Wool Boards May Act Jointly On Floor Prices

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30899, 4 November 1965, Page 18

Wool Boards May Act Jointly On Floor Prices

If Australia adopts a floor-price scheme for wool as a result of a referendum being held among growers, discussions are likely to be held among the chairmen of the wool boards of Australia. South Africa, and New Zealand with the idea of the three countries co-operating in the setting of floor prices.

This was reported in Christchurch yesterday by the deputychaimian of the New Zealand Wool Board (Mr B. S. Trolove) after he returned from a meeting of the board of directors of the International Wool Secretariat in Pretoria.

While members of the New Zealand Wool Board were in South Africa for this meeting representatives of the three boards met the South African Wool Commission at Port Elizabeth. As a result, it will be recommended to the three boards that, if the floor-price proposals are adopted in Australia, the chairmen of the three boards should meet soon afterwards to consider cooperation in the setting of floor prices.

Mr Trolove said that the chairmen would no doubt set up a committee or other machinery to achieve this coordination. Such action would be a most important step forward. Mr Trolove said, as it would obviate the possibility of one country getting out of step with either or both of the other countries in the setting of its floor price. Each country would, however, still set its own floor price, and it would have to be realised that the level set would be related to the type of wool grown in each country. Mr Trolove said that the poll in the Australian referendum was to close on December 9. There had been no other talks about marketing of wool, he said. Woolmark Mr Trolove said that Woolmark, the mark sponsored by the secretariat for products of

high quality made of virgin wool, had been extremely successful in all countries in which it had been introduced. Indeed, it had been even more successful than had been expected. and the secretariat was receiving a tremendous amount of co-operation from the trade. The impact of the increased spending by the secretariat had really not been felt yet, as these extra funds had become available only

from about October of last year, but he was confident that the secretariat would maintain wool's position as the world's best fibre, he said.

With Mr Trolove in South Africa were Messrs R. A. Edgecombe and L. P. Chapman. board members, and Mr J. D. Fraser, general manager erf the board. They visited sheep farms and wool stores and saw wool on display for sale