A Partially Free Market.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 119, 13 February 1919, Page 8

A Partially Free Market.

Southr'African growers are very differently situated to those ot Australia and New Zealand. The Dutch Boers have fought the scheme: of purchase tooth and nail, the above resolution clearly show--ing that, there was anything but unanimity in regard to farmers selling their new clips to the British Government. This incident is to be regretted, but our own authorities have ■ acted wisely in compelling~ho-man- to sell against his •will.''Thrsbre"point with the trade at this end is that it has got to know, nothing of what has since transpired, no Cape mail having-yet. arrived telling us of what was said and'; done*'at the "Pretoria conference. However, it is certain that the market is still open in South Africa, because a cablegram which came to; hand last' week to a Bradford house staled that greasy super combing wools were selling, on. a clean sco-.red basis of 56d. clean cost,'and that Japan was buying actively!' This'is conclusive evidence; that wool is still there to be purchased, although no "English firms are operating, being unable to obtain fre'ght, and American orders are all stopped because Washington refuses, to grant import licenses. These 'are the facts today, hilt n cablegram, to , hand this week from 'Washington states that the "War Trade Board are considering whether they will continue,the existing embargo on the importation of.wool." Jt is safe t'n conclude'that if the embargo is lifted, United States importers will be in ~ the market very n.uickly.

.Character_b'; S A.JiVools, . The bulkyof_S.ciuth_Afr.ican wools are. very siniilar-iirtype;ai)'dihai'.ncter to the merinos grown in the United State*. Probably average Cape merinos are not as 'pood ay overage Australian, being heavier in condition, less attractive in appearance, and certainly not prepared formur"ke't so well as the merinos of, the. Commonwealth. At the' sumo time South African pastoralists have- made.', wonderful progress during the past ten years, entirely the result of nn .educational campaign inaugurated by the Union Government, and still more so on account of the large importations of Australian stud Bheep. This programme-will need to be continued for many years longer, and there stilllremains a- great amount of -work to do by the wool experts employed by the South African Government. There has always been'plenty of C|unlily about -the merinos of the Cape and the other States in the"Union.' but a' li/lle ninro length of staple, and better preparation • for market, which mentis the removal of ' the heavy skirts, would,- he, greatly appreciated. The merinos of .Smith Africa -do not make such full handlim.' bulkv fabrics: as the merinos of Australia, bill for fine spinning (he Cape wools will take a good deal of healing. There-lias been an all-round improvement (hiring the past-ten years in the South African wools, and that improvement can be still further advanced. Tn the writer's opinion, South Africa will never be n fountrv for rearin.tr crossbred sre-ep. and li«r woolgrowers will be wisplv advised to leave well alone. A few million ba-bml slipnp are still being pastured in Soulh Africa, nnd their wool is useful in the production of certain descrinlions of fabrics. The bulk of the wool is marketed in the grease, although some I'n'ir weights are ■scoured on the =p«t, and comes an excellent colour. It is mostly free of burr, although this has shown a (pudency (o increase durine- recent years. Thp burrs are much smaller in size I ban those c pph in Australian wools! South African wools have always been largely used on the Continent. America has taken increasing quantities, and they will br- wanted as much in (he future as ,ut Hie past.

Appraisement under Government Scheme

An official document of the wools which , ■were offered to the 'Tfnion fioveriiment last reason has just come to hand, ft ■will he. remembered Hint, netiii-i for Hie Imperial Government, the Cape Parliament propounded a .scheme, and asked growers to offer to them nil the wools thev had which they were prepared lo I>uv on the same terms as offered Australian and New Zealand pastoralist.s. The offer was imule late in tlie season, it being last December before if .was put forward. At that time the freight question war- looming large, in fact ■bringing Home tirivatciy-owned wool* had Oitirely stopped. However, about IfiO.OOO '.fees were offered to the Union GovcrnOient, after which growers representing the top side of 50,00(1 bales withdrew their offer. As a matter of fact, only 134,030 bales were finally cold in accordance

with the Government scheme, and when the year's accounts were made up 'a*' July' 31 the quantity was sensibly less. The following is a <- e ry useful table giving the details of the wool purchased under the Government scheme at the four centres ,if valuation ivp '<• •> ul . v •"> 1918:- . j. Average price per Quantity B^ of Weight, lb. I'ort. bales.. lb. d. Durban ~'.... 20,503 8,050,818 1.1.43 East Loudon ... 72,051 21.846.ffi6 H.H Port l-Mizabelh 12,94!) 1,311,12; ll.Si. Cape Town ... 112 36,5(9 Totals 111,678 37,878,056 13.67 The average grease price per lb. of tho total quantity .of wool purchased works out, as will be seen from the above statement, at 13.07 pence. Where the South African Clip Goes. The following statement gives the quantity of wool sold oh open market, countries- to which shipped tUiringr the .period August 1, 1917, to July 31, 1918, and prices paid therefore, viz.:— Grease Wool. No. of bales Aver- (avera age ago llestiua- Net Value, price, weight tion weight. £ por lb. 3401b.) UK .. 773 !)43 16,313 11.37 2,276 France 105,1f1S 8,819 20.11 310 Canada 270,951 18,622 16.13 816 U.S.A. 53,109,003 3,593,901) 16.15 b(,085 Japan ' 33,570,311 2,767,611 21.87 93,736 Totals 88,135,676 6,435,358 17.52 259,222