THE WOOL DEAL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 90, 10 January 1920, Page 7

THE WOOL DEAL

* QUESTION OP WITHHOLDING CLIPS k ■ ? WHAT THE LAW SAYS s' d In llicse times when the- price of wool s is uncertain there have been suggestions 0 that producers might profit by withholding their woo! from valuation this i- year and shipping it or selling it locally cl next year. Whelhor tlio owners of wool have any right to vithhold or withdraw their wool from valuation or from sale lo tlio Government, : s said to be an open question. Section 17 of the War Legislation and Statute Law Amendment Act of 1908 is as follows: "Tlio Governor--0 General or any Minister of the Crown authorised by him for that purpose v " may, on helialf of Ilis Majesty's Govern- ' meiit of the United Kingdom, make such ) contracts as are deemed necessary for or relating to the purchase or acquisition 0 of any goods or merchandise produced j in New Zealand and required, whether before or after the present war, for the 0 necessities of' His Majesty's Government." And "all contracts made heretofore during the present war by the GovernorGeneral or by any Minister of' the Crown for the purpose aforesaid are hereby dc- - clared to be and at all times to havo - been of full force and effect. - The clause quoted is the only legislas tion bearing upon the issue. It would y appear that the purpose of the clauses s was to make the contract, already bindg ing upon the British Government, bind- - ing also upon the sellers in New Zeas land. It does appear to be binding on v the producers of wool. The issue in ic the last resort, however, is one of law, . and it is snid to be not unlikely that 0 the matter may be tested in that way. 0 '