THE SURPLUS WOOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26043, 5 January 1946, Page 4

THE SURPLUS WOOL

The wool trade in Bradford, usually better informed than the trade in any other part of the world upon the business to which its particular attention is devoted, would seem to have singularly failed to acquaint itself with the terms of the arrangement that is being made for the disposal of the huge accumulation of wool that is stored in various parts of the Empire together with the present season’s and future clips. The arrangement is one that was fully debated in Parliament during the past session, and there was not a word uttered in the course of the discussion that could be said to give the slightest colour to any suggestion that the merchants in Bradford were to be excluded from a participation in the purchase of the wool which

will be placed on offer. The organisation which has been set up to provide for the disposal in an orderly manner of the stocks of wool that are committed to its charge and—to quote the preamble of the Wool Disposal Act of the Dominion—“ in such a way not only to ensure the best possible realisation of those stocks, but also to prevent the sale of future clips of wool produced in Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa from being prejudicially affected by the realisation of these stocks in competition with those future clips ” —would be acting strangely if it were to shut out the Bradford trade from a chance, at least equal to that of the rest of the world, of acquiring supplies. The Bradford trade is the best and most consistent customer whom the New Zealand woolgrower has had in the past, and the goodwill that has been established between them would in itself ensure that all possible market facilities should be afforded to the Yorkshire importers. But. in any event such an enormous quantity of wool is for sale that it is important that no opportunity of disposing of it should be missed. It can only be under a serious misconception that the Bradford importer exists, when he imagines that he is prevented from buying with a free hand the wool that is best suited to his purpose. The statement' which has been issued from Wellington should reassure him. “British users,” it is declared, “ can be satisfied that no arrangement will be made that will place them in a disadvantageous position compared with buyers for any other country.”