SHEEPOWNERS' UNION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10337, 26 February 1925, Page 6

SHEEPOWNERS' UNION

THE QUESTION OF WOOLPACKS

SUGGESTED NEW TYPE.

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The executive of the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union met yesterday, Mr E|. R. Guinness (president), in the chair. A letter was received from the secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society asking the opinion of the executive whether it would be desirable to make all classes at the next Royal Shew, Royal classes. It was decided to advocate making all classes Royal classes at future Royal Shows. The matter of drafting a Bill to provide for the supply of rabbit netting to settlers under the Advances to Settlers Act, was referred to the Federation Executive, with a request that it be modelied on similar hnes to the Act recently placed on the statute book in Victoria and New South Wales. The new type of wool bale suggestedl by Bradford merchants was discussed and the opinion was expressed that it would be undesirable to increase the weight of packs as suggested. The opinion was expressed by a member who had recently returned from Great Britain, that not the least of the alleged trouble with regard to vegetable fibres in the finished article was due to the careless opening of bales by employees in the various woollen mills at Home, this point being stressed by one of the members of the Bradford Woollen Millowners' Association when the matter was discussed at the conference held there recently. There was no doubt great difficulty would be experienced, should it be proposed to increase the weight of the woolpack, from approximately 3cwt as at present, to scwt as suggested, the. tendency being to-day to lighten rather than increase weights to be handled by workers generally, and the opinion was expressed that far more was made of the alleged presence of vegetable fibre in wool than was actually the case traceable merely to contact with the inside of the bale by the wool contained in it, as only a very small part of each fleece came into direct contact with the inside of the bale. The Department of Industries ami Commerce wrote stating in answer # to representations made that investigations were being carried out with 0 view to finding a solution of the trouble caused to sheepowners through the alleged supply cif woolpacks or ■ lighter grade than that provided io: under the regulation tare. It was agreed to support the suggestion made by the Department <w Industries and Commerce, that a woo] exhibit should be arranged for, if possible, at the Dunedin Exhibition. Mr B. E. H. Tripp submitted a suggestion for the formation of an Australian and New Zealand Wool Con-

trol Council with a view to the stabilisation, of wool values on a true world's parity basis. After a full discussion Mr E'.. R. Guinness moved that the Federation Executive be asked to deal with the matter, and to get into touch with the Australian Wool Growers' Council with a view to the formation of an organisation on the lines suggested by Mr Tripp. It was resolved that sheepowners, more especially on hill' country, be urged to strictly observe the provisions of the Stack Act, 1908, requiring the giving of notice of mustering and drafting dates to adjacent owners. The secretary was instructed to write to the Canterbury Saleyards Company, requesting that grown sheep be penned separately from lambs, and that each class be sold as. such; that is, grown wethers, ewes, and lambs, lambs to be sold first, if possible. Mr Fulton suggested, in addition, that as far as possible cattle to be offer--d be graded as to quality, and certain 1 "nite portions of the yard set aside for 't. steers and prime heifers? fat cattic to be sold first, to allow butchers to attend the fat sheep mtie from its opening. Tbo matter was left in tfee hands of the secretary to make the. jepresottta..tioois.