ENGLISH WOOL LETTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14590, 27 April 1918, Page 7

ENGLISH WOOL LETTER.

ANOTHER LIKELY ADVANCE FOR

WOOL.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

BRADFORD, Feb. 21.

The current rationing period for wool and tops m the textile trade has still lully another month to jrun, but attention is already being directed to the next period, which will probably extend over the same length of time. One reasou why it is already being considered is that the issue prices of wool and tops sent out after April Ist will probably be on a higher basis than the prices now euiTent. • Why this should be is not easy to explain. Ever since State control was introduced it has been one of the arguments of those who have initiated andi supported the scheme that it was necessary m order to prevent greatly inflated values. However honest their purpose may have been, and however desirous those responsible may have been to attain tills end, it is now obvious to all the worldi that it has not been achieved. It is quite true that, comparatively speaking, prices m the . British market have been reasonable. At tho same time values wherever anything has been open to competition have moved' up m a. most amazing fashion, and one cannot resist saying now that the British market is being forced by the upward tendency, not only within this market itself, but also m other outside spheres.

A very interesting situation has been brought about m South Africa. Whether the farmers m that part of the world have done right or wrong m refusing to fall m unanimously with the Imperial Government's offer is not for the writer to decide. He certainly feels that if they had done so, much trouble would have been avoided, though ib is quite possible that good will come out of evil. The point which it is desired to emphasise now is that the Department proposing to advance the prices of the wool and tops they issue -to the trade hero is not likely to create any better liking for State control, either m this country or m the colonies. It will give t the 1^101*6851011 to the latter that the | authorities are chiefly concerned about making money out of the job, and will make them feel that if the servants of the Government can charge money for what they dispose of on behalf of the Government to the trade, the growers themselves are equally justified m calling for a commensurate advance. Colonial pastoralists have displayed a very loyal spirit by the way m -which they have allowed their wools to be* taken over at fixed 1 prices, but it is not likely that they will say nothing when they know what the Department here is intending to do. British farmers are showing, some evidence of restlessness. These havo been treated m a somewhat more high handed manner than growers m any other part of the British Empire. Various agricultural organisations have been expressing their opinion respecting what the prices of the next British clip oupht to be, and a meeting of Lincolnshire fanners recently passed a resolution to the effect that the price of their clips should be 75 per cent, above the pre-war basis. This as well as the other circumstances which have already been described, all point m the direction of a stiff fight having to be fought m the future on the question of values. It is obvious that the sooner the old competitive element can be introduced, the better it will be for the wool textile trade generally and for the Empire as a whole, and m this may be included all the countries of the Allies. The writer notices that m other countries as well as Great Britain a strong leaning is being shown towards men who have a practical knowledge of things as being preferable to exercise supervision over matters relative to wool textile control. This is perhaps somewhat beside the mark m the present, connection, but it all loads up to the central point that a self-coverned industry and unlimited competition is the best all round.

AN JiXAMPLE tfßOif THE COTTON

TRADE

The cotton industry of this country has set the wool trade a good example. The writer understands that the Cotton Control Board has only one Government representative on it. If this is correct, it is a striking commentory on the super, abundance of officialdom on the Govern, ment side, which has characterised control of the wool trade. Spinners and manufacturers have had to fight tooth and nail to get anything like what was reasonable, have had to be content?' with less than they really were entitled to. The writer has never seen anything m print or elsewhere respecting the fears of the Government m connection with the labor element m the cotton industry, but it is obvious from the general trend of events m. the wool manufacturing industry that labor has succeeded m, presenting its case very effectively. That section of the industry has certainly been a thorn m the side of employers. That they have produced a- salutary effect it is not needless to deny, but it is equally true that if they had the chance they would overstep the mark a- very long way. It is understood m responsible circles that control of the cotton trade has been carried out much moro satisfactorily than that of any other industry. In the wool trade standard prices of wool and tops have been published, thereby, enabling everyone tc^ know what has actually been done m this direction. Nothing of this sort has yet been accomplished m connection with yams, and it is significant that already a comprehensive list of standard yarn prices have been published for the cotton trade, along with numerous instructions and explanations which are obviously intended to facilitate matters as much as possible.

CLOTHING FOR UNITED STATES

SOLDIERS.

This topic was mentioned last week, but it is sufficiently important to refer to again, particularly' as one or two other new facts can be given- The Department are. not showing themselves disposed to move very quickly m the matter, though it is understood that this does. not spring from any Unwillingness to co-operate m the scheme. In many respects they have their hands full, and to promise to assist m clothing American soldiers without considering what they have m front of them would obviously be unwise. Tho course they are adopting appears to be to give what assistance they can as they go. along, without committing themselves to anything definite. With all their faults the British Government can be credited with having' a desire to do everything thoroughly, and they have excelled m this so far as clothing soldiers and sailors of the Allies is concerned. " Nothing but <the very best is considered good enough, and readers across the Atlantic may rest assured that their soldiers who are m this country and m France will not be put .off with anything not as good as what is provided for British Tommies. The writer has followed with some interest the various published statements respecting wool supplies m the United States, having compared them with what has been B&id m regard to supplies here. The sum and substance of all the quibbling seems to bo that much to do has been made about nothing. The point to which practical importance needs to be attached here is that with wool supplies sufficiently large to keep -going, neither the civilian population nor the fighting- forces need to go short of what is actually needled. WOOL IMPORTS FOR JANUARY.

The Board) of Trade returns showing the quantities and values of colonial and foreign wool imported into the United Kingdom during^ last January have been published. They throw an interesting light .iipon the supply nuestion, and it would be a very easy matter for casual readers to be misled by the information given. According to the returns the number of bales imported 1 during the month m question was 118,842, a quantity -which is lew than that imported' m any corresponding month since 1913. Tho same statement applies to the number, of bales reexported with the exception that the 6745 bales sent out of the country was the smallest quantity but one, the number of bales re -exported m 1915 being 4784. Following the same basis of comparison, the number of bales retained m the country— ll2,o97— during

hist January was the smallest since 1913.

Describing the wool imports and exports m this way, however, is placing tho very worst possible ooxutrnoiioii upon them. The arrivals of wool m this country during 1917 were very large m the early months, and unless the average for the year is taken into account, would be entirely misleading. The r>oint is that the average for January is well up to that of the whole year, and it has also to be taken into account that the policy of the shipping! authorities is not to encourage wool importation. They have decided that the quantity of wool now available m the country is largo enough to permit of other supnlies i-eceiving preferential treatment. This is a feather m the cap of those wool agitators who have fought sd strenuously m favor of their belief that wool supplies were not so small as to justify the drastic reduction m )running_ machinery which at one time came into force. Running machinery full time without considering stocks and demand -would be a very foolish policy, and the trade at large may be depended upon to work harmonilously with the authorities if they ■ .will only make important facts known.