WOOL CONFERENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22647, 8 February 1937, Page 5

WOOL CONFERENCE

PUBLICITY EFFORTS

ORGANISATION SET UP MONEY TO BE POOLED The immediate result of the wool conference recently hekl in Melbourne is to bo the setting up of an organisation to co-ordinate the results of all overseas publicity work, said Mr. A. H. Cockayne, Director-General of Agriculture, when he returned to Wellington after being one of the New Zealand representatives at the conference. Mr. Cockayne said that the money contributed by each country would be pooled and devoted to publicity on wool as a product, and not as the product of one particular country. The form of the publicity and the amount to bo expended were left to an organisation on which each country would have equal representation. The only regret expressed at the conference was that certain wool-producing countries —notably South America —had not yet entered into the scheme., but it was felt that before long these countries would combine with those represented at the cojference—Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Unanimity had also been reached on tho question of research. It was agreed tbat each of the three countries would do it? share of work under a properly co-ordinated plan, and a satisfactory formula to determine the amount each would subscribe was arrived at. It was agreed that research into tho improvement and production of wool must be a matter for individual attention by the countries concerned, with the condition, however, that the executives of the wool councils should be kept fully informed of the work being done.

Research could be divided into two main classes, said Mr. Cockayne. One class dealt with the utilisation of wool and the other with the production of wool. Research into tho methods of utilising wool must of necessity bo conducted overseas, but for research into tho improvement and production of wool there were so many local problems that it was felt by the conference that each country should have full control of the work being done within its boundaries. It was rather significant, said Mr. Cockayne when commenting upon the levy introduced in New Zealand for the purpose of publicity and research, that the South African levy was equal to Is 3d a bale, New Zealand r currency, against the levy of 6d a bale struck by Australia and New Zealand. This was an indication of the importance attached to tho matter by _ South African growers. The only question yet to be settled was whether the manufacturers of Great Britain would join in the scheme.

NEW SEASON'S PRODUCTION

DECREASE IX NEW ZEALAND

The Wool Intelligence Notes of the Imperial Economic Committee give preliminary estimates of production in the five chief exporting countries, Australia, New Zealand, Union of South Africa, Argentina and Uruguay, indicating the aggregate of the 1936-37 season as 2.065,000.0001b., or about 2 per cent more than the latest estimates for 1935-36. The only decrease is one of about 20,000,0001b. anticipated by New Zealand, where production last season was somewhat above the normal levels. Australian production appears to show little change, and the output of the Union of South Africa, Argentina and Uruguay is expected to be higher than i in 1935.