WILL THEY COMPETE ?

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 7, 8 July 1935, Page 12

WILL THEY COMPETE ?

JAPANESE IN WOOL GROWING

Although Australian . wool growers state that they are not seriously alarmed, at- the' possible competition of Japan as a supplier of wool for that country's needs, growers are i asking that, the position be officially ■ investigated. Commenting on the remarks oil Mr. c: H. Bertie, who returned to Sydney from Japan and gave details of a scheme for the production of wool in Mongolia, the secretary of the Australian Graziers' Federal Council (Mr. S. L. Officer) said the matter had been discusssed at the annual conference in Hobart. It was agreed that the Commonwealth Government be approached with a request that investigations be made into the possibility of Manchukuo becoming a large woolproducing country to the detriment of the industry in Australia. "My own opinion," Mr. Officer said, "is that some wool may be produced in that country, but I doubt if any can be grown that would compete with the fine wools of Australia. Two years ago one of Australia's foremost wool classers returned from Japan. He then stated that, fat tail sheep do well in parts of Manchukuo, but their progeny are not sufficiently hardy to stand the long and extremely cold winters. It it is proved that Japan can produce merino wool in that country or Manchukuo there is nothing.that Australia can do to stop the industry. If we refused to sell our rams to the Japanese they would secure them elsewhere. There are, however, insurmountable troubles to be overcome before the position can become a -menace to- Australian wool producers."