PROPOSED ROYAL COMMISSION

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24910, 25 June 1946, Page 4

PROPOSED ROYAL COMMISSION

ORDER OF REFERENCE APPROVED

MEETING OF WOOL BOARD (P.A.) DUNEDIN, June 24.

The setting up of the proposed Royal Commission on sheep farming was taken a stage further at the monthly meeting of the Wool Board to-night. After a meeting with the DirectorGeneral of Agriculture (Mr E. J. Fawcett), at which the board was represented, the delegates reported that approval had been given to the order of reference, and the industry was co submit names by July 1, from which suitable personnel would be selected. These decisions have been conveyed to the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. B. Roberts). Interim advice has been received from the board’s delegates, who are at present attending an executive committee meeting of the International Wool Secretariat, which indicates a considerable expansion in the work of the secretariat. Mr F. S. Arthur, New Zealand’s representative, has been appointed managing director of the newly incorporated United KingdomDominion Wool Disposal, Ltd., and the board has dgeided that it will be necessary to appoint a new representative to the secretariat at an early date.

A total of 90,129 bales of wool was shipped from New Zealand during May, 43,732 bales going to the United Kingdom, with France taking 27,290 bales as the next largest purchaser for this period. Apart from wool shipped to America and northern European countries, small - consignments nave been shipped to Palestine and Egypt. The total quantity held in New Zealand on May 31 was 1,319,574 bales. At present there are three vessels loading wool for Germany. This has been sold on instructions from the British Wool Control, and the total quantity is approximately 84,000 bales, comprising 75,000 bales of C grade fleece wool, with the balance made up of second slipes, pie pieces, and burry scoured wools.