Wool Disposal Methods

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 99, 5 April 1922, Page 5

Wool Disposal Methods

A SPEECH AND AN ANSWER

MR MASSEY EMPHATIC.

RETORT TO SIR A. GOLDFINCH.

[Per Press Association.]

Wellington, April 4.

The Prime Minister to-day made reference to a speech by Sir Arthur Goldfinch, chairman of the British Board of 8.A.W.R.A., made at the annual dinner of the British Wool Federation held in Bradford during February. In this speech Sir Arthur is reported to have said “that he had heard rumours of a certain secret meeting at Bradford behind closed doors at which the Prime Minister of New Zealand had been sulphurious in condemnation of 8.A.W.R.A.”

“I must confess surprise at the suggestion of a secret meeting, ’ ’ added Mr Massey. ‘‘ 1 did attend three public functions at Bradford which were given to me by way of welcome from three different sections of the community. Let me say at once that I attended no secret meeting behind closed doors at Bradford, but I did meet there a number of gentlemen engaged in the wool trade, in the wool exchange and elsewhere in the ordinary way, and gained from them much useful information. I did not meet Sir A. Goldfinch, and 1 should not under the circmustances attach much importance to this statement of his but for the fact that I cannot allow the idea to become current that I was at any time opposed to B.A.W.R.A. In my opinion 8.A.W.R.A. has done excellent work. I certainly criticised the methods adopted by those responsible to the Imperial Government for the disposal of their wool in so far as these methods were likely to result In a large carry-over of unsold wool, and after t experience has proved that this criticism was fully justified lam very strongly of opinion that the person principally responsible for those methods was Sir Arthur Goldfinch.’ f

The following is the text of the report referred to by Mr Massey:— B.A.W.R.A. had a curious experience in August and September last year, when its two classes of critics met “in some extraordinary coalition” in Bradford. When the Premiers of Australia and New Zealand came to that city they appeared to be in agreement with some of the extreme sections in Bradford in condemning the Association. If they did so, they condemned B.A.W.R.A. from exactly opposite points of view. It further seemed that when the Prime Minister of New Zealand was in Bradford, he was at the same time addressing communications to the Government, urging that the whole of the old wool should be withdrawn from sale for an indefinite period, in order that wool prices should be sharply advanced, because of the shortage of supplies. He (Sir heard rumours of a certain secret meeting in Bradford behind closed doors, at which the Prime Minister of New Zealand had been almost sulphurious in condemnation of B.A.W.R.A. (Laughter). The Association realised that the wool textile trade had passed through ft terribly bad period .and he did not . any g rud £ e He thought these difficulties were disappearing. As far fts concerned merino wool, they had practically disappeared altogether. He had noticed with pleasure that during the last three or four weeks even his most bitter opponents in the Press had ceased to demand Parliamentary interyention in regulating B.A.W.R.A. ’s sales of wool. He did not think tha* demand would be renewed, because, if so, it would be almost too ridiculous for words.