AVOIDING CHAOS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21947, 15 February 1946, Page 5

AVOIDING CHAOS

WOOL STABILITY

APPROACH TO U.S.A.

SECRETARIAT’S EFFORTS (S a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 14

Dr. Edwin 11. Booth, chairman of lire International Wool Secretariat, who has returned to London after a months visit to America, said the chief problem there was to convince local producers that the secretariat's aim was tire stability of the world market, not the cutting of their prices and tire ruining of their industry.

Dr. Booth's visit enabled the completion of arrangements for representation v>f the secretariat in the United States. He announced the appointment, of an American, Mr. Morton Saveli, as managing director in New York. Dr Booth explained the importance of the American market for wool producers, and said the pre-war consumption of wool per head was only 2.65 pounds compared with 5.3 in Britain. The educational process carried out by the service authorities during the war was one of the factors leading to an increased demand in America, but. local producers could not compete in prices with other countries and were consequently considering _ various methods of protection. American growers were able to provide only one-third, even of present requirements. They were considering an import tariff, which would bt operated by the State Department, or a subsidy system, which would be opposed by the Department of Agriculture, or no import quota system, which would leave consumers inadequately supplied. Dr. Booth said he was at first received in a restrained atmosphere, but left with the impression that America regarded the secretariat as a friend which would act fully in the interests of American as well as of Dominion growers. Mr. Saveli would work in accord with the American Wool Council and maintain the contacts initiated by Dr. Booth with American politicians and growers, who were assured that co-ordination was necessary 1o avoid the chaos and disaster which might have resulted if 2.000,000,000 pounds of wool were dumped on (he world market.