SEEDY WOOL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 102, 23 January 1918, Page 6

SEEDY WOOL

A FARMERS' COMPLAINT THE 55 PER CENT, INCREASE DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER In high country and in other districts where the land is partially in the rough, and where, owing to the existence of the remains of the bush or to the general roughness, it is impossible by cultivation to free pasture of weeds, there grow various burrs which attach themselves in the height of summor to the wool of sheep. Tho best known and the worst of these burrs in this country is that called the biddy-bid. Sheep depasturing on hind whore tin's weed grows pick up a great deal of it, and the wool becomes so full of it that it has to be specially treated before.it can be put to any use. The biddy-hid is a harpooned burr which is very difficult to tease out of tho wool, but it can be remove.], albeit- at considerable cost, sometimes by a carbonising process, and sometimes by mechanical means. which are full of need of this kind are of much loss value than clean wools, and they accordingly bring a less price on the market. Before the war the Bradford buyers did not pay much attention to these wools, preferring to buy the clean stuff, and much of this wool was bought on account of Japanese people, who, perhaps because of the cheapness of labour in their country, were able to treat the wools at less iost than the British or American buyers. Nowadays there are no wool auction?; all the wool is bought on account of the Imperial authorities by the No'v Zealand Government, and as no wool may be shipped out of the country except to go to Britain, there is no Japanese demand for these faulty and dirty sorts. Less In Proportion, It has happened that some ef the farmers who cannot keep all their wool clean—some of thorn cannot keep any of it clean—have formed the opinion

that they are not getting as gooo. rutcs in proportion for these seedy wools as they aro being paid for clean fleece wool It should be understood that tho basis of valuation of all wool in the greaso, whether it is clean or not, is its value commercially after it has been scoured. The grease, even of clean wool, is oi no value. Its presence 15 evidence of healthy growth, but nothing moie. The Japanese buyers used fo pay s-xli relatively high prices that the Yorkshire buyers did not compete >vith tiiem, but now that tho wool is being valued for the Imperial authorities by Bradford men, the farmers, or some cf them, aro of opinion that insufficient puces are being paid for tho inferior soits. It is known that the cost of cleaning the seedy wools has increased since tho war, and it is suggested that the layers aro making allowance for this m making their valuations. _ 4. deputation of farmers waitsd vpon the Prune Minister yesterday morning to state their grievances, and to ask for redress. They were from the Wancanui, Tarauaki, and Wairarapa districts. The members of the deputation were Messrs. G. V. Pearce, M.P., Mr. Burr-ell, of Failding, Mr. A. Robinson, of Wanganui, and Mr. Morgan, Waira?apa. ilr. W.S. Beruiett ofDasety and Company, chairman of the brokcrs' Association, and Mr. J. A. Lees, of die Imperial Supplies Department, were present by invitation.

That 55 Per Cent. Advance. Mr G V. Pearce, M.P., said that when tho conference was held at which tho arrangements wore made tor tno commandeering of the New Zealand wool a straight-out condition of tho purchase was that the growers should get 55 per cent, advance on pre-war prices. This was not to be affected bj increases in the freight rates or in tho cost of cleaning wool or anything ot Mr. S °Massey said he had been in the bargain at the other end, and that .his was in fact the arrangemont. Mr Pearce said that as the scheme was working out it was not quite satisfactory to the farmers.. They wore well enough satisfied with the prices that they were- getting for fleece wool, but they were not satisfied with tno prices being paid -to them for crutcliings, pieces, and seedy wools. J) or these wools they were certainly not being naid 55 per cent, more than the pre-war rates. In tome cases farmers 'had received even less than the prewar value of the wool. This was very hard on the. man who had a pieco ot rough country, very often a Grown tenant, who could not keep his wool free of seed. It was possible by shearing early to avoid the burr to some extent, but nowadays, when there was a scarcity of shearers, or in a wet season; it was not possible for these men to arrange to have their shearing done early. Tho fanners all over the country understood that they were to get 55 per cent, advance on pre-war rates, whether the pre-war prices depended on Japanese competition or not. It was not fair that one section of the farming community should get the full

increase of 55 per cent., while another section could not get it. Mr. Pcarco mentioned that the point was not one which affected himself personally, except slightly in regard to the prices for piece wool. Other Suggestions, Other members of the deputation spoke on this matter, and then Mr. Pearce referred to three other points which they wished to bring under the notice of the Prime Minister. One was si suggestion made at a conference of farmers, of which the deputation was the outcome, that they sbould.be allowed to send any seedy wool out of tho country to be sold on their own risk in anv country where they could find a market for it. He did not think that anv member of tho deputation was personally in favour of that proposal. Another suggestion was that anv farmer, if he thought tho. valuation of his wool very low, should be allowed to hold his wool for a free market at the end of the war. This seemed to him to bo reasonable. He did not think, howover, that manv mon would choose to do this, because tho financial burden would be a bcavv one, beyond the capacity of moot- 'farmers ; Tlie ether matter was in connection with tho cleaning of seedy wool. It was suggested that the'farmers • should themselves put up a carbonising plant, to cost about £20,000, and that the Government should assist them. There would bo very little hop.? of a plant ot this kind being ready to deal with wool now being requisitioned, but ho thoug.it that it- would be a good thing to have it established for use after the war, to obviate the necessity of paying freignt on tho rubbish in the wool. lio would suggest that a plant of this kind n"ghr. bo erected in some centre such as Wellington. None of tho South T sland wool except that.crown in Southland was affected bv the burr, but a great deal of the North Tsland wool was affected.

Basis of Valuation. Mr. Bennett said that lie presumed that lie had been asked to come to the deputation because he had presided at a meeting held at Napier recently nt which the matter raised had been discussed. He wished it tn bo understood that it was no part of his c'utv to vindicate the valuers. His own business was that of a broker. At the Napier meeting, he said, Mr. Hill, tho chief vainer, had stated that- in i.o single instance had any valuer been instructed to take into consideration tho

cost of'cleaning seedy wool. The buyers' practice was to make deduction only on account of the amount of seed in the wool, and of the actual deterioration of the wool consequent upon the presenco of the seed in it. "When Mr. Hill mado this statement the representatives of the farmers present at the meeting said at once that they were satisfied, and that they would now know when they had a basis on which to formulate an appeal. Mr. Hill and the other valuers contended that the values being paid were equivalent to ?u per cent, more than the pre-war prices for all kinds of wool. He (Air. Bennett) said that he knew that farmers were averse to appealing, but it was a, fact that his firm had not had 1 per cent, of appeals in respect of wool that they had handled last season.

Mr. Pearcc: The farmer considers it unpatriotic to appeal. Mr. Massey said that it would be much more satisfactory for tho farmers to appeal than to come along to tho Government to have their grievances reotificd after they had cherished them for somo time.

Mr. Bennett said that the only basis on which wool could bo valued was on its value when scoured. He was given to understand that this year the seed

had come into the wool earlier, and that the quantity was greater. And tho crutchiugs in this last season had not been nearly so good as in 1914. Ho urgod farmers to appeal'if they were not satisfied with the values given to their wool. Prime Minister's Advice.

The Prime Minister said he was very glad that the deputation had come aloug to have tho matter out. It was not the first time that tho matter had been mentioned. Apparently the whole subject had been fully discussed at tho conference at Napier, and with verygood results. He wished members or the deputation to get rid of any impression they might have that the Government wished to get tho better oi the producer in any way. In this he could speak for the Imperial Government as well as the New Zealand Government because he had been m England, and a party to the negotiations when the bargain was made. He was of opinion that the bargain hod worked very well indeed. It had bcien pointed mi, that

the only deduction made m the value of seed'y wopl was on account ot the deterioration that actually took place because of the presence of the seed, and he hoped that as a result of the deputation there would be no more heard of the grievance. An Obsolete Practice, Mr Massev said that another grievance had been raised at ono or ottier of the conferences held lately. 11ns wab in regard to whai; was known-as the "draft" on wool. Ho did not behcyo tho deduction was a fair one, but it had existed for at least half a century, and naturally when the Imperial Government made arrangements for the purchase of wool through the Governmonts of tho different Dominions, tho purchases were mr.de upon the existing trade customs. This was one ot tho well-established customs of tho wool trade. Ho thought it ought to be removed. H was a relic of the time when all tho fleeces were sent forward tied un with string, but the custom was well established in every part of the United Kinedora. He thought it was very unfair that the farmers should try to get rid of.tlio custom by bringing pressure to bear on the Government now. Wiat had they done before the war to get rid of the cus-

Mr. Robinson and Aiv. Pcarce.said that the present position was vnique, and there was a good opportunity to ««t rid of the. custom. Mr. Bennett nVroed with them that the farmers would find it very difficult to break the custom by any action they might take themselves. . Tho Othor Points.

On tlio question (if tho farmers being allowed to hold seedy wools, he wo aid have no objection personally to this being done, but it would have to be understood that no export ot wool could be allowed. ~,„, It was pointed out by Mr. Bennett and Mr. Pcarce that there would have to be some test of the degree of scediness of wool that was to be held in this wav/anci momhers of the deputation agreed that tho wool would have to «o into store for valuation in order that the valuers, for the Government might be able to soe whether it did in fact come within the description of seedy wool. Mr Masscy promised to consider the suggestion made that tiro Government should assist in the erection of works for the cleaning of wool. Mr. Lees said that there wore- plants in existence for the extraction of seed from wool by mechanical means. The charge made was 4(1. per lb. of clear, wool. The Government had quantities of woo' treated at these works, and it wiild be open to the timers to ham ttiwr own wool cleaned before offering it tor

valuation. , Yet another deputation representing the Manawatu and flnn"itikei district? came to see Mr. Massey on the same -.übieet in the afternoon, but they dm not 'Uirsnc the natter strenuously in view'of the fact that the earlier deputation bad cone fullv into the business.

Blackbirds and thrushes are. admirable in poetry, but prosaic fruitgrowers are apt to take a different view to poets. When .the "mavis sings his love-song in the morn" tho gardener is apt, "to reflect that the bird's hupnincsti is in a largo part duo to a satisfaction derived from a sated appetite on fruit meant far tho grower's own use as dessert or jam or sale for profit, a.ud ho may be induced to think bitterly about the introduction of these garden robbers by wellmeaning acclimatisation societies. This season in Wyndham- and no doubt the experience will be genera!--some gardens have been stripped of small fruit, red currants in particular (reports the "Herald"). The birds do not allow t.lia bunches to come to ripeness, but seem to have an eye for colour ur some other means of testing palatable fruit. But thciy do not restrict themselves to curramts. Cherries they e> en prefer, and it is not their fault if a single cherry is left for the grower. As they get -Jhrough- these, fruits, gooseberries do not come amiss to them; they penetrate the skin and abstract the pulp. Plums are served in the same iray. Apples are punctured in their ripest part, and picked as a fowl would do. TJnloss gardens are made bird-proof or tho birds are destroyed, fruit cannot be grown, not alone to advantage, but some of it not at all. The small bird is a problem to the fruit grower.

The bid-a-bid seems to linve ripened earlier all over New Zealand this season. Reports from Gisborne state that bid-a-bid wool was far more, present at the earlier valuations this season than is usual.

Last year's Southland Winter Show resulted in a net loss of about £200. Conditions waro bad then, but they are worse this year. Consequently, the association is none too keen on carrying on with a winter show for 1918.

In some parts of the Southland Province autumn-sown oafs are already in stock, and all around there seem promises of good yields. It ir,ay not necessarily bo an indication of the possibilities o{ the great Seaward Jloss swamp, were it properly drained, but on the cd<re of that country, between Invcrcargill and the BluiF. where draining has been carried out, thero is an occasional oat paddock, not very heavy in the straw, it is true, but carrying magnificent heads, states tho "Southland Times."