No Major Change Sn Australian Market Position

Northern Advocate, 26 May 1941, Page 6

No Major Change Sn Australian Market Position

(Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, May 20. A commercial summary states that, although the Australian Prime Minister (Mr. R. G. Menzies) is rumoured to be taking home something of special interest to Australian primary producers, the Australian Minister for Commerce (Sir Earl Page’s) announcement, that under the new trade agreement between Britain and Australia, the United Kingdom intends to buy Australia’s surplus food, is regarded here as a reaffirmation of the policy rather than a new development. The Ministry for Food is not aware that any new concrete development was finalised and there is no confirmation, for instance, of any specific arrangements for increased shipping facilities to lift Australian products, apart from the fact that the Middle East and Far East theatres of war are requiring increasingly substantial supplies, while the United Kingdom is still chiefly interested in meat, butter, cheese and dried fruits. Bradford Concerned Bradford interests are showing some anxiety lest the arrangement for New Zealand wools shipped direct to the United States, following similar facilities for Australian wool, should have damaging effects after the war. Courtaulds, Ltd., took a team of mannequins to Bradford during the week’s display of “rayolanda,” the new artificial fibre fabric,- which wiJl be an important competitor with wool. The new fabric has a cellulosic basis, but the cloth is soft, of pleasing texture and with remarkably good dyeing affinity.