WOOL DISPUTE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 227, 31 December 1920, Page 3

WOOL DISPUTE.

SIR A. GOLDFINCH’S ANSWER, r BALANCE OF NORMALITY. • LONDON, Doc. 21. In a lengthy, restrained* letter to the rimes Sir Arthur Goldfinch answers Mr tlieodorQ Taylor and other_ critics. After i jointing i out that Australia’® proprietary fights aro to her own ■ products, ho states i shat the existing wool blodtc cannot-.be disr i turbed ait short notice. Australia believes that the principal industry is in a bad way. It. is threatened with greater evils. - -It Britain refuses the proposals, it must be on

better grounds than the -opinion that an association would abuse its powers by foolisli acts hurting Australia and equally England,-: such as withdrawing wool .from .sale alto- . Australian growers and the British manufacturersi interests are opposed?” he asks. ■( ' PRICfE OF DOWNGRADE WOOL. ' j Continuing. Sir Arthur Goldfinch says that Australia hopes, by co-operahvc efforts, to prevent the prices of raw wool, particularly low grades, being pressed, down below the cost of production, and to consider the formation of: an association to firmly, hpia prices covering those wools. Therefore, the trade could safely buy, knowing ‘hat a

further fall was impossible. The theory that the balance of normality ( would only- bo .re-established by lowering prices, until this brings a reduction of outnut would never bo accepted in Austialm, le says, i because .it would mean the killing off of iifitnensc quipititira; of ( sheep. , Australia would naturally feel iCa yery special grievance if it was not allowed t try milder remedies first. Australia regards the nronbsals as modest and reasonable, and is asking for the sheep-owners to beallowed to help b themselves to the free °^ ,e * r { own surplus, and to undertake the sale o all carry-over wool themselves, and. f to have greater liberty in this action than the Government department. ALTERNATIVE discovery. Sir Arthur Goldfinch gives a cold douche to the alternative plan of handing over tUc wool tc the- merchants for -disposal- This nionosal; ho savs, was not regarded as worth Mibmittihg to Cabirietj though the tradeis were*-inf favour of that plan m preference ta the Commonwealth" scheme. , O the Other hand, the Yorkshire Traders’ Association sent out circulars to members of»tho House of Commons demanding .the ! immediate disposal of surplus stocks of wool , ’at low prices.,- ' . '• ‘

ENGLISH CRITICISM,

LONDON 7 Dec. 21. . The Star, in an article headed “Sharing ‘the Loot,” says that there appears to be some reason to hope that the wool on both sides of the ocean ■ burnt the , fingers [in their efforts to exploit the war, at the expense of . the wool consumer. In - delightful... scheme for' stereotyping high, prices for the year, enabling- the warchousomen to ! assure tho tailors and tlic lattci U 'assure the public that no reduction was possible this year, is not likely to .succeed. 1 Tho Yorkshire Observer s -trade correspondent states that he lias not found anyoii .. n favour- of the Commonwealth P “From an Australian dewpoint, ho eajs, “the idea is to make wool dearer and to make artificial value. _ ,< “Confirmation of this is afforded in the latest advices from Adelaide, where then was substantial appreciation, due to the ca„. cbllation of tho sales arranged for Januarj. This will encourage • tlip growers in belief that values arc easily manipulated. But tho end-is not yot.”