China as a Wool Producer.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVII, Issue 1374, 27 August 1895, Page 3

China as a Wool Producer.

Australasian wool growers have had just reason to grieve over the everincreasing importance of the Argentine as a competitor on the European markets, but in the course of a few years from now they will have to contend with another very formidable competitor, and this, as many of our readers will be surprised to hear, is none other than China. Glancing over the columns of the London Economist ior June we were much struck by an account of China's export trade for last year, as given by Mr 11. Kopsch, the Statistical Secretary of the Chinese Maritime Customs. In spite of the war there was an all round expansion in the exports, a marked increase being noticeable in the shipments of cotton and wool. Of wool Mr Kopsch Writes that '• it has assumed a conspicuous position and promises to become an important staple, the production increasing within a period 1884-94 from 34,800 piculs (a picul is equal to 133 Jibs of our weight) to 226,000 piculs. Chinese wool, though of low grade, may, when improved in quality, become a formidable rival to the Australian products, for as a wool growing country the resources' of China are still undeveloped and the area of production north of the Yangsze river, and in Mongolia, is as vast as that of the colonies. Of course it may take some years before Chinese wool will become a factor of sufficient importance to cause alarm to Australasian shippers to Europe. But we have heard a good deal of late of the value of Japan as a market for our wool, and some very remarkable statements have been published as to the rapid growth of woollen manufacturing in the Mikado's Empire. In this connection the fact that China can and does produce wool in sufficient quantities for export, is very important, tor with a supply of the raw materials so much closer atmanJ, 'the Japanese manufactures are riot likely to require much Australasian wool, at rate not of the lower grades, and it is precisely the lower grade wools that the Japs are said to use most. It will be curious but not very surprising should Chinese wool keep the Australasian article out of the Japanese market from which so much has been hoped, but such a contingency is by no means either impossible or unlikely. And if once China went in for wool growing on a very large scale the cost of production would be so much less than that of the colonial article, owing to the excessive cheapness of the Celestial labor, that Mongolian competition would eventually prOve a very serious matter for the Australasian wool-growers. There is no need for any immediate alarm, but as years .go by it would be well if New Zealanders depended less on wool-growing and endeavored to create new industries. At present with our wool and meat we have too many of our eggs iu the one basket.— -Napier News.