A WOOL EXPERT

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4384, 15 June 1901, Page 3

A WOOL EXPERT

(By S.Y.Z.)

According to ‘‘Bradford Tops,” I have very little knowledge of the above subject, or else I am merely a jobber or dealer, and as such wish to mislead the growers of small clips. I plead guilty to the first charge, inasmuch as I know enough about wool to know that I have yet a lot to learn. I merely quoted my own experiences in a truthful, straightforward manner; thinking that it might be of interest to a large number of your readers. lam neither a jobber nor a dealer, and have no wish to mislead anyone. When I was a buyer of wool, I am pleased to say that I gave entire satisfaction both to my employers and to the wool growers that I bought from. ‘‘Bradford Tops” says that it is quite sufficient to put any sort of division between two classes of wool in the, same bale (paper will do), and that the selling broker will see that the wool is sold separately, if so Instructed. If this is so, it is a singular thing that when two classes of wool are in the same bale the price rarely ever exceeds that of the inferior sort in the bale. As “Bradford Tops” knows so much about the question, I would like to ask him (as I know it would interest all woolgrowers), how are two separate classes of wool in one bale weighed separately? We all know that wool from the London sales is sent to th e manfacturing districts, and also to the Continent and elsewhere. I always understood that it was weighed before leaving London. Is the bale with the two classes of wool unpacked to be weighed and then packed up again? For the information of “Bradford Tops” I would like to state that when I classed my wool I always received the highest price for the “first-class,” but the sec-ond-class brought lower prices than if it had been baled up unclassed. On going into figures I found that the classing did not raise the average price. I have also baled up the wool from one of my sheds unclassed, after removing the bellies, and dags, and found that the average price per pound was as high as from the shed where the wool was carefully skirted and classed. To prove this statement, I will give the experience of two of my neighbours, whom I will call A. and B. They purchased about one thousand sheep from a station in Hawke’s Bay, and grazed them together until shearing time, and then drafted them. A. baled up his wool without removing the bellies, skirtings’ or classing it in any way. B. took the bellies off the fleeces, skirted heavily, and in every way got his wool up to the best advantage. The wool was fine crossbred, which was at that time selling well. A. clip realised lOd per pound, while B. dip made lOjd for the best class and 6jd for the balance, thus making a lower average than his neighbour. Possibly the reason that small clips of well classed wool seldom bring good prices is because there are so maiiy badly got up clips that buyers look upon them all as being the same, and prefer to bid foi larger lines. I quite agree with “Bradford Tops” that a few good men might do a lot to instruct farmers by tuition, lectures, etc., but I still maintain that one wool expert would be of very little use for both islands.. Instead of blaming the Government, as he suggests, I give them credit for honestly endeavouring to assist farmers in every possible way to get the best prices for their produce, and to place their produce on the market in the best condition. He savs that “demand and supply always rule the price of any article.” ■ That is so; and as there is such a large quantity of cotton goods used now in lieu of woollen (flannelette, for instance), the demand for wool is less than formerly. The “wool clip” of the world is less now than it was twentv years ago, and the population is much larger; but still the price of wool is graduallv getting lower. Another factor in reducing the price of raw wool is the amount of cheap, shoddy goods that is-placed upon the market. With £Tie improved machinery that is. available cast off garments are worked up again and sold as new. I would like to say a few words regarding the article by “Tops and Noils.” He is evidently a man with a thorough knowledge of his subject, and I fully agree with him when he says that it is the duty of the Government to instruct as far as possible those they have placed on the land. Many of our farmers have had little practical experience, and lose considerably in ■ consequence. Whatever may be said of other industries, we should remember that the wool industry brings more money annually into this colony than any other, and the result of an extra-half-penny per pound on all our wool would mean some hundreds of thousands of pounds.