THE WOOL CLIP.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 94, 17 November 1916, Page 5

THE WOOL CLIP.

IMPERIAL PURCHASE PRO- | POSALS. ACREEMENT ARRIVED AT. Per Press Association. Wellington, November 16. An agreement was arrived at by the , Wool r.oducers' Conference to sell, , the whole of the 1916-17 clip to the , Imperial Government at stated prices, which, it is understood, are the mean * . of the prices ruling during the season 1915-16. I . ,THE WELLINGTON CONFERENCE The conference of woolgrowers con* vened by the Minister of Commerce (the Hon. W. P. S. Mae Donald) to consider proposals for the purchase of the New Zealand wool clip for the present season by the Imperial Government concluded its deliberations on Wednesday. By request of several representative woolgrowers in this district Mr Geo. A Marchant attended (the Conference on their behalf, and jwas elected a member of the commitI tee which was set up to deal with tleI tail matters that may arise, and to • represent the growers in consultation i with the Government if such should be necessary on these details. The first offer that the Confeence had to'consider was an increase or 1-5 per cent, on the 1913-14 prices. As it happens, an increase of 45 per cent, on the 1913-14 prices ' for curiam classes of wool, which are the best classes of wool, would 'ning the rates v-erv ne'ii' to ihoso ruiing iast season. I but for certain classes, such as inferior crossbred, which sold, according to I Government statistics, at from 7?d to, 9d in 1913-14, the rates last season were 12jd to 15-Jd. This, difference represents a rise of much more than 45 per cent., and a big fight was waged in the;'conference on behalf of the small bush farmer; ,who cannot prodtJc,G i wool entitlw'to be graded higher; than inferior, crossbred. One section" Wanted t$ f faeeept the Imperial Government's offer, and another section' held out for the 1915-16 prices—these latter being the men who urged .that the Imperial Government's oifer was inequitable. A division was taken on the question, and the decision in favour of last season's values was carried by one vote. When the" Conference resumed on Wednesday morning it was soon seen that a number of those in attendance would.be glad to modify the position they had taken up, and eventually a compromise? was easily arrived at, under which it Mas agreed that*the' prices for the different sorts of wool should be considered separately. This proposal the Minister has cabled, to „ the Imperial Government. The prices thus agreed upon were: Super balfIbred 19J3; medium to good halfbred, 17d; inferior, 14d; super crossbred, IS^d; medium to good, 16£dinferior 13|d; Lincoln and Leicester, 153 d; goo<L 163 d; medium, 132df prices the actual prices to. range above and below according to quality. Mr Marchant" informed a represent tative of the "Stratford Post" that it had been made clear to the Confer-* ence that there was no dusir-j on the part of the Imperial Government to" treat the wool-growers at all unfairly, but what they did desire was to pub a stop to the speculative movemeut of which there was evidence, and to take steps to prevent a corner. As to whether or not the Imperial Government would agree' to the proposals now made remained to be seen, and iu the event of their not doing so the Committee appointed would have to meet in consultation with the Minister again.

A CHRISTCHURCH SUGGESTION. Christchurch, November 16. The secretary of the Canterbury Tanneries and Fellmongers' Union has written as follows to the. Minister for Agriculture:—"l am directed by the Canterbury Tanners' and I'ellmongers' Union to say that in tlie proposal to commandeer the wool clip of New Zealand a serious situation" is likely to arise, for a considerable number, of workers in the wool-sorting and" scouring industry in Canterbury (at least 500 men) are engaged in this industry. A substantial proportion of them are permanently employed either at handling wool or skins (apart from those employed at freezing works). The present situation in England demands that every relief should be given in the way of providing articles as nearly finished as possible, and seeing that the ranks of the workers are being continually depleted by enlistments. I would respectfully suggest that all the preliminary operations, such as sorting, scouring, etc., should be done before shipment. This would have the effect of considerably assisting England in her labor shortage, besides preventing a dislocation to the local trade and inconvenience to the workers employed therein."