THE WOOL QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1916, Page 4

THE WOOL QUESTION.

GROWERS HOLDING OUT FOR LAST i YEAR'S PRICES. By Telegraph.—Presa Association. V Wellington, Last Sight. • The wool growers' and buyers' con-| ference with the Minister for Agriculture regarding tile Imperial Govern, ment's proposals for the purchase of th« season's clip is unfinished, and con*, tinnos to-morrow. It is understood th«growers are holding out for last year"! prices as a basis of values,

" SO AGREEMENT IN SIGHT. BARGAINING FOR ADVANTAGE, (By Telegraph.—Own Wellington, Last Night. \ The terras agreed upon by the Woof Conference for submission to the Im? perial authorities represent a substant tial addition to tho prices originally offered in connection with the eomi mandeering scheme.' The delegate) argued that a general advance of 46 pel cent, on the IHI3-14 .prices would nol operate equitably, since the scale yrould ■ equal last season's prices; gome lineSj would fall below other lines of inv, ferior crossbreds, which included muck of the small farmer's. Wool had ad> vr.nced in 1810 much more Mian 45 pel! cent, over the pre-war prices. The conference's proposals, whicH were based on last season's prices, will be submitted to the Imperial authorities. If not accepted, the matter will be further considered.

Burin" the course of tlie discussion some delegate* urged that insistence upon the highest possible price might be misconstrued by the community at a time when the conscription law was just coming into operation, involving heavy sacrifices on the part of many people. Your correspondent was informed tha# this point carried weight, but the in« t.erests represented at the conference were varied. Any sort of agreement was difficult to attain. Some were strongly of opinion tty&t the Gov. ernment should have fixed the rates at which wool should be requisitioned for national purposes, without attempting to transfer to the growers or broker! any part of the responsibility for thi prices. i "The result of the conference," eajt one delegate, "is we are now bargaining for advantage, and setting a bad ex> ample to military conscripts."