WOOL POSITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1942, Page 3

WOOL POSITION

REGARDED AS EXCELLENT

MR H. M. CHRISTIE'S REPORT. PROSPECTIVE POST-WAR PROBLEMS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. "New Zealand's wool export position may be described as excellent,'’ said the chairman of the New Zealand Wool Council. Mr H. IVI. Christie, in .his annual report, now released I'or publication. Following was the approximate amount of wool in stores at the end of July, 19-12: Scoured, 7000 bales; slipe, 20,000 bales; greasy, 55,000 bales. A reserve of 14,000 bales was held for a special purpose which may not be slated.

The season 1941-42 proved satisfactory for both quantity and quality. The clip was generally bright, and in good condition. The slipe wool production figures for the season were not complete, but it was expected that the quantity would not be less than that produced last year. Following are Dominion sale results for the season, including final payment to growers, with last year's figures in parentheses: — Bales sold, 826,759 (800.006); net weight, 284.006,4541 b. (273,984,6521 b. gross value, £14,498,552 (£13.971,978); value a bale, £.17 10s 9d (£l7 9s 4d); value a lb.. 12.25 d (12.24 d weight a bale. 3431 b. (3421 b.

Increases: Bales, 26,753; weight, 10,021,8021 b.; gross value, £526,574; value a bale, Is sd; value a lb., .Old; weight a bale, 11b. On the subject of post-war marketing, Mr Christie said there was no similarity between the conditions of .1917 and those of 1942. The rain in Europe was vastly greater today. The Pacific area was not affected in the 19141918 struggle, and the financial and trade position ol the British Empire, and specially Britain herself, was far worse today that at the end of war in 1918.

"The present agreements between the Dominion Governments and the British Government for the sale to Britain of wool and other Dominion products were for the period of the war and one year after. Wool was being shipped and manufactured rapidly and there was every indication that there would not be heavy accumulations of carry-over stocks as during the last war.

"There is a new factor of very great importance —the Atlantic Charter,” said Mr Christie. "The Atlantic Charter has laid down (he broad principles of world order, or world freedom, to which the United States and the United Kingdom have committed themselves. The Dominions were consulted. Their approval of the principles is no empty formality, and it is vitally important that the Dominions take a real part in the designing of the ‘new order’ contemplated and prepared for by the Atlantic Charter. "The planning of a progressive agricultural policy by Britain and lhe expansion of so-called secondary industries in the Dominions has received great impetus by the war and may well affect past policies of sheltered markets and bring about readjustments of population. "Those facts are likely to result m considerable readjustment of market destination of our products, but there is no sound indication apparent at present on which planning can be based.”