WOOL PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1921, Page 5

WOOL PROBLEM.

MR. HUGHES SPEAKS FRANKLY’. By Telegraph.—Press Assn —Copyright. London, August 19. The Yorkshire Observer says that Mr. Hughes’ visit to Bradf>.-1 has done good in many ways. It has removed a few misconceptions on both sides. Mr. Hughes’ forcible frankness appealed strongly to his Yorkshire audience, for they appreciate a plain speaker and hard hitter. Mr. Hughes’ defence took the form of an attack on the Bradford trade, but the greater part of his case rested on the assumption that Bradford wool users wanted Australian wool at less than the cost or production. Surely that was one of Mr. Hughes’ misconceptions. The wool trade wants cheap wool in the broad sense of the term, but that does not necessarily mean at less than cost. The real point is that Bradford business men do not want to be handicapped by reserve prices which may be above the general level throughout the world. There has been a fear that the growers’ representatives might be tempted to tamper with the fundamental economic laws in an endeavor to dictate wool prices. The Observer asks: “Is it not sound policy to adopt every possible means to get Australian wool supplies into consumption as rapidly as possible? Is not there a danger of retarding sales and prolonging the unnecessary difficulties of the wool-growing Dominions?”