LEVY ON WOOL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20640, 1 February 1937, Page 12

LEVY ON WOOL

PUBLICITY AND RESEARCH By Telegraph —Press Association WELLINGTON, January 29. Mr H. M. Christie, M.P. returned from Sydney by the Awatea after attending the recent wool conference as chairman of the New Zealand delegation. He said there was intense interest in Australia in what the New Zealand Labour Government was doing, and there was a generally expressed hope on all sides that its efforts would prove successful and the results permanent. There also was a general desire for closer co-operation with New Zealand particularly in the matter of defence, and people were anxious, too, that the trade differences between the two countries should be settled. Mr Christie said the wool conference agreed to establish an international publicity and research fund to be administered jointly by Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The conference achieved much of a practical nature. The fund created would be devoted to research and publicity throughout the world. The councils would contribute to the fund on the basis of the average quantity of wool exported calculated over a period of five years. Subject to the confirmation on the preliminary figures submitted the quota contributions for the ensuing year would be —Australia 60.5 per cent., South Africa 20.5 per cent., New Zealand 19. It was hoped that the secretariat would start work by the begininng of July. At present wool prices were on a satisfactory basis, and it should be emphasised that the intention of the research and publicity campaign was not an attempt to raise prices above the economic level. Such a course would defeat its own ends and this fact was thoroughly appreciaed by all concerned. However, the conference was convinced that the present level of prices was not based on a very secure foundation, and that well-consideerd action along the lines proposed was necessary to make the future of wool secure.