“Confusion” Of Woolgrowers

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32383, 24 August 1970, Page 12

“Confusion” Of Woolgrowers

Woolgrowers were becoming confused, through statements on proposals for streamlining and improving the handling of the New Zealand wool clip coming from different sources, said the, chairman ;of the wool committee of North Canterbury Federated Farmers (Mr B. H. Palmer) at the weekend.

Mr Palmer was commenting on a statement last wok, by the president of the New Zealand Woolbrokers’ Association (Mr R. R. Trqtteh, made soon after ah announcement by the chairman of the Wool Board .(Sir John Acland), about the introduction of objective measurement into the selling of New Zealand wool.

His immediate reaction to Mr Trotter’s recent statement was that it was a pity if find not been the subject-of a joint statement from the Wo(>l Board and brokers, Mr Palmer said. It. wits essential (hat growers and the pedple hindling their wool should have a complete understanding of each other’s, aims—tpese

Should be directed to the maximum use of wool in the textile industry and to better returns for the grower. ~Mr Palmer also appealed tor clarity in statements about proposed improvements in wool handling. He said he was sure that if such pronouncements were made in a form that growers could readily understand they would be more enthusiastic about them. Farmers were sure that there was room for improvement in presentation and handling and were adamant that New Zealand wool when delivered overseas should conform to the specifications under which it had been sold.

A system of claims against shortcomings in deliveries (.Which seemed to have been an integral part of the wool trade) had to cease and manufacturers should have no cause to contest deliveries. Manufacturers of man-made fibres were already delivering in accordance with specifications and the wool industry had to be able to compete jvith them. . > Still Happening

As recently as March this year information was received about wool being delivered in the United States which did not conform with the delivery note.

Manufacturers in the United States had ceased stockpiling wool and were using it immediately on delivery for manufacturing and if wool was not available for use manufacturers were sitting waiting with their artificial fibre. Mr Palmer said he was sure that when the tumult over wool handling and marketing died down the wool industry would come to accept improvements and wool would continue to be used. In fact it was clear that wool must be a wonderful fibre to have been able to survive in the past when it had had to compete with highly efficient artificial fibre industries. Mr Palmer said farmer reaction to a suggestion of Mr Trotter that brokers’ charges to farmers were likely to have to increase, even with proposals for streamlining wool handling and selling, would undoubtedly be adverse when they came on top of a proposed increase in the Wool Board’s levy from 0.7 per lb to 1c per lb. Woolgrowers were the most depressed group of all farmers and if ever a group needed any assistance they did. “Will Not Pay”

The Government, he said, had to realise that woolgrowers could not afford any in-

; crease in their levy and North I Canterbury farmers were s quite adamant on this issue—- ■ a motion to the effect that I they could not afford to . pay ’ such an increase and would ■ not pay the increase had been ■ approved by the meat and wool section of North Canter1 bury Federated Farmers. Noting that so far GovernI ment help to woolgrowers in ’ meeting their commitments to the International Wool Secretariat had only been in the field of research and product development, Mr Palmer said it had to be realised that wool was really the only international commodity this country exported—it had free access to markets throughout the world. This meant that even if the worst happened when Britain joined the Common Market, this country was assured of about s2oom from wool or about one-fifth of its overseas earnings. Surely in these circumstances it was unjust that the producer alone should have to shoulder the whole burden for the promotion of this commodity. Sir John Acland, who will speak to the electoral committee of the Wool Board, this ; week, had no immediate comment to make on Mr Palmer’s statement.