GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 30 October 1907, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

The statistical position of wool was never Bounder, says ihe Fastoralists' Review. Every country seems to want wool, and the world's output for the year must show a substantial decrease. Still, it would Be playing with fire to hold wool at the present juncture, for how often has wool fallen in value when such a condition looked on paper impossible? Present prices arc very high, though for the bulk of the wools not excessive, and sound business men as the majority of producers are, will "accept a bird in the hand" rather than be led i away, as many were in 1899, to speculate by shipping for sale in distant markets at distant dates. Writing of Sydney sale, the Review says:—From the very inception of the sales the attendance of buyers has easily eclipsed previous records; the very latest arrivals are now here, and include several new men in addition to the regular representatives from U.S.A. Practically every mill of importance has placed orders for wool in the hands of buying brokers on this side, and good orders at that. Credits are liberal and limits good; wool is being bid for without hesitation, catalogues are being cleared at high prices, and the wool is being hastened forward to manufacturing centres with feverish haste. It is to be wondered at that owners are meeting the market, and that hard and fast reserves (except the selling brokers) are conspicuous by their absence?"

"By Jove," remarked a leadin'g New Zealand produce broker to the New Zealand Dairyman recently, '"the dairymen of this Dominion are dead lucky. Here is all their season's outputs going Home on consignment, and the market is going up like a rocket." And so another good season is before us. That the produce of th% farmers is going Home on consignment, and going to a good market, too, is only what ought to be, and what we are always working for and hoping for, and once again are our fondest hopes going to be realised. A few weeks ago a decided "bear" movement was being made manifest on the London market. The bottom was out of everything, and no one had any faith in the future, as far as butter and cheese were concerned. But now there is a different story, ill cheese there is terrific shortage from Canada, and her season is about over. Australia is threatened with a drought, that has even now begun to be felt, and New Zealand, as usual, is in for "a good time." Even the United States, with their heavy protective tariff, are now importing butter from Canada, and they may yet have to come to effiier Australia or New Zealand. Last season's stale butter has already reached 114s, while all our cheese is long off the market. And again, are all the prophets wrong. Tbe men who would not buy outputs at ten and a-half a few weeks ! ago are already '"whipping the eat," and again have we emphatic proof that no one can foretell the market. All that now remains for our farmers is to get some feed into Their cows and settle down to reap the harvest that is ready for them.