DOMINION WOOL CLIP.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15768, 8 December 1916, Page 6

DOMINION WOOL CLIP.

THE CANTERBURY COMPLAINTS. MINISTER'S EXPI/AXATIOX. (srectAi, to "tuk rnr.ss.") \\ ELI.IXGTOX, December 7 llio Minister of Commerce (the Hon, \\. D. 8. MaeDonald) made a statement. to-day in reply to the complaint of Canterbury farmers regarding the valuation of wool. Ho gave also some other interesting information about tho wool purchase organisation, now almost complete. Mr Mar Donald >;iu! ho failed to comprehend the justification c f Mtna of tho Cantorlniry allegations. Owing to congestion at several porta ill New Zealand and being arailable for export oi wool, at the urgent request of those interested at different ports he agreed to valuers proceeding with the valuation bet'oro the whole organisation of the scheme had been definitely settled. He had no intention of breaking his word in regard to the arbitrator who would bo appointed as soon as a suitable man was located. Tho Minister said lie had no knowledge of tho two shipments referred to by the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union. He would iiko tho sheepowners to recognise that everything possible was being done to bring tho scheme into operation within the next few days. Farmers had onlv to lodge an appeal against the valuations and matters would bo adjudicated upon later, the wool remaining in store in tho meantime. The Minister emphasised tho fact that of 5000 bales valued at Christchurch. only 10 pe r cent, had been disputed, which suggested that the valuations were fairly satisfactory. Had tho wool been submitted to public competition he was confident that at least 10 per cent, would have been withdrawn. Mr MaeDonald went on to say:—' When tho arrangements for the valuation are complete, the owners of tho wool will bo amply safeguarded against unfairness. The valuation will bo mado in the first instance by tivo valuers —ono appointed bv tho Government and ono appointed by the brokers. Tho brokers arc tho agents of tho growers in tho business, so that tho brokers' valuer is in every ease virtually tho growers' valuerlf thero is a dispute or dissatisfaction about tho first valuation tho supervising valuer is called in and ho adjudicates. There will bo in all eight of theso supervising valuers—one for each of the eight districts into which, tho country has to bo divided for tho carrying out of tho scheme. If tho grower is still not satisfied he may appeal to the arbitrator, for an arbitrator is to bo appointed at every valuing port. If the grower is still not satisfied, ho will have a still further right of appeal to a central committee in Wellington, consisting of three representatives of tho South Island and three representatives of tho North Island, with tho Minister (Mr MaeDonald) as chairman. Tho twool is valued first of all by valuers, who are not financially interested, and after the first valuation thero aro thireo appeals in every caso.to an authority not financially interested. Tho Minister hopes that tho experience gained in the valuing operations now comDleted or in hand will ho valuable in tie final settlement of the numberless details involved in this big business. Th« valuers aro to ba recalled to Wellington shortly to confer and after this meeting it is hoped that tho work will run moro smoothly than it has done up till the present. An advisory committee of threo members has been set up to assist the Minister in dealing with certain classes of questions which arise perpetually. The wool requisition has upset tho business of a number of people who formerly handled wool as fellmongers, as wool scourers, and as shipping agents for small clients, and theso people have some claims to consideration, especially in view of the promise given by tho Minister that it was tho intention of .the Government to allow tho wool business, as far as possible, to go along tho ordinary trade channels. ARRANGEMENTS FOR SCOURING. Mr W. F. Parkinson, president of the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union, yesterday received tho following telegram from the Hon. W. 3>. S. MaeDonald, Minister of Agriculture, in reply to a telegram conveying a resolution passed at the conference held on Wednesday: —"Received your wire in connexion with resolution passed, asking that provision be mado for scouring a portion of the wool at local works, "t may say for your information that I stated at the conference that so far as possible the whole of tho wool would go through the usual channels and the usual quantity for scouring would bo retained, and a 'fair proportion sent to tho different scouring works. Immediately the big question is settled thnt i.s. the valuation of the wool clip, the n«xt matter wil' bo tho arrangements f°r dealing wit 1, the allocation of scouring wools.''