The Pahiatua Herald. with which is incorporated THE PAHIATUA STAR. Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1894. WOOL.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 207, 26 September 1894, Page 2

The Pahiatua Herald. with which is incorporated THE PAHIATUA STAR. Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1894. WOOL.

Thk admission of wool, duty free, into America was expected to work an improvement in the price of that commodity, and those anticipations are certain to be realised if we may give any credence to the cabled reports of ! London sales. America oilers a big field for the consumption of the raw material, but only certain classes of wool will find a profitable market there. In the report on wool and the manufacturers of wool issued l>y the Treasury Department in Washington in 1888, it is stated with reference to the coarso wools of the third class that there are none which can be grown in America to advantage, and that a very small amount of first-class combing wools required to make the finest goods, and also very few wools fitted for the manufacture of fine broadcloths are raised in the United States, and moreover it seems that they never will be raised, climate and soil being against their production. Under the M’Kinley Tariff America sought by crushing custom duties to obtain her wool from her own soil and thus encourage, her fanner.;, but some classes of wool as shown abovo no farmer in America could raise, furthermore the consumption i« fat i.u iUh;i . > of homo production. The following table, giving the amount of Home grown wool and imported into America for the last fifty years, is instructive : homo p.*. of Hate grown imported total imp rt j 184<) 358' >’lll •• IS*.VSO 45700H5 1,17 iB6O 6 55760 >9 18095294 .11 >3 . .5 IHOO, 00204913 50282955 65478< {( 1 l 1870 10-2OOOO00! 49230199 211230199j23‘3 1880 232600000 1281817 *7 8600817 1. 1 H 9() *270()(K>000 I < >5431285 381431285|27’0 I will 2850000001129303048 4 I 130304h|80'2 » .i.standing tlie M’Kinley tariff I ho imports continued to increase, the figures being 148,070,05211). in 1892 and 172,448,H8811> in 1893. Last year the American people paid over eight million dollars duties on the imported wool. With theso heavy restrictions r« moved the price of the manufaofactured article will fall, which will thus bring it within the range of a greater number, and thereby ensuring an ever increasing importation of the required raw material. If Australasia studies the requirements of the

Amerioan market there should be a greater steadiness in the market value of our staple product. Just now the outlook for frozen meat/ and butter is not encouraging, wheat is at bedroek and likely to remain there for some j time, it is to wool therefore that 1 wo must look for compensation. It is s as well to know who are our competitors in the American market, and we there- j fore give below a table showing the countries from which wool is exported to America. The figures aro for the year 1891 : England..'... ... ... 6,000,648 Scotland ' ... 7,705,974 . Ireland ... 908,800 Australia... ... ... 27,947,690 Russia (ilje Baltic) ... 13,317,522 Russia (ine Black Sea) ... 14,006,735 Turkey in Asia ... ... 15,410,720 Argentine Republic ... 14,456,142 China ~. ... 18,"335,308 The imports from Australasia are slightly less than that from the whole of Russia, although we send to America nearly double the quantity of the Argentine Republic. Nevertheless, the Argentine, from her climatic conditions, quality of soil, and nearness to market, is our most formidable competitor, not only in wool, but in frozen meat and wheat, and with the finest wheat growing land selling at a shilling an acre, we have much to fear the competition of the Argentine Republic.