WOOL CONSUMPTION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 16, 3 February 1937, Page 15

WOOL CONSUMPTION

Possible New Markets ' For N.Z. Clip GROWINC CHINESE DEMANE) Altbougb New Zealand 'e sbeep popu-J latioa.bas not ytet been restored to tbe record level of 30,840,000 bead in 1929, tbere are a million more sbeep tbis yeaf tban last. Witb pastute improvement being undertaken in tbe good rainfall i areas of Australia it is probable tbat in years to come tbe, clip will reacbj 4,000,000 bales annually. Witb tbis; steady increase in flocks aew avonues' bf consumption are necessary if pricea, are to be maintained on a satisfactoryi basis for growers. Tbe opinion tbat tbe greatest field for increased consumption lies in tbe East, and particularly Cbina, is expressed in a report fromWinchcombe, Carson, Ltd., woolbrpkers, Sydney. At present demand is fully adequate f pr tbe quantity of wool produced. But tbe population . of tbe older wool-using countries is not genergily growing. In some quarters its probable deerpase in tbe years ahead is giving concern, Tbat aspect adds to , tbe necessity of finding new markets. Tbe purcbasing power of tbe great bulk of tbe Cbinese people to-day is small, but in time it will expand, states tbe report. In tbe early part of tbis . century tbe Japanese were more or lesS similarly situated, but. tbeir use of wool in 30 years bas risen f rom an average of about 7000 bales annually to tbe present- total of 700,000 bales to 800,000 bales a year. - ■ Tbis season considprably ancreased purebases of wool have been made for Cbina. Tbat is p'artly due to tbe establishment of a milj in Cbina by Patona and Baldwins, a most impprtaut firin pf Yorksbire spinners. Six modern millp are now operating in tbe country, twp being Engiisb owned, one Japanese, and tbree Cbinese. Bimilar cbanges are sbowing in tbe cbaracter of Cbinese 'mports a? tbose noticeable witb Japau in tbe ear.y days ;of ber industry,. In tbe first tpn mpntbs of- 1936 sbe imported 7,795,0001b of tops from -Great Britain, wbereas four years ago ber iwporfcs of tbose goods were negligible, Simultaneously sbe bas deereased ber importation of yams as sbe is now able to do ber own apinmng. As time goes on sbe will probably ,reduee ber purebases of tops and reaeb tbe stage of bandling almost t'be wbole of ber own requirements from tbe raw material to tbe manufactured fabric.