ALLEGED WOOL ROBBERIES AT SYDNEY.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1240, 26 February 1878, Page 3

ALLEGED WOOL ROBBERIES AT SYDNEY.

(From the "Sydney Mail," Feb. 2nd.) The disagreeable disclosures which the investigation at the Water Police Court brought to light last week, should make those who have the interests of Sydney's wool trade at heart a little more watchful in future. It is alleged that bales of wool in transit have been pillaged systematically, and that robberies have been carried out for nearly two years, in some cases extending to eight bales a week. This system could not hare been carried out so long if the growers and their agents had exercised even common caution. Supposing the wool to be accurately weighed on the stations from which it was sent, weighed in transit, and carefully checked on its arrival at Sydney, such malpractices would be almost, if not quite, impossible. Wool is handled so carelessly, placed in old packs, pressed, dumped, and shipped in this colony as old rags might be. Perhaps it is too plentiful, as gold was in the early days of the miners, when bottles full were to be seen in all kinds of unlikely places. However, this little affair of the stores of the A.S.N. Company may lead to greater caution; and if it does, Messi-s Gunn, Harman and Co., guilty or innocent, will have done some service to an important trade. This leads us to further remarks anent certain sharp practices on the part of persons dealing in wool, which have on more than one occasion shaken the faith of buyers in the Sydney market. Wool scourers have bought small parcels catalogued as greasy fleece, and on opening the bales have discovered that they were falsely packed—built up and crammed in such a way that the good was sure to be handled by the ordinary process of sampling, and the bad overlooked. Some of our readers may think that this could not be done, that it would surely be exposed ; but we can assure them that it has, and that refunds have been made in such cases by the selling brokers. The wool would be received back again, or an allowance made, but the names of tho principals would not be divulged. We are glad to notice that this foolish system is soon to be crushed. The initiatory step was taken on Monday last at the Chamber of Commerce. A wool sale was in progress, and when a certain lot was reached the auctioneer, Mr Jones (of Messrs Harrison, Jones and Devlin), stated his intention to withdraw it, as he had found the parcel falsely packed. The announcement waß received with cheers. One buyer arose, and asked Mr Jones if he had any objection to name the owner of the wool. " No, he had not." and he named and pointed out a person who was seated in the room. As r-Mght be expected, thore was some slight consternation, and the explanation which followed did not make affairs clearer. " You cannot say there is anything else in the bales but greasy wool," suid the owner. "No," replied the buyer, " but the wool in is worth lOd, whereas the wool at its back is not worth 7d." A few more exposures of this kind would elevate the wool trade of Sydney to its proper position.