WOOL CONTROL

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1933, Page 6

WOOL CONTROL

BROKERS’ ASSOCIATION

(Per Press Copyright.)

WELLINGTON, Julie 19

; The Woolbrokers’ Association 'issue nn official statement bearing on the discussion© in the prest* .regarding a wool control board standardisation of grades, and binning. It is desirable, thW ItutS” fnenb ©ays that thw VibWs of the association -should be made known go that .farmers, during the period of hard time© niay not be induced to take any .false' stop. The interests Of f.'frnfefs and brokers tl'b identical, but brokers do not desire to see. Government ■interference! or board control creep into business now efficiently conducted. It is recognised, the world over that the system of marketing wool a'nd ill Australia is the best ini thb Wbi'ld. This was also recognised at the Empire wool conference in Melbourne, in 1931, when growers were present from Australia, South AL'ca and Now Zealand, The .statement says the industry can control itself and the business acumen of brokers, buyers, growers and financiers .does not 'leave room .for any board, however composed, to interfere with advantage "ho the growers, The law of supply, demand alld World Wide competition, whit'll is obtainable through means of wool sales here and in London determines .Vn the only business, practical and economic way the price which growers get. In regard to binning, there is .a, point which should be made quite clear. Wool i s .not on all fours with butter, meat or hemp. It ts difficult to conceive how butter could be marketed except through factories, and as far as meat is concerned, unless the ©'heqp are sold upon the hoof they must be graded ‘before being paid . for. The grading of hemp has never been too satisfactory, owing to .person-1 education and the fact of the growth, of fibre varies in various districts, just ns woo) in the Dominion differ© in growth, staple and character in different provinces. This in itself would render standardisation of wool grades in New Zealand a difficult 'problem.. In a V those cases the number of grades in volved is « bagatelle. The ca.se .of wool is different-. The Bawira scheme in Australia, had 8,40 grades and some New Zealand centres, require, grades running into' several ’ hundreds. It is! pointed out in contrast to- butter, that all wool has some value and finds a market according to the qua'ity of these. Buyers for, all lots, whether well on. incEffcirently Classed, skirted or nn-’ skirted, to bi, n or not to bin. is a question to be dealt. with .from. day to day on its merits and brokers give free and impartial advice to growersBinning, therefore, should be left to the discretion of the farmer and grower. Regarding the suggestion that if some compulsion-,iwere usedtaQ. bin. small, clips, it would give brokers a, large quantity of wool to work upon, and enable them to make larger parcels* This doubtless would be the case, but it is introducing a bad principle amd. using .a sledge hammer to break' a nut. Compulsory binning would he obnoxious and anathema, to most business men and to farmers themselves. , ...

The report concludes by saying that brokers would strongly object to Government 'officials being employed in their stores, and anything that savour© of Government interference would meet with the strongest opposition.