NEW ZEALAND WOOL IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 1651, 4 August 1881, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND WOOL IN AMERICA.

Some time ago Mr. Griffin, the United States Consnl in this city, forwarded to the Government at Washington a petition from the Chamber of Commerce at Dunedin, asking for a reduction of the duties charged on New Zealand wools. The Secretary of State replied to Mr. Griffin's despatch, transmitting a communication to the effect that a copy of the despatch had been sent to the Secretary of the Treasury, and on the 17th of March last the Department of State informed Mr. Griffin that the Secretary of the Treasury stated, in a letter of the 12th of that month, that the subject would be referred to the Committee of Ways and Means of the House of Representatives for its consideration. Mr. Griffin communicated this information in May last to Mr. Henry Driver, the United States Consular Agent at Dunedin. Mr. Griffin lias taken much pains to place before his Government everything of interest in reference to the wool industry of New Zealand. In his report, which has been published at Washington, he states that he had forwarded samples of nearly all the various kinds of wool grown in Victoria, New , South Wales, and New Zealand, carefully marking the price, the quality, and the district where grown, npon each sample. In a subsequent report, he expressed the opinion that the New Zealand wool was about the same length and staple as that grown in Great Britain, but a much softer,' and finer texture. He said that wool could be selected here for the manufacture of all kinds of heavy and medium cloths ; that the combing sort was excellent, and that a staple could be selected suitable for all kinde of yaru. He also expressed the opinion that the New Zealand wool was especially adapted for milling and felting purposes, and that it would improve other wools by being mixed with them. He thought it.wrong for the United States to expect the people of New Zealand to send their gold to the United States for the purchase of articles of American manufacture when heavy dnties were charged upon the raw products of this colony. We hope that the efforts which Mr. Griffin has so persistently made to have the wool and other ra*v products of New Zealand admitted into the United States ports, if not free of duty, at least at a nominal charge will be successful. There is no doubt that, when such a fiscal change is made, agents of American ' manufacturers will soon make their appearance in NeM Zealand and Australian markets for the sorts of wool they require, instead of purchasing, as at present, in the London and Liverpool markets. When the change takes place, the buyers from continental and British houses will require to send their agents here, and the local markets will become the scenes of competition, and not the auction rooms in London and Li verpool—a circumstance which will beneficially affect our prices for wool.