WHY WOOL BUYERS NOT GOING TO GISBORNE

Chronicle (Levin), 4 December 1947, Page 6

WHY WOOL BUYERS NOT GOING TO GISBORNE

CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 3. Reasons why the New Zealand Wooi Buyers' Association has decided not to recognise Gisborne as a selling eentre, were given in a statement from the association issued by the secretary, Mr. J. M. Hargreaves, today. The association expressed the opinion that the eommencemeut of saies in Gisborne would cr^ate a jirecedent and tfius strengthen representations for the holding of saies in sucli small eentres as Oamaru and Blenheim and add to the already heavy burden and cost of wool buying in New Zealand. "Frequent representations have been made to the association over a long period by interested bodies, to^ have Gisborne reeognised as a sellitig centre but after very careful consideration oi the issues involved, three full general meetings unanimously decided to decline the request," said the statement. ' '.Tlie decision was made luiown to tncinterested parties as far back as Feb ruarv, 1946. There are already in Nev Zealanrl eight widely separated eentres xor the disposal of aliout 800,000 bales eompared with New South Wales whicb has tlireb eentres eovering 1,100,000 bales. Already the cost of travellmg about 10,000 niiles a season is disproportionale to the amount of wool sold. The actual strain.of so rnueli travellhig, mostly by train and bus, and using hotel bedrooins as temporarv offiees ror the large amount of clerical work involved, already exceeds reasonable limits and anv aduitional travellmg would be an insupportable burden. Gisborne is so situated geograpliically that a sale cannot be held there on the way to another eentre exeept from Napier to Auckland which would involve 150 miles by rail followed by . a 12-hour journev over (lifficult mountainous roads. Gisborne is a roadstead port — stoamers standing out to sea and being served by lighters — and the overseas sliipowners' allotment committee has decid ed that Gisborne wool will in future bt sliipped or railed to Napier and there loaded on overseas vessels. W itli a pooi coastal steamer service available and the reute shortage of rolling stoeiy this would undoubtedly lead to shi])ping delavs and aggravate further the al readv slow turn round of overseas vessels.* The Gisborne distriet would normallv produce about 55,000 bales a season of which possiblv 25,000 baies wero shipped direet to Tjondon before the war. For the wool trade this was a desirable feature since if provided a '•ertain amount of spot wool. In praotice it has been sliown this season that Napier can competently liandle tlie entire Gisborne production in addition to wools from the Hawke's Bay dist'.ict and since Gisborne wool must eventflally be shipped from Napier, the association can see no reason for holding saies in Gisborne. One of tlie greatest drfficnlt ies in buying in New Zealapd is ihe long periods for which buyers are ubsent from tlieir offiees. Anv additional selling eentres must obviously nrolong sucli absences and decrease efficiency. ' '