COST OF WOOLLEN GOODS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 277, 19 August 1919, Page 6

COST OF WOOLLEN GOODS

Sir,—Mr. Barter, in his address , to shareholders, is by 110 means convincing to either producers or consumers. Mr. Barber makes reference to anonymous writers having less than a rudimentary knowledge of the position. ( Having never written an anonymous letter in my life, and having an interest, both as a consumer and a producer, I am sure Mr. Barber will excuse my asking a question or two, which the answeiing of may bring some light to my untutored mind. Before proceeding, I may 6av that my only reason for joining the controversy is to robut, or ask for proofs of the oft-repeated assertion, that the producer is getting all the "rake olV' while the poor city mr;n, as representing Capital and Labour, is only struggling along. Will Mr. Barber deny that the pre-war prico of finished tops seldom exceeded 75 per cent, to 100 per cent, of the price of raw wools? This advance covered all labour and capital cost, in the first stage toward manufacture. _ As far as I am able to glean information, this percentage is not greatly increased in England to-day as between price of raw wool and Government issue price of tops. I have taken the trouble to go through a number of old accounts, running back for eight years. In doing so, I find that the -average increase in woollen goods which any family nse is approximately 300 per cent. Here are a few examples which. Mr. Barber can no doubt explain. It waa my custom to purchase, either from shopkeepers, or warehouses, suit lengths or dress lengths to be made up. The price of fair to good quality dress material in pre-war days ran from Bs. to as high as 13s. per yard.- To-day the same material is costing from 255. to 40s. ■per yard. Take knitting-wool, which in former days was largely used in country houses. Old invoices show knitting-wool from 3s. 9d. to Ba. 3d. per lb. Go along Lambton Quay and ask some of the struggling drapers what the present-day price is, and if it is not 300 per cenl. and over, above pre-war prices, I will cease to bother you further, ,Mr. Editor, re wool and its price. A thrifty mother could in pre-war days knit boclcs for her children or good man at under Is. 43. per pair; she will do well to-day if she can do the same for under 4s. per pair.— 1 am ' et °" ALES. D. M'LEOD. August 14, 1919. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Perhaps the Board of Trade or 6ome of our Cabinet Ministers who have 1 been controlling it, in the absence of our two leaders, would be interested to know the maiket prices before and after the war of some of our woollen manufacturing companies' shares, and I therefore append them:— _ , July, 1914. July, 1919, Wfis. fid. 1625. Od.

Kaiapoi 106s. 6a. 1623. Od. Mosgiel — 755. Od. 116s. Od. Oamaru ....... 265. Od. 365. Od. Bruco (no Bales, not quoted) 38s. Od. Wellington. 88a. Od. 1625. 6d. These increases mean something to the fortunate shareholders concerned, and a reference to share lists, which are accessibla to anyone who cares to paj a shilling for the privilege, might give them some food for thought. ■> The uninitiated may not be aware that the raw material, commandeered from farmers at less than pre-war prices, has ten supplied to theso companies for manufacturing purposes during the war and will lie until June, 1920, at fiveeighths of a penny per lb. oyer commandeer prices, or less than 2s. per lb. for scoured wool, while the cloth they manufacture, wihich may contain about _ a pound weight of wool per yard, is being sold in drapers' shops for ladies' dresses and by tailors for men's clothing at 15s. per vard and over. I do not assert that all this enormous profit on the manufactured and nondutiable article finds its way into the coffers of "these comnaniH, but. by the enhancement in the value of their shares, which are in keen demand at the moment, a belief seems prevalent that they are enjoying, and likoly to enjoy, special privileges to which they are not entitled. The Hon. Mr. MwDonald has told us that the Board of Trade has no cower to put an end to 6iich manifest inflation of price to the consumer and fcliiit all thoy can do is to Teport to Cabinet. A longsuffering public will lie interested to learn from Mr. Massey if the lward has directed its attention to this important matter during his p.bsenoe, and to know why his locum tenens did not issue one of his many Orders-in-Council to.fix the price to be "paid by the consumer for tho localiv-manufactured article as well as ■the price for the raw material. One would think that the latter should have suggested the former. ' It is never too late lo mend, and there is wide scope for Tiotli Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Wc.rd, now that they lhavo returned" to make their presence felt, fn correcting abuses to which attontion has been drawn, during their absence, and this is one of them.—l am. etc., . JUSTICE TO ALL.