LEVY ON WOOL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 95, 5 April 1934, Page 6

LEVY ON WOOL

aid for the industry Results of Investigation CENTRAL COUNCIL SUGGESTED Proposals for the establishment in each of the Dominions of a central wool council to co-operate with an Imperial wool council in England in the interests of all aspects—producing and manufacturing— ot the woollen industry, are made in a report to Wool Publicity (New Zealand) by the secretary (Miss G. V. Howey), who has just returned from a special mission to Great Britain. The report" also embodies proposals for a levy on every bale leaving producing countries and on every bale entering buying countries. Miss Howey's mission in England was to investigate the possibilities of better utilisation of New Zealand wool by English and Continental mills, to aee how better liaison between producers and manufacturers might be attained, asd to survey means of developing wool publicity. A memorandum attached to her report states that after the initial activities of Wool Publicity in Christchurch, the Government made a grant to the secretary and organiser (Miss Howev) to continue with this work, conditional on three trustees being appointed to handle the funds. The trustees are Messrs. L. R. C. Macfarlane, B. E. H. Tripp, and A. 0. Wilkinson. MANY INTERESTS CONSULTED. While in England, Miss Howey had ernferences with Sir Stephen Tallents, the Empire Marketing Board, the London Chamber of Commerce, the Department of Overseas Trade, the principal buyers and brokers, such as Dalgety *nd Company, Mr. Arthur Sims, Lord Barnaby (Francis Willey), Mr. Harry Dawson, the British Continental Press, Mr. Symons (President Fashions and Fabrics), the Drapers’ Chamber of Trade, the New Zealand Meat Board, and the Dairy and Fruit Boards. The conclusions arrived at from her irvestigation are summed up by Miss Howey as follows: —

“The ideal organisation would appear to be that there should be established in each Dominion a central wool council, representative of all wool interests, which would occupy itself with all germane problems, and would also provide machinery for the raising of the necessary funds and the allocation thereof in the best interests of wool growers: that there ■hould, in addition, be a central imperial wool council, to which should be nominated representatives of the United Kingdom wool textile industries, who would be nominated by the Wool Textile Delegation.

“It would appear that the appropriate link with Continental wool manufacturing industries could be provided by the appointment of representatives of the International Wool Federation. As, however, about 80 per cent, of the ocean-borne wool of the world is grown in British Dominions, the supervision of the fortunes of the raw material should properly lie in an Imperial body. but. at the same time, it would be desirable that co-ordina-tion should be maintained with the Continental manufacturing industries, •nd this can best be done through the International Wool Federation.” RAISING A FUND. The best means of raising a fund to be devoted to the needs of the wool industry, Miss Howey considers, is a levy on every bale exported by producing countries and on every bale imported by buying countries. She suggests a levy of 6d at each end, half of the funds to be devoted to general research for manufactured and raw material in England and the Dominions, and half to be handed over to an Imperial body for any specific research purposes or for any propaganda and marketing needs that might arise.

The first step in the right direction, •be believes, would be to get a national meeting of wool interests in New Zealand to recognise the importance of improved methods of producing the marketing wool and woo] manufactures. and to be convinced of the need for inter-imperial co-operation. She •uggests that a resolution such as the following should be carried: — “To ask the organisations representative of producers and manufacturers within Now Zealand to nnpoir* representatives to a Woo! Council, such conned to report on the needs of the industry with regard to research and marketing nractices, and their reports to be final.”

LORD BARNBY’S PROPOSALS. Lord Barnby made public the project for an Imperial council and a central fund at Brighton. This proposal is explained in a memorandum prepared bv Lord Barnby, as follows:— “The idea of procedure would be, of course, that by some method, simultaneous action could be encouraged in all three quarters —United Kingdom. Australia, and New Zealand—that the necessary statutory action should result in the provision for the raising of funds which would be available for such purposes as it would be decided most in the interests of the respecti' dominant influences, that is, wool growers in the dominions, and wool manufacturers in the I nited Kingdom. “It is contemplated that as funds would be available, they would he allocated for'purposes most useful to wool g-owers in appropriate proportions, i e. the hotter preparation of clips for the market: bettor breeding of sheep, research, publicity, and genera] development.

CO-ORDINATING EXPENDITURE. “Meanwhile it would be hoped that the compulsory levy would have come into force in the United Kingdom, with which there would also he a central council. , , “It would then appear that there would be necessity of some central Imperial body, who would co-ordinate the expenditure of moneys in whatever direction it should be determined out of funds duly raised. Such a central body once established could easily develop into service of a wider character in the general wool interests of the Empire, combining effectively wool production uud wool manufacture. It is here ren einbcred that Canada, being interested in the dual capacity as wool grower n id wool manufacturer, would materially benefit from such collaboration. It would he natural that subsequent development would ensure the manufacturing and adequate contact with Continental manufacturing interest*. Ibicmld be done through the InternaUon.nl Wool Federation.”