STILL RESTRICTED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 163, 12 July 1945, Page 3

STILL RESTRICTED

BRITISH WOOL TRADE

NEW ORDER EXPLAINED Special Correspondent Rec. 10 a.m. BRADFORD, July 11. Wool Control has issued an explanation of the new Control of Wool Order, which, as cabled recently, makes wool imports into Britain no longer liable to requisition by the authorities. As there is an impression in some quarters here that this relaxation of the regulations foreshadows free, unrestricted facilities for the importation of wool into Britain, Wool Control ponts out, the only purpose of the new order is to make possible direct importation from the Dominions in accordance with the scheme for the reinstatement of wool merchants and topmakers into the business when such importation can be permitted.

Wool Control states: "Direct importation will not be possible for some time and an official announcement will be made when direct importation is permissible." This official explanation confirms the earlier cable which interpreted the new order as the necessary statutory preliminary to pave the way for commercial importations of wool when these are practicable.

Responsible commercial quarters here do not anticipate facilities for unrestricted commercial importaton of wool for a considerable time. Available information indicates that strict supervision of imports into the United Kingdom is to be expected and firms here will be satisfied if in the wool rationing period, which begins in November, they are allowed to buy part of their wool ration from Dominion sources under arrangements yet to be announced. The big attraction of Dominion supplies lies in the broader selection of wools available, for it is to be assumed that the state of the wool supply in Britain is largely dictated by wartime standards of requirement. It will be observed that Wool Control's explanation refers to "direct importation from the Dominions," and makes no reference to South American wool. Trade opinion here is that the United Kingdom importation of South American wool may not be practicable for some time, as it is possible only under import license and it is believed such permits may not be easy to obtain.