aB a IG-roomed mansion; possibly four trailers conld be made for the same price, and if they were all standardised repairs would be and there would be less interest to pay and less money to borrow./ People who use the trams are not so particular about a Boils-Koyce. - What "-they require ■ is - a cheap, quick. 1 service.—Yours, etc., /14-YEAR TRAM EIDER. Kedcliffs.

"(Continued at foot of.not column.)

"PEACHING" AND EVIDENCE.

TO THE KDITOr. OT "THE PlilS'S."

gh-—I notice in your journal of the ■llth inst. a "special" headed "Boys Who Don't Peach,-" and giving-the remarks of the Judge to a lad who, in his evidence, "told tales" of:another. It seemed to me that this "special" contained some extraordinary remarks, coming as they did from a Supreme Court Judge, Mr Justice Alpers. Our whole system of justice depends on -witnesses "peaching," or telling all they know of the actions, etc., of other persons. As soon as a witness steps into the witness-box he is exported-to "tell the -whole truth, etc.,V and during his-whole, giving of. evidence .the opposing counsel is hammering at him endeavouring to obtain all the evidence that he has, and often much that he has not. .

Often with young lads, and even with adults, the counsel question and bully so much that the witness becomes so perturbed that one -minute he ans*wcrs a question in the' negative and the next minute answers the same question—--perhaps, in another form —in the affirmative.

Again, if the witness 'refuses to <»ive evidence unless. ho can l plead that it may personally incriminate him, he runs the very-great danger of being arrainged for contempt for - Court. — Yours, etc., SUBPEISED.