WOOL AND THE WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 150, 26 June 1940, Page 4

WOOL AND THE WAR.

WORLD TRADE PROSPECTS. REPERCUSSIONS ON ITALY. Australia made jio mistake in selling her wool to the United Kingdom for the duration of the war and one clip there- i after. It hat» assured her a good cheque j for her product, and the meat contract j hue provided a bourn for beef, mutton' and lamb values, etates a circular from I Winchconibe, Carson, Ltd., Sydney. . I It is probable that if Australia could , \ extend her mill equipment rapidly s>he | would nnd a ready export outlet foe faibi'ics suitable for the fighting forces during tho currency of the war. Millions of men are under arms in the Allied armies, and only the Yorkshire and American establishments are available to eupply woollen textiles in any quantity. The necessity is to eecure adequate machinery and trained labour. If such a development in possible its attaiiiimcnt would eneet ereat econonjy in shipping apace by exporting fabrics in place of wool. The sji'owere of South Africa will find .competitors for wool very curtailed if the auction system is retained next season. The cuetoinene of any note left \ to poirchaee and traneport euppliee to their own country'are Great Britain,, the United States and Japan. France now needs fabrics more than raw material, as her chief mill centres are in enemy; hands. . The possible consumers of, the wool erown in Australia, New Zealand i and South Africa, also South America, have narrowed considerably eince the j war started. Italy's entry into hostili-1 tiee has again lessened the number. During the past few years Italy has! increased her production of artificial j fibres and decreased her imports of textile raw materials, but she still con-1 tinued to buy good quantities of wool. | In 1938-39 Australia exported 72,421 bale* to Italy, New Zealand 6000 bales, South Africa 74,100 bales, Argentine and Uruguay pie equivalent of about 00,000 balee. "y Since tlie war Italy has been allocated limited supplies bf Australian wool by the British Wool Control, and she has bought over 30,000 bales in South Africa. These exports have now ceased. South America has exported quantities equal to over (iO,OOO balee of Australian weight to Italy. The Allied naval blockade ie likely to prevent any further euppliee being transported to Italian destinations. Great Britain wae a large buyer of the cheaper class woollens from Italy. The latter .also eold laree quanties of woollen fcwde to South Africa, India and other BrKieh Eastern countries. In fact «he Britieh Empire wae her ffreateet export customer for mill product*. She has lost al! that trade,! and even when peace comes a long time ; muet elapse before her customers' good- | will is re-established if it is ever re- | sained. Her leader talked his country! into war, but her commercial men wiH ; have a task to talk themselves back into ibusinese. ■ i