THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1913. WOOL EXPORTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 10 April 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1913. WOOL EXPORTS.

It has been, estimated (says the Christchurch Press), that the shortage in tile Australian wool clip this "season will amount to 250,000 or 300,000 bales. The exports from the Commonwealth for the eight months from July Ist to February 28th show a falling off as compared with the corresponding period of the previous season of 196,479 bales, with an increase in the case of New Zealand of 33,052 bales—a net decrease for Australasia to February 28th of 163,427 bales. It wa H anticipated by Messrs Dalgety and Co. that by March 31st the decrease in the shipments would be more marked, as New Zealand was the only place which was likely to have important exports during that month. The following table compiled by that firm shows the exports for the eight months ended February 28th: — 1912-13 1911-12. Bales. Bales. New South Wales 702,98-1 768,217 Victoria 412,068 527.253 South Australia ... 159,618 167^778 Queensland 197.802 203,434 West Australia ... 62,892 68,682 Tasmania 20,891 17,370 Common wealth ..1,556,255 1,752,734 New Zealand 335,476 355,424 Australasia 1,944,731 2,108,158 Net decrease—l 63,427 bales.' Tasma-nia is the only State in the Commonwealth that shows an increase, of 33,052 bales. The shortage in the wool clip this season is not confined to. Australia alone, a s South Africa and the Argentine have both been affected by dry reasons, and the exports of wool will naturally be less. A London firm of wool brokers points out that trade is everywhere good, and the demand for cloth is steadily

becoming more insistent, while the available supplies of t!io raw ioa- j terial must, even under normal con- J ditions, remain prsicrtically stationary from the. want of sufficient apace for expansion in sheep-growing countries. Under these circumstances there appears to lx> little chance of production exceeding, or even keeping pace with, the increasing demands of an ever increasing and more prosperous population. In America the expected reduction in the tariff on wool will make for a larger consumption, and we fully anticipate the demand from this quarter will be more constant and regular. China under its altered conditions should also be a much larger buyer of woollen fabrics. Looking at it from all points of view, the position of wool is an exceptionally .strong one. This should encourage New Zealand sheep-owner,; to strengthen their flocks by retaining more of the best ewe lambs. The ex]>ort of mature ewes is not likely to be so large a.s it wa s last year, as owing to the recent slaughtermen's strike many thousands of lambs and wethers are still on farmers' hands, and there will not' be the feed to spare for fattening ewes. At the same time, good breeding ewes are worth more than if they were fat. The Dominion is short of sheep, and a good increase in the flocks "ill make an important and necessary addition to the volume of exports of fro Ken meat and wool in the future.