IMPERIAL SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 143, 6 March 1918, Page 8

IMPERIAL SUPPLIES

—$ — HIDES AND SKINSA

AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE

LOWER PRICES

■ A coiiference between persons interested on the ono ,hand, and members of Uie. Ministry on the. otlitr, was held in Parliament Buildings yesterday to consider certain cliaiigeSi that have been proposed by the Imperial Government in the requisitioning arrangements'tor slipe wool, hides, and sheepskins. • The conference was representative ol farmers, freezing companies, tanners, butcher-;, frozen meat exporters, and pelt exporters. The Department of lm. perial Supplies and the wool valuers were'also represented. The , value of the commodities affected by the proposed changes is considerable.- ' The slipe wool exported from New Zealand during the past season, and up till the present date was valued at £1,422,515, the value of the tilieepskins puruhased undet requisition was £688,259,' and the value of hides £543,953.

No change in price is proposed regarding slipe wool. Much ol the slipo wool exported is taken from. Lhe skins of sheep and lambs slaughtered for export in the freezing works, and as the freezing season follows hard upon the shearing, a lot of the slipe wool is. short, being only partly grown. It is of correspondingly less value than greasy wool from matured fleeces, but ■the value of it has not lessened. The changes that aro proposed affect hides and skins, and the changes will mean a reduction in price in New Zealand. The price of hides has shown a downward tendency all over the- world. The drop is not a serious one, but it will mean a lessened price here. The sanie general statement applies to skins. A year ago there- was something akin to'speculation in pelts, but now thoy have dropped to what may be willed their normal war value. An important point at issue is the date from (which, the new prices are !to operate. If'they are to- come into 'operation at once loss must be suffered by those people in this couutry who have bought either live stock or hides and skins on the present ruling J values for export. : If the reduction should be postponed until'nest export ! season no such hardships as this 'would be occasioned. The question of the.date on which the new prices are to .operate has still to be. settled between the New Zealand. Government, 1 as agents for the producing interests of this, country, and the Imperial authorities.

lt ] will be seen that the conference was of considerable importance. The different sections separated into committees te discuss .the. points in which •'they were 'specially interested, and the resolutions of the,se committees .were later submitted to'the conference and to the representatives of the Government present. After the meeting had disposed of its business the Prime Minister said that the delegates bad adopted a most reasonable attitude, and that their expressions of opinion as shown by the resolutions would be exceedingly valuable to the Government of this country in their negotiations with the Imperial Government.

A vote of thanks was accorded to the Government on the motion of Sir James Wilson, who made generous reference to - the work that Ministers have had to do during the war period.