LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 71, 18 December 1918, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

OUR WOOL PRICES (NEED FOR INVESTIGATION. Sir,—Your correspondent, "Woolpack," chides me for rontiiring to suggest Hint Mr. Jlassoy, when lie reaches Homo, should ovtiflmul the Acting-Prime Minis, tor's assessment of tlie basic value of our Ijrensy wool under the comm:mdeer and carefully' scrutinise the Imperial Govern, niiint cablegram which origiuated thie far-roncliing transaction. Sir Jnmea is not infallible, and I honestly believe that wo were offered pre-war Home miction net prices for our greasy wool, which in July, 1911, ranged from 15(1. lo eighteen pence for the various grades of fieoces and 10d. to lid. for bellies and pieces, plus 45 per cent., as this percentage represented about tho increase in price between July, 1914, and December, 1916. when it was determined to establish a commandeer. Sir James asked for 10 per cent, more on hie assumed basic valine of il.li'id., the Dominion avpra;;o price at auction, and pot it, but the Home Government has since admitted that ours is tho cheapest wool they handle, and it is known that they cannot do without it. I don't blame them for accepting the counter-offer,'but if the deal was completed under a nyfsapprehension onthis side as to priced offered 1 am sure the British Government would honourably rectify it. Every account sale bears the significant and well-known initials. "K. and 0.8.," meaning errors and omissions excepted. Tho Iniperial Government has varied the original contract as regards slipe wool, which was also included in the commandeer and is now being paid for from (lie commencement, on the average Home price for ijIDH, and I have noticed that tin; self-same basic price has boon offered for South African wool within the last few days. Why not therefore ask for and obtain the same concessions for greasy wool as the more astute owners of slipes linve been wanted under the June, 19)8, Gazette? The recent sale of 1918-19 and 1920 clips renders n close investigation nl! the more necessary, for as T have before remarked, our Minister of Finance will need all the money he can honestly claim to keep the ship of State on an even keel. It so happens that thie shortage on four clips of greasy will more than pay the debt of twelve million pounds odd to the Imperial Government for tho powder and shot our boys have used so effectively against the Kaiser an.l his myrmidons, and release Sir Joseph's reserves for other purposes. There is a disposition amongst townsfolk, as "Woolpack" tolls us, to belittle and "bear" the value of our primary expirts, which to me is inexplicable, as without the energy and enterprise of our farmers and their wives and families these same people would be in a sorry plight. They seem to think we are getting sd. per lb. more for ou.r wool than in pre-war times. This may be so in regard to'those who' sold locally, but they only represented half the 1913-U clip, and the other half, who habitually sell in London, are receiving little or .no advance, white sump I know are getting a penny and twopence per lb. less than pre-wiu prices, with Sir James's 55 per cent, added to his !).Gsd.

The value per fleece is after all tlie true test of value, and mine netted Bs. !>d. in 1913-U. Taking Mr. Massey's net figure of 8.57(1. as the average Dominion net proceeds per lb. for 1013-H. the vnluo pr.r fleece would be less than ss. 9d. My figures are well within the mark, but at 3s. pel , head one can form some idea of the annual shortage on our wool clip. Since writing above I have received apprisement for this Reason's wool which 1 am convinced will not net Bs. 9d. per fleece, owing.to its lightness,—l am. etc., WOOLGROWER,