WOOL SUPPLIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 44, 1 December 1939, Page 5

WOOL SUPPLIES

CANADA AND UNITED STATES. COMPLAINTS OF DELAY. _ I I DOMINION PRICES FIXED. (United Press Association —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, November 30. Baron Barnby, in the House of Lords, drew attention to the delay in supplying Canada and the United States with Merino wool and derivatives not wanted for military purposes. He said that Canada was dissatisfied and the United States surprised at the. tardiness, resulting in disadvantage to Dominion wool-growers. There was also strangulation for seven weeks in most export trade in controlled articles and woollen derivatives. From £50,000,000 to £60,000,000 of public money were involved. It was not purely a Pacific Ocean problem, for we delayed receiving much-needed dollars. Science had produced a competitor for wool,, namely rayon, and .injudicious handling of wool problems or over-high prices would easily result in grave disadvantage to woolgrowers. Canada had comprehensively intimated her requirements on September 14, and there was still the gravest dissatisfaction. Canadian mills may have to shut down if their requirements were not niet. The-United States had made urgent representations on September 16, but no arrangements had yet been made for wool*.) Senators in the tJnited States might be .a .domin-, ating influence in the future. The whole matter was fraught with dangerous political possibilities. The policy followed cannot have been on the adbice of wool men. ’

Baron Templemore, on 'behalf of Baron Chatfield (Minister for the Coordination of Defence) announced that the scale of exportr prices for the Australian’ ahcT New" Zealand wool clips had been settled. Good progress had beep made for the early release and ship-ment--of wool so far. as. it /was available for the immediate requirements of Canada and the United'. States. Crossbreds were short but there was-aniple/Merir.q. wool for abroad. *■•••’ v •

Australian wool was coming forward on the United Kingdom account, he said, but with a view to ; preserving the normal world trade by normal channels, the price agreed between England and the Dominions had to be translated into a scale for various grades, which was impossible before appraisement of the grades in Australia and New Zealand. This had now been settled. Crossbreds, which were largely used for clothing and equipment for the fighting forces, therefore was short for export, and the civilian trade of Britain had told the United States in October that it was likely..-to...have .’considerable supplies of the" fifief' ivbols.'' "'Canada had already received supplies from the United Kingdom of wools for military production, and supply for civilian needs was jnow possible.