STEAMMERS FOR WOOL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 284, 1 December 1915, Page 6

STEAMMERS FOR WOOL.

AMERICAN PURCHASES

TWO VESSELS-TO- LOAD

It 1 is estimated that since this season's wool sales opened about 30,000 bales of wool ha\e been purchased by American buyers for shipment to the United States (states the New Zealand Herald). Much difficulty has been experienced during the past 12 months in obtaining freights between Ameripa and New Zealand, and there is at present some speculation' as to what methods the Americans will adopt in order to get their wool to their own countiy. There appears to bo some ground for the belief that the Americans are buying every available bale at present, because they fear that the prohibition on the export of New Zealand wool may be again imposed. Although Ihe buyers have shown the utmost readiness to obtain possession of the commodity, they do not exhibit much eagerness to secure shipping space. Much of the wool purchased is being stoi^d in the ordinary way, in the southern centres as well as in Auckland.

So far as is known at present, there are only two ships to load wool for America shortly. The Union Company's Kaur is' to leave New Zealand tor San Francisco with a cargo of wool about the middle of December, but, although the buyers were acquainted with the arrangement some time ago, her available space has not yet been fully, booked. The other vessel is the Federal and Shire Line's cargo steamer Westmeath, which is due in New Zealand about the third week in December, and which will load wool for Boston and New York. This vessel will probably load wool also in Australia. It is thought that endeavors will be made to charter vessels for the New Zealand-American wool trade, but it is also thought that, owing to the existing war conditions, considerable difficulty will be experienced therein. One of the two vessels destroyed by fire at sea recently, when on their way from America to Auckland, was to have returned from New Zealand with a cargo of wool. There are a number of vessels available to carry wool to Britain. The two Shaw-Savill liners, Corinthic and Athenic, will load in Auckland and southern ports, and will sail from ]Sew. Zealand about the second week

in lan'law. The Commonwealth and « Dominion'ships, Star of India and | Nerohnna, leaving Auckland about g December 2 and Avill i both load wool for London. There are . g also, of course, the New Zealand Ship- ; | ping Company's line of direct steam- ' 1 ers, most of Avhich will carry aAvay a | quantity of the commodity. The New . | Zealand-London freights available, ' 5 while not excessive, are not yet con- j | sidered inadequate for wool-carrying 1 purposes. j |