THE RURAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21988, 24 June 1933, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD.

FARM AND STATION NEWS.

By Rustictts.

1933-34 WOOL SEASON ROSTER OF SALES Wool sales have been arranged as follows for the 1933-34 wool-selling season in Sew Zealand:Place. Date. Auckland .. .. November 27 Napier .. .. December 1 Wellington ~ • ■ December 7 Christcnurch .. December 12 Timaru .. .. ... December 16 Dunedin December 20 Napier .. .. .. January 6 Wellington .. .. January 11 Auckland .. .. January 15 Wanganui January 19 Christchurch .. January 26 Invercargill .. January 31 Dunedin .. .. February 5 Timaru February 9 Wellingtop .. « • February 15 Napier .. .. .. February 20 Wanganui .. •> February 23 Christchurch ~ March 2 ' Dunedin .. .. March 7 1 Invercargill .. March 9 Wellington .. .. March 19 Napier .. ~ .. March 23 Auckland . • March 27 Christchurch .. April 6 Dunedin .. .. April 10 Wanganui .. .. April 17 Napier April 20 Wellington .. •• April 24 The April sale dates are tentative only, ■object to revision, and will be held only If sufficient, wool is available. F Australian Wool Clip The official estimate of the coming Australian clip is now made, and the authorities predict a yield for the 1933-34 season cf 2,942,600 hales, or a shortage op the current season’s estimate (3,168,000 bales) cf 225,500 bales, This estimated shortage is much less than is predicted in many unofficial quarters, but in recent years the Australian Wool Growers’ Council and the National Council of the Wool Selling Brokers, the bodies responsible for the official estimates, have been very close to the mark. Some estimates have placed the coming clip at about 2,700,000 bales, and some leading wool specialists have predicted a yield for 1933-34 as low as 2,600,000 bales; but the official figures deserve to be accepted by the trade as the most reliable, as_ individual growers are more interested in their own yields. They are able to tell within a few bales •what their clips are likely to be, and they await the Opening of the new woolselling season with no little anxiety, fortunately the outlook is much, better than this time last year (remarks R. V, 8., in the Australasian), jvhen -the closing, sales of the season were depressing in the extreme, and most growers had begun to give up hope of again realising remunerative returns. The outlook is Still serious, but it is by no means without its cheerful aspects, and there is reason to expect values close to current improved rates to rule at the opening of next season in Sydney at the end of August. Clydesdale Sire Wanted The Methven Agricultural and Pastoral Association may be said to have fulfilled with marked success what is really one of the first functions of such a body, the improvement of the quality of livestock, bv its practice of attracting to its district a high-class stallion whose services will be available to farmers.- Following the custom of former years the association. is again inquiring for a sire to travel the Mount Hutt district, and an opportunity is therefore afforded Otago Clydesdale studmasters to send one of the many excellent sires that are available for the stud at the present time. The principle of sponsor which the Methven Association has adopted is an excellent one, and well worthy of adoption elsewhere, particularly as there can he no question concerning the beneficial effect such a practice has had on the heavy horses of this part of Canterbury in the past. Inquiries are ipvited from any Otago studmaster who may have a suitable sire. Young Farmers’ Visit The party of young farmers who visited Dunedin this week and will leave, most of them, on their return to their homes this morning, are deeply indebted to the organisers of their visit, and the large number of people who billeted them and entertained them, and many expressions of appreciation and gratitude were made to the writer yesterday with the request that some mention should be made of them in these columns. The visitors have been delighted with the manner in which they were received by the people of Dunedin, many of whom were complete strangers to their young guests, and the general opinion among those who took part in the meetings and visits to places of interest wa» that no better programme could have been arranged.

Items of interest to those engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuit#, with a, view to their publication in these columns, will be ‘welcomed. They should be addressed to “Rusticus,” Otago Daily Times, Dunedin.

WOOL MARKETING IMPROVING THE METHODS No. -3. STANDARDISATION OF CLASSING. Standardisation is defined as the art or process of conforming to any measure or extent, quantity, quality, or value, established by law, general usage, or consent. In New Zealand we are fully aware of the advantages of selling most of our main products to a standard. The growth of most of our main primary_ industries is largely due to the foresight and enterprise of those responsible for the introduction of regulations governing the grading of produce lor export. Meat, dairy produce, fruit, -Jioney, eggs, and flax, etc., all have to be graded for export, and Government inspectors ere employed to carry out this work, mostly at shipping ports. WOOL AND OTHER PRIMARY PRODUCTS.

Until a few years ago the value of wool exports from New Zealand maintained almost consistently the leading position of all the primary products exported from New Zealand. The fall in world’s prices has affected wool to a greater degree than any other of our primary products, and this faqt, plug the growth of the dairy industry, has dusted wool from this leading position. ■Of oup .main exports, wool is alone in that it is not subject to a standard grading. Although it was .one of the first products to be exported from New Zealand, yet the proved advantages of a standard grading have never been extended to wool. WHERE WOOL DIFFERS.

In the year 1454 it is recorded that 44 different kinds of English wool were recognised at that period. During the operations of the . Australian Central Wool Committee in, 1917-1920, the olassi'fication of wool was defined in 848 types. Therefore, at the outset the differences between wool and other primary products is readily realised when discussing the possibilities of grading to a standard. Wool is not perishable like foodstuffs. The requirements of the raw wool trade are dictated not by the public but by the wool textile manufacturers. Each hag competition in hig own line or range of goods. Fashion and the purchasing power of the ultimate consumer govern and dictate the prices he can pay for the raw wool. So it is readily realised that the grading or classing of raw wool must meet many different uses, and must therefore be defined in a greater number of grades than in the case of our other primary products. COMPETITION AND WOOL SUBSTITUTE,

Competition for markets was the main cause of a standard grading being introduced for other primary products. Until the introduction of rayon, wool was not threatened with serious competition, except that experienced over a long period from the relative positions enjoyed by cotton, silk, or flax in the textile trade. The rayon industry showed remarkable growth from 1,350,0001 b in 1896 to 426,400,0001 b in 1930, and demand is the only limiting factor to further production. Recently the demand has been checked very considerably by the very low prices ruling for fine raw wool. A. F. Du Plessis in his book. “ The Marketing of Wool,” states: “What is generally accepted' as an, incontrovertible fact is that rayon has taken a very large proportion of the increased consumption of wool, which would have taken place otherwise,” and "rayon was boomed to such an extent from 1923 onwards that many people expected it to be a bubble which would soon be pricked. But it has grown to large proportions, and it has undoubtedly been partially responsible tor the heavy fall in prices of fine merino woo] especially.” Wool growers have now the prospect of a competitive fibre for at least some of the trade which formerly was the sole domain of wool.

There is competition not only from tlie new fibre, but anions; the suppliers of wool. For instance, New Zealand has now increased competition from the crossbred wool of Australia, Argentina, and South America, and in the domestic woo! of the United States. Australia has increased competition in the South African fine wool, The breaking-up of large flocks in Australia and New Zealand has noi helped in meeting this competition, and is evidenced in the decline of the uniformity, character, and breeding of the wool. Jhcre is, however, still an increased demand from Buyers for better classing of New Zealand wool, although praise is not withheld for the improvement over recent years in this direction. There has recently been a keener recognition by the more progressive wool growers that if a New Zealand standard of classing were introduced, they could benefit not only from higher net returns, but from lower handling charges. Competition for good markets was one of tlie main reasons for grading to a standard in the case of New Zealand’s younger primary industries, and it is obvious that the time has now arrived for similar methods to be adopted in tlie case of wool marketing. The sooner these improved methods are put into operation in the Dominion, the sooner growers will reap the decided benefits, and more especially does this apply to the smaller flock owners. INTER-EMPIRE TRADE. No representative directly concerned in wool interests was present at the Ottawa Conference. Had there been any possibility of improving wool prices through inter-Empire trade agreements, the lack of a standard of classing would have created difficulties. SORTING AND CLASSING. In sorting and classing the raw fleece is subjected to two classings, " wool classing 5 ' and " wool sorting. The woolclaseer defines fleece and other wool into distinct classes readily assessed by all

buyers. The wool-sorter breaks the fleece up or separates the staples according, to the spinning possibilities and the definite uses of the component parts, and sorts or classes to comply with the varying and peculiar demands of the different manufacturers. The worsted industry is more particular than the woollen industry in' demanding a high standard of classing and sorting in raw wool. There is shown indifference on the part of some buyers in demanding a high standard of classing, as a poorly classed clip’ can be bought at a lower figure, influenced by the worst fleeces in the lot, and therefore be highly profitable to the buyer. These buyers consider that_ the wool classing in New Zealand is quite satisfactory. The American and Japanese buyer* are very definite in stressing the need fob better classing of wool in New Zealand, A high standard of classing wool undoubtedly increases the competition not only of American and Japanese buyers, but also the Continental buyers who want straight lines. The only buyers who will not be pleased at such an innovation will be those who are at present able to obtain financial benefit from indifferent classing at the expense of the woolgrowers. LARGE AND SMALL GROWERS.

Some of the larger woolgrowers are at present reaping a benefit possible only from the sale of a larger clip of wool under a recognised brand. To the smaller grower it is impossible to obtain any such individual recognition of his clip. Although the large woolgrowers have all to gain and nothing to lose from the introduction of a standard of classing which is applied in the first instance to the smaller clips, they are, in some capes, apathetic towards any such progressive step. Furthermore,, as one quarter of the wool produced in New Zealand is shipped Home for sale, the improvement of local marketing does not greatly concern the owners of this wool. Therefore it falls to the lot of the owners of flocks mostly under 2500 to improve the marketing ot their own wool by bringing about a standard of classing suitable to the Dominion. These small growers represent 92.2 per cent, of the total owners, and own 58.6 per cent, of the total gheep in New Zealand, but when estimated in regard to the wool actually sold in New Zealand, it is found that the owners of flocks under 2500 sheep each can account for 78 per cent, of the sheep producing this -wool, and represent 96 per cent, of the owners affected. The smaller owners’ claim for a higher standard of marketing of their woo] clips cannot be disregarded, because they are the real supporters of the local markets. Their present economic position demands that they should be given the opportunity to improve the presentation of their wool, and it is obvious that the standardisation of classing is the best means to this end. Amongst their own ranks there would be very few who would oppose such a progressive move which definitely promises higher net returns, and the possibility of lower handling charges.