AUSTRALASIAN WOOL CLIP.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1441, 2 September 1915, Page 2

AUSTRALASIAN WOOL CLIP.

Tiik Australasian exports of wool dating the statistical year ended June 30 amounted to 1,575.688 bales from Australia and 562,014 bales from New Zealand, the former being a decrease of 390,888 bales, as compared with the preceding year, and the latter an increase ol 1127 bales. The true position, however, is not so bad as these figures would lead one to suppose, states Dalgety’s annual review, because to arrive at the true production it is necessary to add the 66,000 odd bales of wool absoibed by the woollen mills in Australia, an amount considerably in excess of last year, while it is estimated that there were close on 200,000 bales moie on hand in Australia than at June 30 last. The actual production of wool for the year in Australia can he set down at 1,840,68 s hales, and 11 New Zealand as 580,609 hales, a total for Australasia ol 2,42r,297 bales, which makes the actual shortage in production, as com pared with the previous year, 217,983 bales. The 2,421,297 bales produced averaged 329.11 b. in weight, so that the actual wool output of 790,848,8421 b, which was produced from 106,477,132 sheep and lambs, gives the net return of 7111 y ’Aoz per head. This is a wonderfully good result, considering the unfavourable seasonal conditions in Australia, and could only have been obtained dry the sheep in New Zealaed cutting bulky fleeces. The past clip, from a buyer’s standpoint, fell far short of its predecessor in growth and in manufacturing value, being shorter in the staple, thinner, frequently tender and carrying considerably more dust than usual, the only redeeming features being dryness in condition and fineness of fibre. The r,544,799 bales sold in Australia and New Zealand realised or £6,336.990 less than was obtained for the 1,968,57S bales sold in these markets during the preceding year. The average value for all the wool sold in Australasia has been 15s yd per bale, so that, taking the total production as 2,421,297 bales, it will be seen that the value of the past year’s wool clip was £3°r 942,158, which compares with the record which was established iu 1913-14. Tlie extremely high rates of freight, exchange and insurance which have ruled throughout the year have been all against the producer.