World’s Wool Clip

Franklin Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 20, 21 February 1940, Page 3

World’s Wool Clip

EUROPEAN WAR STOCKS LOW HEAVY HI VING BY GOYEItN.MENTS i | Tim worlds wool clip. including | Merinos, crossbreds and carpel types. |is eslimaled lo be the equivalent of | ! 3.330,000 bales. Of (bis quantity 4 0 per ceil I. lias oeen grown in Hie Brilisli Empire. The clips of Australia and New Zealand total 4.2un.(mu bales. Soulh Africa 880,000 bales and I lie United Kingdom 366,000 bales. In addilion clips are grown in Canada. Newfoundland. ' Falkland Islands, India, and oilier Empire countries. Great Brilain and the Dominions are most influential factors in the world's wool supply. Australia and South Alrica grow about 3.700,000 bales of Merino annually and provide the' major portion of the world’s Merino available for exporl. The Ended Stales is a large producer, bul Hie whole of I his wool is consumed internally.

In wartime the large production of Empiro wool is vitally important, and it is douhtt'u! if I lie Yorkshire milt industry would have gained its pressud dimensions if foreign countries wire the principal sources of raw wool.

Consumption is slid very active in Yorkshire. Government orders have preference over civilian business, hut no lack of merchants’ business exists. The difficulty is for merchants and retailers to secure supplies, particularly of women's goods. So* many men in the I'nited Kingdom are in uniform that fabrics for male civilians are not wanted to lire same extent as before the war and this aspect is also apparent in Prance and in many neutral countries, the armies of which are wholly or partially mobilised.

On the Continent stocks of wool Pave decreased considerably, as Belgian statistics indicate. At the end of November the stocks of Merino tops in Belgium were .‘l6 per cent, below November, 1938. The quantity of crossbred tons on band showed a decrease of 43 per cent on a month before, and 4 6 per cent on Ibe total a year previously. The stocks were Ibe lowest recorded for a long period. Nc want of inquiry for rawmaterial prevails. The question is what quantity can lie safely allocated to neutral countries and the provision of ships to transport it. Five busy weeks of appraisements soli remain in Australia and New Zealand before Easter. By that time about 80 per cent, of the season’s Australian wool will be appraised at a value between £40,000,000 and t 00,000,000, and a further 20 per cent will remain to be dealt, with q lie total aiimunl of money received f, last season’s wool was £42.000,COO.