WOOL RESERVES

Evening Star, Issue 19661, 14 September 1927, Page 16

WOOL RESERVES

WARNING TO GROWERS BEWARE DAIRY BOARD FIASCO [Per L'nitcd Press. Association.] WANGANUI, September 13. Tbe decision of tho Gisborne Tanners* Union to approach the Xiwke’s Bay, Manawatu, and Wairarapa sellers of wool prior to the forthcoming auctions to got them to put a reserve price ou their offerings was referred to a leading Wanganui broker yesterday by a newspaper representative. Tbe broker was also invited to comment on tho assertion made at tho same meeting “that the best values were nut received at tha auctions at present; that the buyers were ou more or Jess confidential terms with ono another; and that everybody, was organised but the growers.” “If ‘(he growers try to fix their prices they will find themselves in tha same boat as the Dairy Board,” the broker said. “Personally, I took that statement to bo ono of no confidence in the brokers. The growers can no more fix prices than tho buyer* can. There are dose on 100 buyers operating id New Zealand during the season, and it would be impossible lor them to put their beads together and control prices.” , “ If the growers did decide on tha fixation of prices, what would they work on?” asked the wool man. “Would thev decide to demand just what they wanted? Deserves were always put oil by the farmers. The brokers valued wool and advised (ho grower, who put on any reserve ho liked. In Wanganui valuations and reserves were as high as anywhere jn the dominion. This was proved by the, number of ‘passings • there were hero, in tho season before last as much as 18 per cent, of tho catalogue was passed.” Tho ‘Chronicle’ yesterday morning mentioned editorially that t>2,414 bales of New Zealand wool were offered at the Julv sales in London. This, the broker remarked, was not an indication that fairly largo numbers of growers were shipping their wool Homo for sale. The largest part of this wool consulted of slipe wool iroin the freezing works, some was contributed by the “ old hands” who had always been in tho custom of shipping Home, and tho remainder was wool which had been purchased in New Zealand and resold, often at a loss. Scoured wools, _he added, were never sold in the dominion,bccauso the uiscrs were all in England.