The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. THUSDAY, SEPT. 2, 1915. THE WOOL CLIP.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 2 September 1915, Page 2

The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. THUSDAY, SEPT. 2, 1915. THE WOOL CLIP.

We have received a copy of Daigety's Annual \\ 00l Meview ior Australasia tor the past season, whicli contains Uie usual exhaustive (summary ol every-

tiling relating to tiie past season's clip iiu-.i Liic marketing oi same. Hie publication. w iiit'll ii> in iu seventeenin 3'w.ir oi ibtsuo, deals comprehensively not only with tile wool clip, but also with many branches oi the 'wool industry. Naturally the war has played a very large part 111 the wool-soil-ing operations during the past twelve months and the wool trade experiences in Ureat Britain, as wdi ao on the Continent, are summarized in a manner that should make the record a useful one in later yea us. 'JL'lie oversea exports oi wool during tlie sjiit-istic'ai year ending Juno 30th, amounted to bales irouu Australia, aud 0U2,01l balto irom aNou' Zealand, the former being a decrease oi' 300,888 bales, as compared with Uie preceding year, and the latter an increase oi 1127 baleci. The true position, however, is not so bad as these figures mould lead one to isuppose, because to arrive at the true production it is necotasury to add the (j(j,Uol) odd oales ol wool absorbed by the woollen mills in Australia, an amount considerably in excess of last year, whilst it is estimated that there were close on 200,000 bales more on hand hi Australia than at June 30th last. The actual production o/ wool ior the year in Australia can be set duwn at 1,840,(388 bales, and in .New Zealand as 080,(iOD bales, a total ior Australasia oi 2/121,21)7 which makes the actual shortage in production as compared with the previous year 217,083 bales. The 2,421,2i17 bales produced averaged 320.1ib* in weight, so that the actual wool output ol 70(3,848,8421bs wliioli was produced from 10(j,471,132 sheep and Jambs, gives the net return of 71bs 7aozs per head. This is a wonderfully good icsult, considering the unfavourable seasonal conditions in Austraiia and could only have been obtained by the sheep in .Now Zealand cutting bulky fleeces. The past clip, from a buyer s standpoint, fell lar short oi its piedecessor in growth and in manufacturing value, being shorter in staple, thinner, freyuoutly tender and carrying nioie dust than usual, the only redeeming features being the dryness in condition and fineness of fibre. Under the abnormal conditions ruling, nowover, lineiiesis, iand nijore especially

liuiiyer-linenefcs, was rather a detriment

than otherwise. With the exception ol the -N e\v ifingland and coastal distiiets of .New South Wales, and some of the favoured districts 111 the other States, the continent of Australia nas

been through a veiy dry time. The season in some districts, notably in the southern half of Xow South Wales, the central and northern halt of South Australia, and the whole of Victoria

with the exception of South GippsJand, developed into one of the worst dioughts in the history oi Australia. How ever, considering the adverse seaeon experienced in most districts, the clip ol the past season was, taken all round, much better than expected. The continued expansion ol the frozen

meat trade lias led to a further increase in the proportion ol crossbred

wool produced. This is a tendency to which attention has frequently been drawn, and it is one of the meet ;e-

itarkable phenomena in the ' world's

wool production. Experience lias proved tharfc the merino cannot compete with the crossbred for all-round returns on country which is suited to the latter. and as the pastoralists of Australia are engaged in sheep-rawing for profit and not for sentiment, a continued decrease in the production of merino vwooi must he expected. Jflach. year S finds the crossbred flocks ponetratiag further into the back country, and which five yeara ago^vere

considered utterly unsuited to them, now graze and fatten thousands annually. Even Queensland, hitherto regarded as an impregnajble stronghold of the merino, is steadily inoreasing lier crossbred Hocks, and though as jet they are not of any great consequence, the (significant fact remains that they ai'c on ftlie increase. Tlio outlook for wool values, Dalgety and Company (say, is, fortunately, particularly bright. The war has led to unprecedented demands on the world's wool supplies, which factor, coupled with the revived trade, has forced prices for all but the most interior wools, to an extremely 'payable level. The continuance of the war throughout the approaching nvinter in the .Northern Hemisphere must lead to further expansion in the demand lor army clothing, and an increase of the present nigh level oi wool values. There are practically 110 large stocks of wool in country, with the exception of Great Britain, but on the contrary, in most cases, the most sparse supplies. Added to this is the certainty of a very great falling-otf in the production of wool in the Commonwealth this season, which cannot fail to exercise "a considerable effect 011 the market. It will thus be seen that matters in connection -with wool values are favourable to producing inter (.'tits, which should experience particularly satisfactory returns lor the reduced clip that will be marketed in the forthcoming season.