THE WOOL CLIP.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15751, 18 November 1916, Page 10

THE WOOL CLIP.

I TO ITIE EPITOK OF "THE TRESS." Sir.—Our wool clip has been taken by tlic Imperial Government nt a price very much less than present market values, while the elips of Australia. South Africa, and other colonies remain untouched. The immediate result of lifting the New Zealand clip from tho market must be a further sharp rise in values, and as the Australian clip has just been sold that rise in value will not benefit the grower there, but will so into tho hands of dealers and speculators. Enormous orders for khaki have, or are. being placed in Bradford, and possibly our wool is required to enable the Government contractors to exernte their orders within reasonable prices. At any- rate, the New Zealand rower is making a very handsome contribution to tho Imperial Government in this latest wool transaction. All the facts are not yet available, but it* the handling of rhe scheme is not very carefully looked into, the way is open for enormous abuses. I would suggestthat as mue'n as poss-bb' of tho wool be scoured at this e.nd. so saving freight and finding employment for our wool sorters. etc.; also doing away with tho antiquated abuse of tho trade of lib per cwt. draft.—Yours, etc.. G. D. GREENWOOD. GO VET? NMENT OFFICIALDOM. to thk Eorron of ''TnK tress." Sir.—State interference, State protection. and Stato assistance are doubtless unchallengeable theoretically, but- in practice the fallibility of such action and its excessive cost, judged by results achieved, is apt to make oue question the wisdom of extending the State's activities in unproductive directions. In. my humble opinion, it is about time tho number of State officials in the *hapo of inspectors and cxpcrts was .restricted, instead of being augmented. The latest burden is the supervision necessitated under the Orchard and Garden Diseases Act. Of course, if the law is to be faithfully observed, additional inspectors or experts must be appointed,*as the officials already engaged in this division, like their confreres in the poultry division, the apiary division, the stock division, and the Labour and Tourist Departments, arc always fully and profitably occupicd. What is going to be tho ultimate result of this fresh inspection? Judged from results in other departments, one is tempted to reply, nil. Tho immediate result is that whereas lastseason tho small gardener could plant his patch of tomatoes at a cost of 9d per dozen plants, this year he has to pay Is 3d per dozen. As a striking instanco of the failure of good intentions on the part of Stato inspection, may J mention the raid made by stock inspectors on dairy herds about ten years ago. The animals? in quite a number of herds, were subjected to the tuberculin test, and a considerable number, including in some cases tie most profitable • members of the herd, wore condemned, sent to Belfast and slaughtered. There was a sudden cessation of tho T>erem.ptory decree on the part of the State official, and now no dairyman lives in daily dread of a visit from the stock inspector. Perhaps by this time next year the orchardist and tomato grower may be as free from molestation as the dairyman or the farmer whose land is infested with noxious weeds! The services of the army <jf State officials will be needed all" the same—there's the rub. At the present juncture, "when the great war is raging, and all able-bodied men are required either in a. productive capacity at home or on active service, it seems particularly inopportune to increase the number of State non-producing officials. —Yours, etc., TAKE UP A LINK.