CREATING EMPLOYMENT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 334, 22 September 1932, Page 3

CREATING EMPLOYMENT

ANGORA RABBITS CHRISTCHURCH RETURNED SOLDIERS INVESTIGATE POSSIBIEITIES. MINISTER'S DISCOURAGEMENT. Christchurch, Monday. The prospects of Angora rabbitfarming as an occupation for disabled ex-soldiers was further discussed at a meeting of the Canterbury Disabled Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment Committee to-day, when a discouraging letter received from the Minister of Lands (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) was accompanied by a satisfactory report Mr. Ransom next Friday. The Minister wrote that tlrere was certainly not sufficient inducement to his department to advance money for the purchase of properties on which to establish' disabled soldiers to enahle them to take up rabbit-farming. Information had been ireceived that in the general opinion of the trade the Government should not recommend increased production. In view of this it would appear that the increased production of Angora wool at the present time was not to be encouraged He enclosed a report by Mr. M. O'Brien, of the Department of Industries and Commerce. It stated that the price of Angora wool had shown little variation lately: the wool was i one of the few primary products which showed no appreciable drop in values during the last two years. Average quotations for the wool were: superior 29s a Ih, first grade 26s, second 20s. The department had made an arrangement with the Bank of New Zealand whereby growers forwarding wool to England through the bank could oJbtain advances. The appeal of the wool to manufacturers lay in the fact that it took dyes readily and that it was spun into yarn without washing or scouring. Regarding the probable return for j each rabbit, it had been estimated that j 10s a read a year for wool would be i a conservative figure. From the information available Mr. O'Brien coul'd only say that the industry as at present organised was cap- i able of providing a portion of the liv- ' ing of the small holder. Mr. W. E. Leadley said that, judging hy lptters received from a Christ- ' church rabbitfarmer from manufactur- j ers, the prospects for Angora wool i were good. One mill had offered to | take two and a half tons or more a i yeai*, whereas the total exports from j New Zealand up to the present had i been only about a ton and a quarter j a year. j There was no doubt that Mr. j O'Brien was in favour of the industry, said Mr. E. F. Willcox. He had safeguarded the report in various ways, but all tbe same it was quite an opti- . mistic one. I In view of the unfavourable tone of Mr. Ransom's letter, it was decided that a deputation should wait on the Minister when he was in Christchurch on Friday. i