JAPAN AND WOOL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4608, 11 October 1934, Page 3

JAPAN AND WOOL.

NATION'S INCREASING NEED. Between 1912 and 1933 the annual consumption of wool in Japan increased almost fivefold—from 50,418,0001 b. to 249,905,0001 b. In the same period the per capita consumption increased almost fourfold—from .971 b. to 3.721 b.

By 1950, it is estimated, the total consumption will have reached at least 291,480,0001 b. a year. The Tokio Association for Liberty of Trading quotes these figures in support of its view that Japan will become an increasingly important market for Australian and New Zealand wool. "The association has issued a bulletin entitled "Japan's Trade with Australia and New Zealand," which is devoted largely to a plea for greater reciprocity in trading. The association points out that Japan's demand for wool is increasing steadily with, the rise of the standard of living and the increase of population, and that Japan is becoming more and more an indispensable market for Australian wool. Future Population. "The rapid increase cf the Japanese demand for wool must be traced to the change in the mode of living in Japan," the bulletin states, "and the same change can be expected to prevail far in the future. Thinner kinds of woollen tissues, such as muslin, can be used for making native clothes, and they have been increasingly used in that way; but what appears to be more important is the growing demand for Western clothes. Until 20 years ago few Japanese wore Western clothes except soldiers, policemen, students and Government officials, but now they are worn by almost any and every Japanese, hot excepting shopmen, factory workers, and young school children. Nor should the fact be overlooked that the Japanese population is becoming urbanised with surprising rapidity. The agricultural population has remained almost stationary during the last 10 years, and the increase in population in this period, amounting to more than 8,000,000, was absorbed by the towns and cities. There is thus every positive indication of an increasing dema'nd for wool." It may be safely estimated, the bulletin continues, that the population of Japan will reach 71,000,000 in 1940, and well over 78,000,000 in 1950. This means that if the per capita consumption dees not rise above 3.71 b. the total quantity consumed in future is calculated to increase by something like 20,000,0001 b. i'n every 10 years. In reality, the per capita consumption is most likely to increase. Probably it would not be very much overestimating the increase of total consumption to put the quantity for 1945 at somewhere round 40,000,0001 b. Reciprocity in Trade. "As wool produced within the British Empire is more than sufficient to satisfy the domestic demand," the association concludes, "the surplus stock must be disposed of elsewhere. The best customer for such stock can be no other country than Japan, which is expected to become even a greater wool consumer than Great Britain in the 10 years to come. However, it might be noted that this depends largely upon whether Australia and other countries, especially British countries, offer a proportionate market for our products or not. We find Japan's silk exports to Australia now occupying 52 per cent, of the total silk imports there, but cotton textiles barely occupy 45 per cent. This cannot be regarded as natural. The Trade Act was passed by the late session of our Imperial Diet to enable the Japanese Government to cope with undue pressure from foreign tariff policies with a'n anti-Japanese intention. But it is to be desired by all that such retaliative legislation will never find a chance of operation, and that foreign Powers will not pursue any such extreme tariff policy as might force Japan to fall on the act."