LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 250, 16 July 1919, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

WOOL PRICES ' A DIFFICULTY TO BE FACED. Sir,—l have been referring to Mr. Newman's noted circular addressed to woolgrowers throughout the Dominion asking them to assign "that unknown balance," and as a few have complied with tho request, I have been wondering if,, under the altered circumstances, the'assignment is to be held binding. • The amount was represented by the Acting-Premier, who supported the request in a letter attached to the circular, to be "infinitesimal," and as this estimate is so wide of tho mark and the sum assigned sot far beyond the means of many of the contributors, it seems only fair to give those so disposed an opportunity to cancel their signature. I willingly admit that there was no intention to mislead, but the majority, evidently so a&ustomed to Ministerial inexactitudes, have taken the statement and estimate with a grain of salt, and wisely refrained from committing themselves until the sum to be contributed had been finally ascertained. We are all liable to make mistakes, and if thn Act-ing-Premier would only admit tho glaring error in his original estimate of the basio value of our wool, which has been drawn attention to by the Wool Commissioner at Home in his reports to the Imperial Government, ho would save himself much trouble and the Dominion a possible heavy loss, as it may be found impossible to apportion half the profit on sales, so liberally offered by tho Imperial Government,' to make good his blunder. In my judgment the only solution of the difficulty is to ask for the: same terms for greasy wool as have since been granted for slipe, or, failing this, to accept the Home Government's original offer of 45 per cent, over pre-war London prices. By so doing all Mr. Newman's agreements would be cancelled, and I nm con-, fident that wool-growers who have not assigned their balance—and lam one of them—would make good the contribution to his fund—l am, etc., WOOL-GROWER,