WOOL PRICES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16299, 24 August 1918, Page 9

WOOL PRICES.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." gi r It will be observed that Mr Newman, M.P., with praiseworthy zeal for his cause, has enlisted the services of the Navy League to urge sheep- 1 farmers to record their votes in favour of the transfer of that unknown wool surplus to the sailors of the Navy and mercantile marine. Perhaps Mr Newman and hiß 00-workerj bir James Allen, may not bo aware that many woolgrowers have already subscribed to the Jutland (Empire) Fund, which ran weh into five figures, and it has become public property through the medium of the ".Navy League Journal," which has reached me regularly for many years, that no less Llian'76 per cent, of tho whole sum was contributed by little Ne.v Zealand. • , ■ No one cares to sign blank cheques, and I am glad to see that the Canterbury farmers show their good sense by steadfastly refusing to record a vote, or commit themselves in any way, until they have ascertained the amount of the surplus, and if we sheepfarmers had men with the 6ame business acumen an the disposal of our wool as the refrigerating oompanies, instead of p-oliticians and people unaccustomed to such business transactions, that same surplus they now wish to dispose of -would run into millions. It is whispered that our wool was sold at about sixpence per lb less than tho British Government offered and intended to pay for it at the beginning of the commandeer, and a "Gazette" Extraordinary, issued in Wellington early in June of this year, lends colour to tho statement, wnen we find that tho owners of slipe wool have been granted an additional LS per cent, by the Imperiol Government on all shipments under the commandeer. If lam not mistaken, this advance in price will exceed sixpence per lb, and it would be interesting to know if this surplus on slipos is also to be included in Mr Newman's contribution. If not, why not? A reference to the "Gazette" I have ' alluded to will show that the basic value of slipe wool is now arrived at on tho averago price at auction in London for the various qualities, between January Ist and December 31st, 1914 ; plus 55 per cent., lees rne penny farthing per lb for charges, while we farmers are still receiving, so far as ( l can judge, that percentage on a miserable nmopenco three-farthings per lb for our greasy wool, which it seems was the average srice5 rice at auction in New Zealand in anuary, 1914. This last-named price for greasy was quite fourpence per lb less than the not equivalent in London "immediately prior to the war in July, 1914," which the British Government intended to be their basic value, and upon which they offered an additional 4o pel l cent. Our Acting-Premier, who was in chnrgo nt the time, evidently misapprehending the intention, asked for and obtained an additional 10 per cent. Upon pre-war New Zealand price, and obtained the 55 per cent, upon ninepence three-farthings. Tho Imperial Government cannot be blamed for accepting the counter-offer, but having corrected the "blunder so far as the slipe wool is concerned, there is no earthly reason why the same measure of justice should not be extended to the owners of greasy wool. It looks as if Mr Newman i 3 being made use of to hide tho mistake. Some of our leading politicians seem to think that farmers have gold mines at their back door. It is time they knew that 75 per cent, of us are workintr unon borrowed money, and increasing our overdrafts by these liberal contributions.—Yours, etc., SHEEPFARMER.