RESEARCH LEVY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21876, 11 August 1934, Page 15

RESEARCH LEVY

Sir, —I was surprised to note your remarks upon the proposed wool levy that the opposition to it in the North Island was practically nil. The first discussion in Parliament upon the measure will surely explode that fallacy. Even the Prime Minister apologised for its introduction by saying "We in the South Island do not want it, but it has been asked for in the North* and 1 am only discharging my responsibility in introducing it." Only a few interested parties in the North Island have asked for it, and I agree with Messrs. McLeod and Poison that a ballot among the woolgrowers in the Dominion, or even in the North, would prove it to be unwanted. It is true that fourpenco a bale is not very much, but it would soon be found insufficient, and would be heavily increased as time went on. If the money raised was desired to assist the laboratories in Britain to find new uses for wool, little objection might be taken to it, but to try in this country, by breeding experiment, would be. in my opinion, a useless and wicked waste of the woolgrowers' money. To the uninitiated 1 may point out that there are hundreds of grades of wool, Romney, from coarse •30's, which is almost string, to 90's, which is as fine as silk, and every one of these grades finds a use for some special purpose, through the thousands of woollen mills and manufacturers throughout the world. If our crossbred wool is to be standardised to a special type, then it would be only suitable for possibly 5 per cent of the woolbuyers of the world. In any case, even if it is possible to produce n sheep within the next 20 years which has the exact kind oi wool that the Massey College professors desire, the wool would not retain its exact character if the sheep was removed to a different pasturage only a few miles away. Soil, climate, changing seasons, different herbage, feeding methods, etc., all have an effect upon the quality and character of the fleece produced. Then, again, there are hundreds of sheep owners who are running Downs. Merinos, Corriedales, Cheviots. Leicesters, and other breeds. Why should they be compelled to pay towrtrd the cost of improving Romnevs? All this talk about the deterioration in wool is pure rubbish, and Mr. Poison, the member for Stratford, hit the nail on the head when he said. "This country can grow Romne.v wool equal to anything produced in Britain, the home of the breed " I have been growing wool for many years, and with a knowledge of what was produced nearly 50 years ago. I am of opinion that our wool/3, from all breeds, have improved enormously, both in weight and quality, in that period In common with our Australian cousins, 1 contend that our sheepmen have proved themselves to be the most progressive sheep breeders in the world. Sheep from this Dominion have been exported to breeders in many other countries. There is no call to show the woolgrowers how to grow wool. Tlie.y will produce the goods when they know just what the buyer pays the i highest price for. | Qwen 0. Pleasants,