THE PRICE OF WOOL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 444, 31 December 1908, Page 4

THE PRICE OF WOOL.

Why It Went Down

Mr Vavasour’s Cheerful

Views.

Mr Henry Vavasour, the wellknown sheep breeder of Marlborough and brother-in-law of Mr Redwood, of Feilding, returned to Wellington from England by the Tainui. In an interview with a Times man be said: —“There is no doubt that the wool market is going to recover. The fall was the result of a very strong attempt to ‘bear ’ the market on the part of the woollen trade in England. It was helped considerably by the fact that none of the American manufacturers, owing to the financial crisis in the- States, offered any competition at the sales, while simultaneously there was a paucity of Continental buyers, owing to the financial stringency in Europe also. The English woollen trade had everything in its favour to cany out ‘ bearing ’ tactics successfully, but in spite of such an adverse combination, the market kept up to a fair value. Now that the Presidential election in America is over, and the feeling of insecurity has gone, wool buyers have confidence, and will speedily make their influence felt. The same applies with equal force to the Continent. I anticipate, therefore, that the price of wool will reach this season to practically the same level as it did in 1907. The statements about there being large stocks on hand, secured during the lull in prices, are without foundation. All the wool that has been bought this last 12 months has gone straight into consumption. I spent a good deal of time in Bradford, and visited a number of the mills. The impression I gather is that there is very little wrong with the New Zealand product. In fact, taking all classes, I should say that the Dominion’s wool on the average tops that of every other country. Of course, the best of the Australian wools have a market all to themselves, but the demand for that class is, fortunately for breeders, very small. The Falkland Islands, too, produce a kind of merino wool which is peculiarly adapted to the hoisery trade, but taking it all through New Zealand holds the palm over any of the wool producing countries.’’ Did you hear any complaints about vegetable fibre amongst the fleeces owing to defective packs ?

“None! It was never mentioned the whole time I was in Bradford. I fancy there was a good deal of bunkum in that cry, although one can realise that the presence of vegetable fibres in a piece of cloth often means that it has to be discarded from the fact that the fibres will not take the dye, I think if the farmer only exercises the precaution to turn each of his packs inside out and shake them before use so as to get rid of loose dirt or other foreign matter that may have accumulated there, we shall not hear much about vegetable fibre.”