THE WOOL SEASON.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1075, 14 March 1911, Page 8

THE WOOL SEASON.

DECLINE IN OFI-EH INGS AND ■ !■ EXPORTS. •Following upon the close of the wool sale', season come some very interesting figures, compiled by Messrs. Dalgety and Co., of the quantity of wool oH'ered, the quantity sold, and the quantity exported, and' making comparisons with last year's periods. The figures up .to the cud of February show that duritiK the eight months ending (hen less wool was offered, less sold, and less exported than was tho case in the corresponding eight months of the previous season. In January of this year 112,6-12 bales wero offered, and !)o,7lß"snld. The figures for the centres were: Invercargill, 13,882 bales offered, 11,309 sold; Dunedin, 21,081 and 18,012; Timaru, 6785 and 5!02; Christchurcli, 21.502 and 17.551; Wellington. 23,(27 and 17,021; Napier, 10,200 aud 14,427; Gisborne, 828 and 515; and Auckland 7470 rind 50118. In February 30,475 bales were offered and-33,104 sold. The details were: Invereargill. 3105 and 2871; Diiiiedin. 0138 and 8885; Timaru, GG7 and 433; Christchurch, 4251 and 4736; Wellington, 12782 , and 1020G; Napier, 385G nnd 3527; Gisborne, 515 and 515; and Auckland, 2161 and 1028. Following are details of the .offerings and the sales of wool this season and last season:— Current Previous Season. Season. Offered. Sold. Offered Sold. Invercargill 20,491 17,418 19,753'18,372 Dunedin ... 39,723 34,383 43,062 39,018 Timaru .... 22,980 20,152 26,634 21,741 Christcharch 54,544 48,538 53,480- 52,120 Wellington ... 48,172 37.P46 57,068 51,808 Napier 38,307 34,185 .52,165 49,590 Gisborne 2,876 2,558 5,442 5,367 Auckland ..,. 17,117 15,064 15,887 ' 15,051 Totals ... 214,300 210,574 275,491 253,973 The exnorts of wool from Wellington in January were 107,63'J bales. The ports contributed to the total as follows:—lnvercargill, 1054; Diincdin, 1906; Oarnaru, 1789;'Timaru, 10,692; Christchurch, 12,576; Blenheim, 4335; Nelson, 1955; .Wellington, 41,884; Wanganui, 5432; Waitara, 1177; Napier, 12,260; Gisborue, 6577; and Auckland, 6002.' The exports for the seven months ending "January were 296,676 bales,' which quantity is" 24,158 bales less than for the corresponding seven months in the previous season. In February 95,090 bales were exported. Tho.quantities-sent from the various ports "were:—lnvercargill, 6710; Dunedin, 17,503; Oamaru, 189S; Timaru, 7512; Christchurch, 19,203; Blenheim, 825; Nelson, 854; Wellington, 11,249; Wanganui, 4380; Wtitara, 1784; Napier, 11,814; Gisborne, 7698; and Auckland, 3660. Following are details of tho exports this season and last season:— Current Previous ■ season. .season. 8 months. 8 months. Invercargill 13,072 20,335 Dunedin ; 26,333 34,009 Oamaru C.295 ' 5,183 Timaru 24,820 26,198 Christchurch 58,205 63,680 Blenheiu 9,559 7,144 Nelson 2,823 3,077 Wellington 94,779 96,755 Wanganui 16,303 15,012 Waitara 3,896 2,112 Napier 54,605 65,206 Gisborne 36,095 32,382 Auckland 20,923 18,861 Total . - .'.■..:: 367,608 - 390,854 .. THE MEAT TRUST. THE COMBINE'S DIFFICULTIES IN . ' AUSTRALIA. "I am pleased to know that the Commonwealth Government is. closely watching the movements,of the representatives of the American Meat Trust," said Mr. Trclle, Hon. Minister for Agriculture, to a representative of the Sydney "Telegraph" .last week. "I am also glad to see that the Government will take any action that is required to check any nttempt of that great combine to got hold of tho stock resources of Australia as in other parts of the. world. Personally, I do not think the Meat Trust will ever havo the same opportunity of obtaining a footing here as they have been enabled to get in the United States, and in several of the South American republics, and this for two important reasons: (1) Because the Governments, both in tho State of Now South Wales, speaking for ourselves, and the Government of the Commonwealth, speaking for Australia, are hostile to rings and trusts, which aim at practically robbing both producer and consumer, by unfair charges for handling the produce; and (2) because Australian •railways are owned by tho Governments, which means that a Meat Trust can never hope to. obtain preferential treatment for currying goods on the lines as aprainst the isolated settler who sends his beasts to market. "Without desiring to suggest any course of action to the Federal Government, or to anticipate any action, 1 feel confident that in spite of the reputed millions of the trust, even if they obtained a footing here it would be a simple matter for the States or the Commonwealth to step in and handle the people's produce, from their co-oparative meat works in the country, or at the port of export until it reaches the consumer in the countries where there is a demand for frozen produce. Tho question will then arise as to whether the trust can afford to continue wh ( at would be a hopeless struggle against the combined powers of tho people and the Governments. ' I hardly think that with Mr. Fisher in power in the Commonwealth Parliament, and with t!ls State Parliaments rapidly coming into the hands of the Labour party, the Moat Trust will regard Australia as a suitable place for their operations. "Nevertheless, it behoves the whole, of us to be alert, and to back up Government in the efforts to prevent such an objectionable concern from being allowed to play ducks and drakes with tho interests of our producers." MEAT EXPORTS TO ENGLAND. NEW ZEALAND'S REMARKABLE INCREASE. The increases on England's imports of beef and mutton are referred "to in articles in the "Farmer and Stock-breeder" hand by this week's mail. It should 'be noticed that special references are mado to Now Zealand's remarkable increases. ..The supply of imported mutton reached during the past year a quantity much in excess of that ever before imported, the total amounting to equalling at least 10,371,739 live sheep, soys the paper. The aggregate supply of mutton during the year, after making allowance for tho smaller supply received in the- shapo of live sheep, was 6G5,130cwt. mdtfe than in the previous year. As showing the enormous rate at which this supply has increased, we may note that in 1805 it was 2,8U,906cwt., in 1900, 3,457,212cwt., 1905 3,841,080cwt.. and in 1910 5,55C,318cwt., this amount being 13.69 per. ceiit more than in the year 1000. Since the beginning of the century there has been an enormous increase in tho quantity shipped from Australia, the quantity having reached 1,525,300cwt. in 1010, 01.63 per cent in excess of the supply in 1009. The New Zealand supplies also reached a record total, amounting to 2,101,172cw1'., or 6.37 per cent more than in, 1900. Uruguay sent 90,485cwt., or 38.39 per cent more than in the previous year. The Argentine supplies, 1,i1!),375cwt., were. 1.23 per cent less than in 1000. llolland, from which we received 139,009c\vt. of fresh mutton, is nlso gradually decreasing her supply, the quantity mentioned above being 21.74 per cent loss than in 1909. In 1805 the value of imported sheep aud mutton was .£6,712,829, in 1897. .£5,908,252. in 1809 .£0,538.212, in 1001 457,318,832. and in 1!)03 .£8,478,108. Tho following tnblo shows the course of trade during the last seven years:— Year's inc. Value. or dec. Tear. -C per cent. 1004 7,512.223 -11.111 1<10.5 7,693.315 + 2.00 1006 7,038,414 + 3.1S 11)07 8,065,020 +12.04 mns B,t2ii,ioi - n.oi 1000 '. ... R, 153.631! - 3.23 1010 10,162,706 +21.77 The quantity of href imported during 1910 amounted to 7,577,37tc«t., or 11.78 per cent more than during tho previous year, and it wns the largest quantity ever imported into this country during a period of twelve months. The decrease

in the supply of live cattle has invariably MRv.nt an increased supply of beef, liven allowing for the dinnimlicd supply of live cattle reducing our beef ripply by an estimate! quantity of 631i,5f17cw1., never before have we had sent lo u> >o largo a a quantity' of beef, a r-iipply, we 'may remark, that has men iroin 2,SBl,7:ticwt. in the yc-jr 1805. Tinned meat has improved its position after the scare, and tho (inantity importeil {luring last year, !51,210cwt., or nearly tliree times as much as in 1007. There lias boon a reduction in the beef supplies from the United State.-. With respect to the Minply of fre-h beef, which in the year l!) 01 amounted to :i,lßo,'2ftlcwt., that received frojn' the I'uiied States (luring (he past year was i77,117cut. The Australasian supplies are largely tlie cause of the increased quantity imported during tho last year. During the year 1010 S7B,46!)cwt. were imported from that , country, being 114.57- per cent, more than in tho'year WOO, in which year there was an increase in the supply of no fewer than 2G.J.57 per cent. Then with regard to Now Zealand one observes that during the past five years Hie quantity sent' from that, couutry has shown a remarkable increase; in WOli we imported from Xev.- Zealand 236,587cwt., and in MM M-J,-S.lflcK-t. The Argentine supplies during 1910 were 4.898.86!)cwt., or 16.41 per cent more than in tho year ISO!); In I'JOO the ouanHty sent was. 412,282cwt. In 1895 the total.value of cattle and beef imnorts. was in 1898 X16.1i0.5.982 in 1901- ,£18.281,262, and in 1904 jeiH,6]s,C 74. Tho following table shows the yearly value of the imports during the last sis ■years:— . . Year's, inc. i ' ' . . Value. or dec. Tear. . J! per cent. 1305 '...'...'..; 20.570.412 +14.86 ]nO6 ...;........... 20,8.47,402 + 1.33 • 1907. - _ 19.507.901 -5.09. IMS 18,227.150 - 6.0!) ; 1909 • ............... - 17.405.252 -'4.49 1910 17,434,110 + 0.14 THE VALUE OF CALFSKINS. A GOOD SIDE-LINE. In an article dealing with the growing value to ordinary farmers of the calfskin trade, tho Sydney."Herald" says:—"Time was'.when the calfskin counted for very little oh farm and station. It was often never taken off the carcass, or it'was hacked up by the boys to make a 'fall' for the whip, or to fill one of many services performed by' a handy piece of greenhide. For greenhido was a utility in the bush in tho old ■days, and for that matter is still. There was not much it-could' not be used for, whether it was making a flash hatband, a serviceable bootlace, splicing a broken ;?haft, and so on. Tea or fifteen years ago ' tho average value of a-good calfskin • was about a shilling. To-day it is worth four or five, times as much, and farmers and othei's are realising that the skins are worth attention. The enormous development in tho business is mainly due to the efforts of exporters in impressing upon those concerned the necessity of properly handling the skins. How the trade has grown is illustrated by the fact that one firm alone last year sold about 2.i00 calfskins per week. . . . A distinctly beneficial trade has grown up. and a valuable side-line created on the farm. Farmers now know that by taking off tho skin carefully, and salting it thoroughly, they can secure a remunerative price."