WORLD'S WOOL

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 8, 10 July 1934, Page 10

WORLD'S WOOL

SOUTH AFRICA SHORT

THE TEXTILE POSITION

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, May 31.

Latest reports on pastoral conditions in Australia (stales the Imperial Committee's "Wool Intelligence Notes") point to an increase in production next season (1934-35). On the other hand, present indications suggest that the 1934-35 South African clip will be smaller than th,e present season's production of 270 million lb. The 1934 .wool clip in the United States of America is likely to show a small reduction: the carryover of last season's home-grown wool is small. An outstanding feature of the 1933-34 season is the drop in South African shipments, which, for the period July, 1033Apnl, 1034, amounted to 80 million lb less than the corresponding period of last season and 3C million lb less than in 1031*32, Shipments to France from the Union show a decline of nearly 40.million lb, while the Uuited Kingdom has taken about 15 million -lb less than last season. Stocks of unsold wool at Union ports increased during April, and at the end of the month stood at 15 million lb above the level of a year earlier. Shipments trom Australia show a fall of about 40 million lb; there was an increase during April in stocks at the selling centres, but at. the end of that month they were 14 million .lb. less' than at the same date a year .ago. New Zealand shipments to the end of April were 11 million lb above those of: the corresponding period of last season. Argentine shipments are at about last season's level; Uruguay's shipments between October 1. 1933, and April 30, 1934', aggregated 89 million lb in comparison with 93 million lb in the same months a year earlier. Stocks in Buenos Aires at the end of April were reported to be about 5 million lb greater than a year earlier; stocks iv Montevideo on the same date were about the same as last season.

Activity in the wool-textile industry of Great Britain, although still better than a year ago, has been declining somewhat in recent months. Retained imports of raw wool for the period' January to April were about the same as in 1933, and this would suggest a decline in stocks, although visible stocks at the ports and in railway and canal depots at the end of April showed little change. The export trade in wool products has generally been above last year's level, the greatest improvement being shown by yarn with an increase of 20 per cent.

There was a notable decrease of over 60 million lb in the retained imports of raw wool in France in the first quarter of the current year as compared with 1933. trench exports of tops were, however, 4 million lb greater than a year ago, although exports of tissues were smaller. Japan also has imported considerably less wool in the first quarter of the current 5™ than in the corresponding period of ISi.iJ. the decrease amounting to nearly 20 million lb, but this has not resulted in any decrease in her exports of wool products Japanese exports of tissues in the first quarter of 1934 were valued at 3.8 million yen as against 1.9 million in the first quarter of 1033.