USUAL SALE CENTRES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20080, 28 October 1939, Page 4

USUAL SALE CENTRES

ONLY FEW EXCEPTIONS TOKOMARU GUARANTEE Nine centres have been listed definitely for the purposes of appraising wool under the war-time commandeer, and all except Gisborne have been regular wool-selling centres during peace-time operations.

This is certainly a tribute to the importance of Gisborne as a woolproducing centre, and now that a final announcement has been made regarding the Government’s intentions, growers and brokers will be able to complete their arrangements for the handling of the wool under war-time conditions.

Of the three' centres regarding which tentative decisions have been reached, Blenheim is one at which wool oddment and sheepskin sales have been held, similar to those that were held periodically in Gisborne. Tokomaru Bay and Nelson • had not held regular oddment sales. Travelling Expenses

The point mentioned by Mr. Nash regarding the tentative appointment of Tokomaru Bay, Blenheim and Nelson is not very clear to brokers of the Gisborne district. Growers on the Coast hope that the statement m"’". that the definite settlement •of Tokomaru Bay as an appraisement ceiurt relies on the growers’ willingness to bear any additional costs regarding valuers’ expenses in travelling to Tokomaru Bay for the purpose of making the appraisements of the Coast wool, and if that is so there should be no difficulty about growers agreeing to bear a small levy that would cover this outlay. However, until the Minister makes the position clearer growers and brokers can only conjecture what is meant. It is possible that there will be other additional costs above those operating at the main centres. It might be suggested, for instance, that shipping costs might be slightly higher. Cost of Transport If the additional costs involved are only small, however, it is expected that the Coast settlers will welcome the opportunity of being able to send their wool to a convenient centre, thus saving the freight charges to Gisborne or possibly some other appraisement point, in addition to the cost of transport from their stations to Tokomaru Bay, this latter being an important point for those in the back country. An appraisement centre at Tokomaru Bay also should mean much to the township and to the district as a whole, for if Tokomaru Bay was to lose the shipment of its own wool a harbour rate might have to be imposed in order to make good the revenue lost from the woo).