THE HIDE SALES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 133, 1 March 1920, Page 5

THE HIDE SALES

y DETAILS OF PRICES KEEN COMPETITION, HIGH BIDDING The extremely h%h prices which ruled at the first hido 6alos under the new regulations, held in. Wellington 011 Friday, are set out in the brokers' Teports which have now come to hand. As mentioned in Saturday's Dominion, the new regulations provide ' that New Zealand tenners shall have the pre-emptive right to purchase for local ■use at market price, the whole of the ' hides and calfskins produced in the Dominion. All hides and calfskins offered for sale by auction have to be offered 011 the terms that any tanners' representative shall be entitled, immediately on the completion of the bidding- for any lot, to elect to take such lot at a price equal to the last bid in eases where the bid was mado by, or on behalf of, any person other than a New Zealand tanner. The last auction sale was held in Wellington 011 December 19, 1919, since which time the embargo ou the sale of bides has been removed. Competition nt Friday's sale was keen, and tanners 'generally made good use of their right ' to take lots at the highest bids. The brokera state that, compared with . export pricej realised at the December sale, sound dx and cow hides were up 3d. to 4d. per lb., and calfskins- Gd. to 9d. per lb. That the prices obtained at the sale were justly described as "sensational" may be judged from the' fact that as ' m«ch as 4M. per lb. was paid for sound ■ calfskins The highest, prioe for ox hides realised by Messrs. Murray, Roberts, and Co., Ltd., was 24d. (passed in at 23d., and subsequently sold at 2id.); the heaviest hido made .£7 4s. ■ following is the range of prices realised, • particulars of the old schedule, nt which prices tanners had previously the right '■of selecting 50 per cent, of the offerings, being given for purposes of comparison:— Auction Old prices per schedule lb. ex store, lb. f.o.b. ' ' d. d. d. d. Ox, jsound, 701'b. and over 19M8 • 12J-M Ox, sound, 591b. to G9lb. ;. ..'... 18J-KJ ■ 12-18J Ox. sound, 531b.' to 581b 182-22J 11J— 12j Ox, sound, 451b. to 521b. 21 -221- IOJ-llj Ox, sound, 351b. to. 441b 19|—222 9J—ll| Ox, cut and slippy, all grades 12J—20| ' 1 — 2* Cow, sound, 451b. and over :.. 18J—23 ■ 10J—12 Cow, sound, 331b. to 441b 19 -22 i ■ 105-12 , Cow, cut and slippy, all grades ............ 13| —20J 1 — 2* Yearling and Kip, sound; 111b. to 161b. 24 -323 ' 131-15 Yearling and Kin, sound, 171b. to 321b. 20 -29 11J —13 Yearling, cut and slippy, all grades 12 —29} 1 — 2* 1 Calf, sound, Ist duality, under Gib. 4t —48 22 —24 Calf,' sound, Ist quality, Gib. to 81b: 87R47& 21 -23 Calf, sound, Ist quality, 91b. to 101b. 30J-4-U 19—21 Calf, cut and slippv Bi—4(4 —t Bull stag' 12J-191 -f Horse 35.-335. -f *Per lb. less tNot scheduled.. ' The name of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. was inadvertently omitted from the list of firms who sold hides and skins at Friday's «ale in Wellington. PRICE^FJIDES (To tho Editor.) ■ Sir.—What has become of the large quantity of hides bought by .tanners during the last twelve months at the low schedule rate fixed by the late Minister. Mr. Mac Donald? During this period an enormous quantity of hides and calfskins were secured by the tanners, and it was exnected that a standard boot would be made and retailed at a reasonable price to the public. What has happened? Where is the leather from those cheat) hides? Where is tho cheap boot? I think it would be only reasonable for the public to expect that the tanners should be made by the Government to account for tho3e hides and calfskins. It would not then be surprising to find that those cheap hides had been salted down and stored pending the lifting of the erabargo, and they will now come out of their hiding place, be tanned, and sold at 11 parity with the high price paid this week. • Is this what people call profiteering? Ye gods! Will the Welfare League see to it?—l am, etc.: , ENVY. AVellington, February 28, 1920. Sir.—Since tho Government has so judiciously dealt with tho hide question one cannot but feel amused at tile sudden concern manifested by the boot manufacturers of this country for the welfare of the general public. One ■reads that these disinterested gentlemen are afraid that the children will Jiave to go barefooted; yet it is an absolute fact that the majority of boot factories in this country are exacting the same ratio of percentage of profit as prewar on their products, although their turnovers have more than doubled; and thev are running their businesses at very little extra expense. It is generally recognised that the larger the turnover a leaser percentage of profit is reouired; and it is this fact in the majority of industries that is the cause , of high prices throughout the. world. If the boot manufacturers are sincere in their sentiments towards, the public it is up to them to attend to this matter. Foot-wear in Australasia has advanced less in proportion than any othfr article of apparel, yet it is the article that should have advanced most. Cotton and woollen products havo trebled and quadrupled, but footwear has not vet doubled itself, yet tho basic ma- ■ ferial of the two former are produced every season, while hides tako several vears to maturo. Kerd* havt boon ruthlessly depleted tho world over and have to be replenished; and it must be remembered that tho hido is only a byproduct. One wonders why no notice is taken whatever of the heavy advances in other commodities, but as soon as.footwear is mentioned there -is a general, cry out, which is fostered by the boot manufacturers of this country, who are afraid , that thoyinay be eompolled to do with less profit in order to compete against outside competition. It is an absolute. ; . fact that 1 tho boot factories in New Zea- ■ lond cannot executo but one-half of tho , orders tliey receive, and nt is moro likely that the public would havo to go'barefooted through having to depend on tho i inadeauate supplies from local makers , than from being unable to pay advanced prices. It is absolutely necessary that boots should be imported in order to fulfil tho Dominion's requirements. Mr. Mnssev's remarks to the Auckland deputation about AustValian conditions and foot-wear are correct, and the writer is in a position to amply prove them, which he is prepared to do For five years past tho New Zealand farmer has shown a fine spirit of sacrifice. Ho has received only half in regard to hides that his product would have, commanded In the open market. Tor five vears ho uncomplainingly bore I this iniustice. I would ask these same boot mamifac- < turers. or any other section of the com- i munitv. how they would like to bo com- i railed to sell their product at half its ; value. In consideration of the farmer alone, it is to bo hoped Mr. Massey will < not allow himself to be intimidated by 1 the attitude of self-interested boot manu- 1 fncturers. Tinder the new conditoins governing 1 hide sales the local tanners have prefer- 1 ence of supply, and it must be borne in J mind that it is only by production and J exnort that our foreign'rato of exchange 1 can be moderated. This in itself would ' be a factor in reducing tho cost of living, s —I am. etc.. t FREETRADER, i