The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1920. THE FALL IN HIDES AND WOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1920. THE FALL IN HIDES AND WOOL.

Although it was expected that the raising of the commandeer o.u hides and pelts Avould be marked by a considerable decline in the high prices which have ruled during the last few years, it must have been somewhat of a shock to vendors at the Stratford and New Plymouth sales on Tuesday to find that "bids exhibited such a sensational drop, the returns being only about one-third or one-fourth of the rates ruling during the commandeer. "What this loss means to the farming compnunity. assuming

that the slump in prices continues, may be judged from the official statistics relating to life Dominion's Irade for the year 191!). The figures concerning exports I'or the year of undressed hides, pelts and skins were as follow: ('alf, 106,807 skins valued at £75,132; cattle, 318,641 skins, £888,422; horse. 3248 skins, £3658; sheep, 8,501,756 skins, £1,694,867; others, 11,796 skins. £2271. Besides these there were exported 14,340,007 rabbit skins, valued at £775,118. It may be assumed that a considerable quantity of this exported produce was returned to the Dominion as manufactured goods, and that (fuite a number of persons took toll thereon before they reached the hands of the consumers in the Dominion. If the goods could be manufactured in New Zealand it would be a splendid tfiing for the country. In the past, of course, it lias paid producers better to let outsiders ,do the manufacturing, but conditions have in recent .years vastly changed. Wages at Home have increased tremendously, and with the increase there has been a decrease in output, making the cost of goods very high indeed, whilst freights have soared. The Dominion consequently has to pay through the nose for all her purchases. In 1919 there were imported into the Dominion the following articles: Belt leather, harness, etc., amounting to 39,092 lbs., paying duty of fourpence per lb; calf skins 37,237 lbs., paying one penny per lb; undressed hides (chiefly from Australia) 23,64£? lbs; dressed hides, 30,115 lbs., paying threepence per lb; sheep and lamb skins valued at £14,268, duty threepence per lb; sole, pump and skirt leather valued at £42,072, duty twopence;.saddlery and harness; £25.942; unenumerated manufactured leather, £16,561, duty £3581, besides' several other lines of manufactured leather, all of which could have been turned into the finished product without leaving the country where the raw material was produced. The value of boots and shoes imported in 1919 was: For children. £28,987; others, £361,294, paying a duty of £85,173; vamps, uppers and laces £11,748, duty £3038, These figures do not include grindery, goloshes, gum-boots, and articles of this description. The list of articles on which the producers of the Dominion are losing the profits of manufacture would not be complete without including what is really the most important—wool—the export figures for which in 1919 were as follow:

Lbs. Value, fireasv 100,845,004 £12,938,590

[ Scoured 37,975,502 3,517,735 1 S'liped 39,002.255 3,075,790 Washed 423,722 27,410 It would seem that the time has arrived for the producers to take concerted action in converting at least a part of their raw material into marketable finished goods. It is only a question of expert organisation, obtaining skilled labor from Home, and ft moderate amount of capital, Moreover, the cheapertthe necessaries of life, the lower the cost of living, so that directly and indirectly the producers have a strong incentive to become manufacturers and reap the full benefit of their by-products, besides strengthening their financial status and keeping in the country many thousands sterling that at present makes a yearly exodus into other hands in other lands.