WOOL MARKETING

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23715, 13 August 1942, Page 3

WOOL MARKETING

CONTROL AFTER WAR VIEWS OP AUSTRALIAN GROWERS The opinion that some form of control of wool marketing would probably be necessary after the war was expressed by the president of the Canterbury Sheepowners’ Union (Mr E. Hay) in his address at the annual meeting yesterday. Mr Hay referred to the discussion of post-war wool marketing by the Australian Woolgrowers’ Council,and detailed the principal resolutions adopted by the council.

These resolutions the utmost iChpb£ld&c£tMCe~very effort should be made'tor haver the ImpetTal wool purchase arrangement extended to cover three full wool years after the cessation of hostilities. The continuation of this arrangement would impart. stability to the whole of the wool industry throughout the world. (2) (a) That a reversion to the prewar auction method of wool selling' will be both impracticable and inadvisable for a period after the cessation of hostilities, (b) That the present method of pre-purchase on the basis of an agreed flat rate price through an appraisement system should be continued. (c) That in view of the world-wide distribution problem of a staple raw material such as wool, and the implications of the Atlantic Charter pledging the Allied nations to implement the principle of full availability of raw materials to all peoples, the full purchasing and distributing of wool surpluses should be undertaken by an international authority at the earliest practicable date. (d) That in the. formation of an international purchasing and distributing authority the International Wool Secretariat as directly representative of wool producers should be represented on that body. (e)/ That pending the formation of such an international wool purchasing authority the Government of the United Kingdom be asked, to continue the existing plan covering the acquisition of wool in the British Commonwealth.

“I thought it might be of interest to you to know the feeling of Australian woolgroweys in this connexion,” said Mr Hay. “Although at first sight it might appear that the control of the sale of our wool might be withdrawn from the producers for a longer period than might otherwise be the case, I think you will agree that some form of control such as suggested in the resolutions I have quoted, will probably be necessary during the reconstruction period following the-ces-sation of hostilities, with a view to stabilising values and insuring against panic selling of carry-over stocks of wool accumulated during the war period.” ______