BRADFORD WOOD TRADE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17263, 2 September 1916, Page 6

BRADFORD WOOD TRADE

[From Our Correspondent.] BRADFORD, July 7. The position with regard to the commandeering of the whole of the homegrown wool, which is, Toughly, about eoual in bulk to the New Zealand clip, has been more clearly defined since our last letter. Hie main point that remains in doubt is the price to be paid. It has been officially declared that the Army Contracts Department had decided upon a basis of 30 per cent above pre-war rates, notwithstanding the refusal of the President of the Board of Agriculture to endorse that as a fair price. In tho meantime there has been a great storm of protest, particularly in the House of Lords, on behalf of tho farmers against tho inadequacy of tho terms, and this appears to havo mado some impression. At any rate, tho Government has this week admitted that a caso for further examination had been mado out, and agreed to hold a conference of interested parties a; the War Office, for a reconsideration of the whole question. The system of buying has been' practically. decided upon and 'the chief organiser is Lieu-tenant-Colonel Vernon Willey, of tho well-known firm of Francis Willey and Co., of Bradford. Practically tlio whole of the existing trade organisation is to be utilised, but all work done in connection with army contracts will be on a commission basis. The trade has shown groat- eagerness to ascertain whether any, or what proportion, of tho homo clip will be available for civilian trade, aud the impression created by official answers is that practically the whole of the clip will either he used or reserved, for the military needs off ourselves and our Allies.

The Marquis of Orewe stated this week in the House of Lords that “there were special reasons of an unexpectedly urgent character which required a purchase not originally contemplated.” What those special reasons were is a matter for conjecture, hut it is well known that heavy /contracts for the Russian Army are being given ont, and it may ho that on the top of our own military needs there are important obligations to fulfil to our Allies. Apart from that, -the genotally accepted theory in Bradford is that, the Government feared that a large proportion of the clip would be bought on behalf of neutrals and locked up until it could bo exported, if open competition were allowed, and that consequently it was held to be a national necessity that a certain amount of wool should he kept in this country. Further light was thrown on the subject at a conference hold at the War Trade Department this week with regard to export trade and the policy was officially dofinod as " (l).'to prevent wool or wool products reaching the enemy; (2) to safeguard supplies for British and Allied military requirements; and (3) to prevent foreign countries and individuals in those countries obtaining enormous stocks of raw material or manufactured goods, and thus placo them in a preferential position at the end of the war.” It was also stated at tho conference in question that the result of the wool census had fully, justified the action of the Government in commandeering the English clip and in restricting the export of wool and wool products. The details of .the census aro not to be made public, hut it is perfectly clear that there is a great fear of a shortage of wool later on, and also a fear lest the 1 country bo placed at a disadvantage through shortage of wool when tho war ceases. The Earl of Lichfield, speaking in the House of Lords this week on behalf of the farmers, challenged the Government to treat the colonial clip ai they had treated the British clip, and tlio inference, to ho drawn, from his remarks was that the Government dart’d not put the same strain on the. patriotism of colonial growers that they had put upon British growers. Bo that as t may, the opinion in tho Bradford trade is that it is not necessary to do more than restrict exports from the colonies to British and Allied countries in order to secure the necessary supplies for military and civilian purposes. Beyond that it is not considered likely that prices in the colonies will bo controlled' by Government action.

There is some doubt as to liow the taking of the English wool off the competitive market and putting a fixed value upon it will affect New Zealand cross-breds, and consequently business hero has been at a standstill for aweek or two, pending the opening of the London sales next Tuesday, when values will be tested and something like a basis fixed. Broadly speaking, all raw material is in a strong position. The average prices ruling on the market days named were as follows:

Juno 28. Juno 29. July 3. July C. d. d. d. d. Merinoes— 70's 52 32 m 52$ CO's suner • - . 51 51 514 51$ Go's ordinary . 49* 43 49 49 GO's B.A. . —' — — Cross-breds — 58’s . 14 43 ,43 45 EC's . . . 33 40 40 40 50’s . . . 33J 334 33$ 334 4GV . 31$ 30$ 30$ ' 3C4 •40V . 2TJ27$ 274 27-J 36's , . . 28 26 26 26 32'g. . . . 25 25' 25 25 Lincoln— Hoggets , . 19 19 19 19 Wethers . 19 19 19 19 Kent ivotlicrs , . 21J 31 i ‘Hi 214