BIGGER DEMAND FOR CARPETS

Southland Times, Issue 23166, 6 April 1937, Page 8

BIGGER DEMAND FOR CARPETS

BENEFICIAL EFFECT IN NEW ZEALAND NO MATERIAL CHANGE EXPECTED Five months’ travelling abroad, embracing the United States, Canada, Great Britain and the Continent, has given Mr G. Stewart, managing director of J. K. Mooney and Co., Ltd., Dunedin, a comprehensive knowledge of the world’s markets for wool, rabbitskins, tallow and hide, and has left him with one outstanding impression: that democracy is the Empire’s most priceless possession. “Democracy is a possession to be jealously guarded,” he said. “America realizes its worth and envies us, and, from my tour of different countries, I have gathered the impression that if the British Empire were to slacken on the job it would be a poor look-out for the world." Some of the impressions he gained on his trip, more particularly those relating to the wool and skin trade, were given by Mr Stewart in an interview with The Southland Times on his return to New Zealand in the Marama yesterday. In the United States Mr Stewart found that the biggest users of carpet wools in Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and New York were very short of the types they required. One firm did not hesitate to place an order for over 2000 bales of fleece wool and crutchings at a price which three months earlier would have been considered fantastic in New Zealand. The type asked foi was not finer than 40’s, which was admitted duty free to the United States. The mills interested would certainly continue to buy from New Zealand, provided prices did not go any higher, Mr Stewart said. The shortage had been caused by the demand created foi carpets following the recovery from the depression. Wool Prices Remaining Firm “There has been, and still is, a big number of new flats built over there,” Mr Stewart continued, “and each flat represents a demand for at least one carpet square. It is not likely that the position will change materially in the near future, so it would not be overoptimistic to expect that the. present prices for coarse wools will obtain next season. Because the domestic supply cannot meet the demand created by the economic recovery, the United States is also eager to secure the finer wools. These wools, however, are subject to heavy duty and there is no doubt much better, trade would be done if the duty was lower.” Canada had regularly been one of the best buyers of New Zealand sheepskins, 40’s/50’s, and the demand for these and a similar grade of wool was keen, he said. Again, this demand was due to the economic recovery, of which Canada was enjoying its full share. In Great Britain Mr Stewart visited the chief English and Scottish fellmongers, but he found them unwilling to compete with America for the coarse wools. They were, however, taking their full share of 56’s/60’s, which were suitable for the Scottish trade. France was unable to follow the high prices for sheepskins and Mazinet, the world’s largest buyer, had recently been practically out of the market. Discussing the preparation for export, Mr Stewart said that buyers emphasized the need for care in skinning. This was particularly mentioned in Canada, where buyers were eager to handle the “spready” pelts from Otago and Southland. Many pelts were spoilt through sellers failing to remove the fat. Country butchers and farmers would have to pay careful attention to buyers’ requirements if New Zealand was going to retain this trade—a trade that might easily go to South Africa. Rabbitskin Trade Brisk Mr Stewart found trade in rabbitskins remarkably buoyant in New York. Last September the market had, because of monetary reasons, been practically at a standstill. The demand from consumers had livened in November, however, and stocks which did not usually start selling until January or April were then going into consumption. “The dealers handling the major portion of the New Zealand catch said they were short of our skins,” Mr Stewart continued. “This showed itself in the London sale on January 13, when the prices for some of the furrier grades went to high figures. I am confident that in the coming season trappers will get good prices, particuarly for furrier skins. In the hatters’ grades, however, I think prices will not be so good. Competition from British skins will be too strong. The supply of these skins is tremendous, about 60,00,000 skins being placed on the market in a year.” In the rabbitskin trade, also, users emphasized the need for care on the part of trappers in fatting and drying skins, Mr Stewart said. Prices for other furs had risen to high figures, especially for muskrat, which was the closest competitor of the New Zealand rabbitskin. These high prices gave another reason why the trade for furrier grade rabbits would continue good during the coming season.

“In America the rabbitskin coat is very popular in its many guises—sealines, lapins, moleies and beaverines —but the English women have not yet become ‘educated’ to wearing this brand of fur coat,” Mr Stewart said. “Although America takes over 80 per cent of our rabbitskins, I judge from the reception I received in France and Belgium that the demand from these countries is reviving.” Business did not occupy all Mi

Stewart’s time while he was abroad, and he saw many of the world’s famous beauty spots. In his opinion, however, he said, nothing he had seen could compare in beauty with Milford Sound.