WOOL SUPPLIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 4063, 26 January 1932, Page 19

WOOL SUPPLIES.

THE WORLD’S RESOURCES. That the world supply of wool is fully equal to present-day machinery requirements would be freely admitted by most members.of the industry (states the Wool and Textile Record). Some might even go so far as to assert that under existing conditions supplies are in excess of the demand, and it will certainly’ be interesting and. perhaps, instructive, to see what the position is at the end of the current season. Notwithstanding the depressed state of trade in recent years, it is well known that season after season the world’s clips have been taken out of first hands without apparently causing any big accu■mulation in any of the consuming centres. Throughout the period of depression it has been the aim of all concerned to avoid carrying stock, and on the available statistics relating to production and consumption—which are admittedly very incomplete—it is difficult to say exactly what happens to all the wool produced and shipped from the primary markets. The obvious inference is that in recent years the consumption of wool has been encouraged by the low prices prevailing and that demand for cheap substitutes has dwindled. In regard to -supplies of raw material, it .is interesting to note that in the first four months of the current wool year Great Britain has imported from Australia 45,500 bales less than in the corresponding period of last year; while in the same period imports from New Zealand show an increase of 10.600 bales. Imports from all sources are 67,900 bales less than the arrivals a year ago. while there is a decline of 3.7,400 bales in re-exports. The net results is that the quantity of foreign and colonial wool retained in England at the end of last month was 30,500 bales less than the figures at the end of October, 1930, and by a coincidence the retained quantity for the four months, July-Octo-ber, is the average for the four months’ period for the last 10 years.