SECOND EDITION. STABILIZING WOOL VALUES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17058, 12 June 1926, Page 16

SECOND EDITION. STABILIZING WOOL VALUES.

POVERTY BAY FARMER’S SUGGESTIONS. COMM ANDEER WHOLE OF CLIP. Thai all wool grown in tho Dominion should bo commandeered by a Wool Board, which would value the wool and dispose of it to buyers, was the suggestion put forward by Mr. Frnneis Stafford at to-day’s meeting of the Farmers’ Union, as a solution of the difficulties of woolgrowers. During tlie course of his address Mr. Stafford maintained that there was no profit for a fanner in selling- his wool at less than Is: ltd per lb or fill per bale. Mr. Stafford declared that, so much had been said and written on the above subject during the last two or three, months that it would almost seem that nothing more could be said. From the farmer’s point of view, little criticism -of a constructive character had been offered. The general public had in a large measure accepted the dictum of the press “that print's have been stabilised at a payable price,” but had they ’ He thought not. He had from time to time presented a plan which, if carried out, would stabilise the price of wool, and any other produce brought under a .similar scheme, and give renewed life to the struggling farmer, lift the Dominion out of its condition of uncertainty, and solve most of our labor troubles. . COMMANDEER NECESSARY. Dealing with the work of Bawra, Mr. Stafford said that this organisation lixed on a price based on count, yield, and tensile, strength, or tion. They fed the market as it was able to use the wool.' There was no glut, no shortage, and the price was stable. The whole business was liquidated with credits and profits. Had that wool been thrown on the market without restriction it would have spelled demoralisation and ruin to thousands of farmers, and big fortunes to woolstaplers and manufacturers and financiers. To remedy the existing state of affairs, the Dominion Government, should bring- into existence a Wool Board, which would have power to commandeer all wool grown in the Dominion. They should appoint valuers, as might, be required, and should have power (a) to determine the upset or issue price, (b) where and when such wool should lie sold,.(c) the number of bales or weight of wool to no offered at each sale. The whole of this scheme should be worked on a price basis determined as between Bradford and other wool centres and the grower in New Zealand as represented by the Wool Board. While wool can sell at -7d one year and I I’d the following year, irrespective of cost of growing that wool, farmers will continue to go to ' the. wall, and .trusts and combines will exploit him. It was only this, or a similar scheme, which would put the Dinner on a sound or permanent basis, and he believed it possible to come to such an understanding." with the wool trade as would enable them to eliminate | ilie auction sale altogether, to the 1 great advantage of both grower and | consumer. As things were, the whole , business was unsatisfactory. The time had come when a remedy must be ; found for this state of affairs; the i sooner the better for both producer and consumer.