A STARTLING WOOL PROPOSAL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3383, 12 January 1920, Page 4

A STARTLING WOOL PROPOSAL.

It is not surprising that wOOI--gro\V-ers should tlake some steps "50 001111391 the ‘British Government to pay up in aecordance with the contract entered into when wool was reguisitioned. New Zealanders gave, their wool to Brifaill at a. very low price, and that which was notfrequired for Government purposes was to be sold in the -open market, land wool-growers were t-0 receive half these profits therefrom, The WOOI Has been sold, but no account sales have been rendered, and growers naturally are Wanting to know Why, but whether they are justifi-ed in. reverting to trust methods and cornering their wool‘ is quife"another matter. Under the old moral code it was said that two wrongs did not make a right, and it can scarcely be imagined by sensible people" that :1. withholding of the entire wool clip of New Zealand from market is going to produce any real or lasting good. Someone has seriously proposed tliat all wool be withheld from valuation this year, and that it ‘be shipped next year, or sold locally. 3 Wool—growers think they might make larger profits by so doing} disregarding the fact that they have entered into an lagreement with the Timiperial Authorities for the purchase of their wool up to a certain date. It is contended -by some that the law is sufiiciently loopholed to enable a. back-handed way of breaking ‘the agreement, thus preventing any more wool being delivered to the Imperial contractors. Whlaétever

virtue there may be in this contention the moral aspect cannot be denied, and it will not --be creditable to this Do~ minion ‘to repudiate the contract made, in any such questionable way. Whatever recourse to l.aw"is made will almost assuredly fail unless the authorities are satisfied to let producers have a. free market at once, but in such a case there would be no need to approach the Courts, If the Imperial authorities demand that the contract be kept we cannot conceive that pro~ ducers here will take any opposing action. Withholding Wool would entail the withholding of some twenty millions of money from circulation.