WOOL IN WARTIME

Evening Star, Issue 23373, 16 September 1939, Page 10

WOOL IN WARTIME

Securing Supplies in 1916

Government the Sole Buyer

The British Ministry of Information announced on September 9 that “ the Cabinet is basing its policy on the assumption that the war will last for three years or longer.” This announcement recalls the authoritative opinion expressed quite early in the 1914-18 war of a duration of hostilities for three to three and a-half years —and so it proved. This meant, as the latest assumption of the British Cabinet may mean, a demand for supplies of products of the British dominions for feeding and clothing the forces engaged in the war and for the civil population of the United Kingdom. The precedent of obtaining supplies from the dominions by requisition was established in the early part of the last Great War.

Wool from Australia and New Zealand was so acquired. The circum.stances as they developed through 1914 and 1915 made it imperative tor the Imperial Government to secure all raw wool available; but it was not until the third year of the war opened that rumours wore current in Hug ana that the Australian and New clips would be acquired. Already the British wool clip had been requisitioned. , .. , The Imperial Government, through the New Zealand Government, decided in November, 1916, to purchase the New Zealand clip and later the balance of the Australian clip. Sales usually open in Australia three to four months earlier than in New Zealand. Prior to the' Federal Government taking acquisitive action in Australia, wool had been sold to allied countries, but an embargo ' had already been placed on sales to neutrals, and, ot course, no sales could be made to enemy countries. INTRICATE, BUT WORKABLE, When the decision to acquire the Australian and New Zealand clips had been taken the Governments concerned enlisted the assistance of established brokers and buyers and the representatives of wool growers. .The scheme of valuation and purchase was. intricate, but it worked, and on the Whole gave generally satisfactory results. There was one buyer, the Government. All who had been engaged in the wool trade carried on as before, wool-buying and broking firms and wool producers retained their identities. Some hardships were felt by local wool dealers, and there were

New Zealand wools were estimated to be as follows :

All wool was valued at the above prices according to quality. Wool accepted was paid for on the above prices, plus 55 per cent, advance. It may be mentioned here that the average price realised for all wools sold in New Zealand for the past four years were as follows per lb.

The authority for these average prices is the New Zealand Woolbrokers’ Association. Average prices for Australian sales for the past four years were as follows-;

1913-14 Averages. per lb. d. d. Super merino combings ... 12 to 14i Medium to good merino ... 9| to Hi Inferior merino Si to 9i Super half-bred 12 to 14 Medium to good half-bred 92 to 12 Inferior half-bred 9 to 10 Super cross-bred 10i to 12 Medium to good cross-bred 9 to 11 Inferior cross-bred ... ... 7J to 9 Lincoln and Leicester ... 8J to 10i Lambs, good ... 11 to 13 Lambs, medium 9 to 103

d. 1935-36 9.144 1936 r 37 15.82 1937-38 10.043 1938-39 9.189

per lb. d. 1935-36 14.01 1936-37 16.48 1937-38 12.51 1938-39 10.39.