PROPOSED WOOL LEVY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18974, 26 March 1936, Page 5

PROPOSED WOOL LEVY

COMPULSION JUSTIFIED VIEWS OF GRAZIERS MELBOURNE, March 12. The necessity for concerted action in wool publicity and research was emphasised by 'the president, Mr. J. 11. l'atterson, at the annual meeting of the Graziers' Association of Southern Riverina to-day. He referred (o the cliiii cully of forming a fund for this purpose, saying that it was now "a case of compulsion or nothing." Mr. Patterson said that in 1930 the Graziers' Federal Council decided that a fund should be established for wool research, publicity, and t'he securing of new .markets, and that a levy of 2s 6d per £IOO should be made on the net proceeds of wool sold in the Commonwealth, this money to be collected by 'woolbrokers. Unfortunately, the graziers had received no help from the brokers, so Hie only course was to apply to the Government. This derision had caused the most comment.

"I cannot agree that a compulsory levy means Governmental interference in the wool industry," he continued. "No one is prouder il an 1 am of the fact that the wool industry has never been a burden on any Government. I wish i could say the same of Governments in relation to Ihe wool industry. Wo are not asking the Government for anything more than the power to collect from our own industry for our own use the necessary funds.' Every attempt to form a fund by voluntary .effort has failed. It is rathe) 1 amazing to find the strongest opposition coming from woolbrokers, the very people who have forced Governmental sanction as the only alternative. T am afraid that the fact that wool to-day is selling freely and at a satisfactory price is inclined to create a. false sense of security in (lie minds of those who do not look further ahead than the price received for their clips. Wool is of such national importance not only to Australia, but to thj whole British Empire, as to warrant every step being taken to safeguard its future."