RECORD WOOL CLIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 303, 23 December 1939, Page 4

RECORD WOOL CLIP.

AUSTRALIAN EXPECTATIONS.

The greater part of the New South Wales wool clip is now in 6tore, according to Winchcombe, Carson's latest review. For Some weeks arrivals of wool in Sydney were over 83,000 bales weekly, but were down to about 26.000 bales, and will diminish further. The total receipts for the season so far were 1,086,631 bales, an increase of 193,112 bales on the total for the corresponding period of the previous season.

"The. recovery in Australian production is beyond the anticipations of the most optimistic," continues the report. "A very dry summer was experienced, and by March the pastoral situation over a large part of the State was menacing. In that month good rains fell and provided feed for the autumn and winter. "Apparently a dry summer suited the health of the stock and the adequate autumn and winter feed put the bulk and weight into the wool. The clip has not shown over-generous condition, aud particularly from the plains areas is sound and one of the best from the standpoint of manufacturing utility ever produced. "The largest amount of wool which has arrived in Sydney in a season was 1,235,053 bales in 1932-33. With seven months yet to elapse before the season closes it is probable that the record total will be nearly equalled if not exceeded. The quantity shorn this season is rendered more remarkable by the fact that the State only pastured 48,800,000 sheep at March 31 last, compared with 52,980,000 in 1932. I South African Clip. The purchase of the South African clip by the British Government on the same basis of value as the Australian clip was I acquired, indicates a change in the outlook of many growers in Africa regarding the sale of their wool. Many of them considered that they would get higher prices by selling at auction. - Some wool ha« been sold to America, Japan and Italy at advanced figures, but the rate of selling has been slow; it looked possible that a good proportion of the clip would not find buyers because of the of shipping facilities. That would be a great disadvantage not only for African growers, but also from the standpoint of the income of the nation. The current season's African clip is estimated to be 810,000 bales. Australia and New Zealand might also have secured better prices on the open market for a section of their clips, but it is considered that a large proportion of it would not have been sold. By the close of March wool to the value of approximately £46,000.000 will have been appraised in Australia, the total to Christmas b£>ing at out £24,650,000. Ten per cent of the proceeds are retained by the Central Wool Committee until the close of the season, but millions are being distributed each mtinth. The wool scheme and the sale of mutton, lamb and beef to the British Government will not make fortunes for producers, but they will prevent them and the community as a whole from drifting into the parlous monetary position which would arise if the sale of those most important products were held up, concludes the review.