EXPORT OF WOOL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2299, 5 November 1914, Page 8

EXPORT OF WOOL

GOVEKNMEXT TAKES ACTION. The question of prohibtins the eiport of wool except to other parts of tfoc Empire and ports in the territory of our Allies in the present war was referred to in the Hrasc by the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon. Mr. Jlacsey read a dispMtch from Mr. Lewis Harcourt (Secretary of Stale for the Colonies) on the subject. The dispatch stated that the exportation o{ sheep and lambs' wool raw from the TJnited Kingdom had been prohibited to all dca. tui&tions. The reasons for this prohibition were mainly shortage of supplies of wool' in the. United Kingdom, the small quan.--tity available at the recent eales in London, the possible limitation of eupplles shortly to come forwai'd from Australia, , - oM the imperative necessity for retaining' in the TJnited Kingdom sufficient supplies' lor military purposes of the British and thoir Allies as well as for the needs of the' civil population.

The dispatch continued:—"Appeare to be gome risk that supplies of wool available for our manufacture for-these purposes may be insufficient unless supplies from oversea, Dominions are rendered available, which can hardly be expected it wool produced in those Dominions is held back or diverted into ,any other channel than that to United Kinßdom. In these circumstances Ilis Majesty's Government would siiKgest for favourable consideration • of your Government that exportation o£ raw sheep and lambs' wool, whether washed, secured, or not, from New Zealand to any other country than tho United Kingdom , should bo prohibited, «■ any rate for the next six months, it beinfr understood that the prohibition'of export from this country about to bo established on woollen tops, noils,'yarn cloth, suitable for uniform clothing, flannels, and woollen underclothing .shall not. apply, to New Zealand. The .demand in the United 'Kingdom for nur'poeos above-mentioned ie and must continue to-be extremely la-rtte, and it is nro ljable : that the market in the-United Ki;iKdom will be able to abwrb all woo), ex.cept perhaps merino, that the Dominions, may be able, to send ITonie in the imme-. diate future, and at fair prices. 'It is tho intention of His Majesty's Government to relax the prohibition of the exportation of raw wool from the ■ United Kingdom a-9 soon as continuous, and adequate ' supplies for Home purposes 'are assured, and your Ministers will be notified immediately this state of affairs has been reached."

Mr. Massey £oid ho had referred this dispatch to , .the Board of Agriculture, which happened to be and they hod replied expressing the opinion that wool should bo exported only to tho territory of the British Empire and that of Us Allies, and'in ships that <ire owned by subjects lof the British Empire or those of its. Allies, and that oxpoTt&iion of wool to otlier countries and in other ships should be only with tho permission of tho Government. Mr. Massey explained that a proclamation on these linos had already been gazetted. He ■ added that 60 far a« could be seen the outlook for shcepfarmers was Rood, and they would probejjly pot a higher price in the British market for their wool than they had obtained for years.past : ._ Sir Joseph Ward agreed that' tlio-Gov-ernment liad done the rißlrt thing. Hβ would like to see the prohibition also tipplied to foodstuffs, especially frozen moat. Mr. Ma-ssey 'said he was crlad tho Leader of the Opposition α-ireed: with what'had beep done by the , .Government. ■' As to other articles,-' the Government would be quite willing- to act if they received such a request from -the Iniperial Government.