WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1927, Page 1

WELLINGTON NEWS

DISTRIBUTION OF NEW ZEALAND WOOL.

(Special to “ Guardian.”) "WELLINGTON. June 1. Wool is one of the best assets of Now Zealand and fortunately it has not been messed about by any control hoard. When “ Rawra ” was formed this Dominion was asked to join in, but the commission inquiring into the matter reported against such a step, hut advised that New Zealand should work in with Batvra and carefully feed the market. To ensure this a Wool Committee was established under tlie Board of Trade Act, and the members of this committee whose services are purely voluntary, each season lix the quantity to be offered at each sale held throughout the Dominion. This scheme has worked well notwithstanding the complaints of some selling centres, and wool values are now on a stable basis. In the Blue Book issued by the Government Statistician dealing with the trade and shipping for 1926 some interesting details -respecting wool are given. Last year there was exported from the Dominion G3o,lo!’> hales, weighing 213.154,3991 b. Of this total 485,280 hales, weighing 100.540.2111 b consisted of greasy wool, 59,893 bales, weighing 16,78;>,4481b was scoured wool, 81,3211 lades weighing 29,548.3871 b was sliped wool, and 9(i] bales weighing 299,3531 b was washed wool. The exports of wool last year went to 15 different centres, five within the Empire and ten to foreign countries. It is probable that there was even a wider distribution for it is not unlikely that Russia. Boland and Czeeho-Slova-kia. which countries secured supplies in London, took some lots of New Zealand grown wool. Of the total the British Empire took 521,504 lades weighing 170.050.5031 b. The United Kingdom took 503.150 hales weighing 109.74!!,0551b or very nearly 80 per cent of the total exports. Canada took 5.771 lades weighing 3.002,52910. Australia “,'-'l2 bales weighing 2,710,011 11 > Routh Africa 1.185 halos weighing 4.31,00811) and India 580 hales weighing 100.0711 b. The ten foreign countries took 108,902 halos, showing n weight of 37.097,83011). The United States was our principal foreign buyer taking 40,828 hales weighing 15,151.755 lb. then came Franco with 84,809 hates weighing 12,340,82911). Germany follow-1 od with 12,090 hales weighing 1,379.9111 Ih. then in order came Japan with 7.590 bales. Italy with 3,002 bales, Belgium with 1,841 hales, the Netherlands I 104 bales, Denmark 35 bales, Norway 30 bales and Sweden I bales. The United Kingdom took all classes but principally greasy wool of which 370,530 went to Britain. South Africa’s portion consisted entirely of greasy wool, while India’s 580 hales was wholly of scoured wool. Italy, the Netherlands and Japan confined attention to greasy wool. Norway’s 30 hales was scoured wool. Germany took greasy and scoured..wools, hut France's larger total included 398 bales of sliped wool. The United States took 41.205 bales greasy wool, 5,545 bales I slipeil and 18 bales of scoured. The quantities shipped from the four principal ports of the Dominion were Auckland 53,535 hales weighing 18,335,0511 b. "Wellington 155,543 bales weighing 54.580.24511). Lyttelton 101,943 hales, weight 35,212,53511) and Dunedin 04.012 hales weight 20,843,98811). From other ports of the Dominion the shipments were 251,833 hales and the weight 80.149.98011). It may seem strange to many people that a woolproducing country like New Zealand

should be obliged to import wool, hut such is the case. Last year wo imported from Australia 711 bales weighing 200,32011) of which 519 bales comprised greasy wool and 192 bales scoured. The reason for this is that we do not produce a sufficient quantity of the merino wool to meet tlie requirements of our woollen mills, which have to compete for the few bales of merino wool offered at the sales, and they are not always successful, so they obtain supplies from Australia. Ihe mills in the Commonwealth have also to import wool, and last year, as already stated Australia imported 7812 hales of wool weighing 2,710,0111 b. This would he crossbred and lmlfbred wool, of which Australia produces comparatively little. In addition to on; imports from Australia we received two hales from the United Kingdom. This This was no doubt for special purposes, perhaps to illustrate faulty packing or tar-branding ol the wool. There were complaints from Bradtonl last year of some wool having reached that centre tar-branded. The total value of the 630.100 bales of wool exported hist year was U 1.530.190 equal approximately to U 8 45s 31(1 per bale. The 485,280 hales of greasy wool were valued at £8,715.598. the 59.893 hales s< mired wool at C 1.805,420, the 84,320 bales of sliped wool at £1.788,011 and the 901 bales of washed wool at 217,555.