THE WOOL PURCHASE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 271, 5 August 1918, Page 7

THE WOOL PURCHASE

LOSS OF PROFITS SHIPPING THE KEY TO THE TROUBLE A deputation from the Farmers' Urion Conference met the Minister in Charge of Imperial Supplies on Saturday to bring under his notico the resolution that had been carried by tho conference in relation to tho wool agreement. Most of tho case whicli tho deputation wished to present to the Minister was left to Mr, W. D. Lysnar, -who was tho author of tho resolution at the conference. The points made hy tho deputation were those made at tho conference. The sneakers were all careful to say that they did not consider {hat the prices paid to the New Zealand growers generally wero poor prices, or that they wished to have them increased at tho expense of the British Government or the British consumer. They did consider that the British manufacturers using our wool were making undue profits through being able to obtain it at much less than the current market value. Mr. Lysnar said that the growers had been called upon to sacrifice in profits a prodigious sum of money since the war began, and he thought that at least the country should got credit for this sacrifice. "Air. Lysnar made out by figures which ho had prepared Hint the amount of tho sacrifice by tho Now Zealand producers was upwards of seven millions on tho wool of the 1917-18 clip. In the past two years ho estimated that wo'had given to the Imperial authorities fifteen millions sterling, of which, say, seven millions had been lost to this country in taxation. Ho emphasised that they did not oomplain about this while tho war continued, but. they wished to have it ended so soon as p'osejblo after the war. _• •. Tho Minister, in his reply, said that from all sides he heard that there was no question about the commandeer during the period of tho war. But there was evidently a section of tho producers —he was not prepared to «ay that it represented a majority of (hem—who desired that the contract should )» terminated at the same time as the meat contract—three months after tho war. Tho figures produced by Mr. Lysnar wero qwto familiar to him. They had known from tho first moment that they agreed to sell their meat to tho Imperial Government that they wero making a sacrifice, if sacrifice w ; ere to be considered to be the difference between the prico actually paid and that which might hav.e been obtained on the open market. But had the New Zealand producers made any real sacrifice? Would it have been possible for New Zealand to havo sent away sixty-nine millions worth of produce but for the commandeer? The Imperial Government had given the country great assistance in shipping. The argument wns _ used that New Zealand had given millions of pounds to (ho Imperial Government. If it was the case that most of tho sacrifice made by tho New Zealand growers had gone not to help the Imperial Government or the British consumer, hut to help tho profiteers, thero might be something to be said for tho contention. It was certainly a deplorable fact that tho war had afforded to the profiteer his golden opportunity. ' Ho would send to Mr. Massey tho request of, the Farmers' Conference, and he would include in his mail to Mr. Massey the statement that had been made by Mr. Lysnar. But Mr. Massey. knew (hat tho whole crux of the position was shipping, and that if the ships had not como hero wo could not have got our produce away from here, and could not have got for it the prices that had ben Tealieed. He was quite certain that tho matter could be left quite safely in Mr. Massey's hands, especially after his attention had been drawn to it. Mr. Guthrie 1 stated, also, that a new arrangement was being made for the issuo of wool for civilian manufacture, which would have the effect of increasing the prico to bo charged for this wool to tho manufacturer, and this would increase | tho 6hare of profits to coino to the New Zealand producer. .