OUR WOOL COMMANDEER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 80, 30 December 1918, Page 6

OUR WOOL COMMANDEER

Sir,—The wool figures recently published by llr. Massey relating to the 1913-11 clip, compared with results of the 1917-18 under the commandeer,; present a good deal of food for reflection, aud seem to require some explanation from those responsible for the conduct of the negotiations on this side in connection with the commandeer. This statement informs us tnat the brokers' charges for commission, cataloguing, exhibiting, 'storage, etc., on the 264,834.ba1e5, or just about half the 191314 clip, sold at auction within the Dominion, amounted to .£127,797, which works out at 9s. lid. per bale, or a little over 5-lCths of a penny per lb., while the allowance to brokers under the commandeer for exhibiting and storage only is 9-16ths of a penny per ll>., or 17s. Id. per bale, and aggregates .£445,761 for the 1917-18 clip. ; Comment is needless, but it has been stated that this very liberal remuneration for far less work and risk than under ordinary circumstances, is poid for by the Imperial Government. It may be so in the first instance, but the greasy woor man bears the Imrdeh in the end, as this, together with the extra war freight (now 2Jd. per lb.) and all additional war expenses incidental to shipment and sale, amouutirig probably to 4Jd. per lb. or over in the aggregate, is deducted from the proceeds of sales for civilian purposes, 50 per cent, of which constitutes the unknown! balance to bo returned to growers. I . These charges are perfectly legitimate and chargeable under the arrangement entered into by the Acting-Premier with the Imperial Govern.'iunt by reason of the basic price having been assessed on Dominion instead of London which has thi'own the increased transportation charges upon the seller; but the galling part of it is that owners of elipa wool escape the extra war charges in consequence of their basic price being fixed on the London out-turn, less l}d. per lb. for freight and charges at prowar rates asstipulated in the Gazette. Now that the war is over, of our tiool will be utilised for civilian purposes, and' if present London auction ; prices are maintained our "balance" will be greatly augmented. I tiike it that the .payment of this "balance" outside the Aontiwct, which was unsolicited, and the fact that the elipe wool contract has been materially altered,, are admissions on the part of the Imperial authorities that an error has been mado, and that restitution is necessary- and desirable. Personally, I dislike the dole, and'would willingly accept the original offer of 45 per cent, on pre-war London prices, less lid. per lb. for charges, as in the case of slipe wool; although it is possible in the altered circumstances the return may be greater under the existing arrangements.

It; is only right and proper that both slipe and greasy wool should be placed under the same basic nrice.—l am. etc.» WOOLGEOWEE.