THE WOOL CLIP.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1126, 29 July 1913, Page 2

THE WOOL CLIP.

The annual wool review for Australia issued by Dalgety and Company Limited, which is now in its fifteenth year of publication, has just been published, and will be found of interest to those in any way connected with the industry. It is satisfactory to learn from it that notwithstanding the severe drought experienced for ten months prior to the commencement of the wool season, which closed on June 30th last, the results obtained by producers have been better than at one time seemed possible, due in a large measure to the value of wool having advanced from ,£ll 15s 3 d per bale in 1911-12, to £l3 13s id per bale in 1912-13. The total value of the clip sold in Australasia during the past twelve months amounted to millions sterling, as against 22 millions sterling for the previous season, notwithstanding that only 1,804,801 tales were sold, as against 1,926,926 bales in the previous year. There is one clear outstanding fact in connection with wool interests, which is that consumption has already overtaken production. Supplies will not be large during the ensuing wool year, though there will be some considerable increase in production from Australia, despite the terrible mortality amongst grown sheep and poor lambing during the year 1912. A point well worth noticing is that sheep slaughterings for home consumption and export have reached such dimensions that it will be many years before the flocks of Australia can be built up again to anything like former numbers. The frozen meat industry is proving a very profitable one, and is sure to expand, and especially so when the doors of either, or both the United States and Germany are thrown open for the free reception of Australasian meat, which is assured of a demand which it will be impossible to supply if we do not rob Peter to pay Paul by slaughtering more sheep then we should do. Already it is a regrettable fact that both in New Zealand and Australia a heavy proportion of ewes and ewe lambs are being killed annually for export—a practice which, if continued, will exert a very unfavourable influence on Australasian pastoral interests. With the general trade of the world active, and every prospect of remaining so, there should be a strong consumptive demand for wool during the coming year. Labour is well employed at better wages, the world’s wool requirements continue to increase, while there will be a great shortage of wool in manufacturing centres before the end of the present calendar year, and only moderate supplies for 1914. Wool will very shortly be admitted into the United States of America duty free, and it will not be very long before that great wool-using nation will require a very large proportion of Australasia’s clip. Owing to great financial stringency in the U.S.A. it is quite possible that they >will not take a great amount of wool from Australia during the coming season; but they are so short of stocks that they must purchase some, and later on they will require a large quantity. If only the trouble in the Balkan States could be satisfactory settled, the financial position, which is at present cramped, would no doubt improve, as would general trade, and a demand for wool would set in which will prevent the comparatively slight increase in supplies, which assured, from having the slightest effect upon the market. Producers can look forward with confidence to a better year than, the past, for all the primary products are likely to realise payable prices.