A WOOL HERITAGE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20625, 28 May 1935, Page 11

A WOOL HERITAGE.

Export of Sheep From Australia. THREAT TO INDUSTRY. (Special to the ’‘Star.’’ SYDNEY, May 24. Last week a steamer left for Japan carrying over 1000 sheep, which, it is understood, are to be used for breeding purposes in Manchukuo. The sheep are Corriedales, and, of course, are not so important from the woolgrowers standpoint as merinos. But they are evidently required lor their wooi, and so the question whether it is wise ior Australia to encourage the growth ol the wool industry in countries that may prove formidable rivals to us has i been forced to the front once more. For many years past the Graziers Association and other woolgrowers organisations have wisely opposed the exportation of our merino stud sheep. But it was not till the end of 1929 that the Federal authorities imposed an embargo on this export. It is a significant fact that just as this prohibition was made effective, a shipment of 5000 merinos consigned to Russia was rushed aboard ship and got away to sea before the Customs officials could interfere. Since the Scullin Government took this salutary step, merinos have been exported onlyunder special permit, with the result that the export of stud merinos, which had risen to 6700 from the whole of Australia in 1929, was less than 1000 in 1933. But for the purposes of this discussion Australia practically means New South Wales, which exported over 6000 stud merinos in 1930 and over 900 under permit last year. Possible Rivals. The obvious objection to the export of our rnerinos is that they would help other countries to build up flocks rivalling our own and to supply themselves with wool which they would otherwise buy from us. That this is no imaginary' danger is proved by the rapid growth of woolgrowing abroad, even in countries in which the climate and physical conditions might seem at first sight unfavourable. When South Africa first started woolgrowing in a systematic way, our graziers believed that adverse conditions would prevent the industry from flourishing. Therefore the South Africans—who, by the way, carefully “ protected ” their own ostrich feather industry, an immensely valuable asset, from all possible competitors—were allowed to buy our stud merinos freely*; and what has been the result? In 1926, South Africa produced 180,000,0001 b of wool, and in 1931 it produced 335,000,0001 b. So with Russia, a country in which we were assured the sheep industry “ would never grow,” and to which we sent merinos as required. In 1926 Russia produced 195,000,0001 b of wool, and in 1931 her production had grown to 358,000,0001 b. This means that within these six years these two countries just about doubled their output of wool; while during the same period Australia increased her production of wool by barely 10 per cent. Now Japan is entering the field as a wool-grower; and just as we were told that wool-bearing sheep would never take kindly to the bleak uplands of South Africa or to the snowy plains of Russia, so now we are assured that j wool-growing can never prosper in the barren wastes of Manchukuo. But we ought to realise by this time that the Japanese are a most persistent and enterprising people, and that they are liable to succeed industrially where other people have failed; and with the example of South Africa and Russia and their expanding wool industries before our eyes, we ought not to be too ready t.o give the Japanese the full benefit of the wonderfully successful experiments by which, during the past hundred years, we have established our claim to supremacy in wool-growing. Selection for Export. But while it is generally admitted that it would be a grave mistake to export stud merinos now, it is contended by many people that there cannot be much harm in selling other breeds to those who wish to buy. This argument applies chiefly to Corriedales and Polworths—breeds which, because they are fairly close to the merino and preserve many of its characteristics, are much favoured by wool-growers abroad. It is contended, in favour of free export, that these sheep are not merinos, and that, in any case, if buyers want them and Australia refuses to sell. Corriedales at least can be got in large numbers from New Zealand, where this type was first bred. Naturally, graziers in need of ready money, and associations interested in these special breeds, have protested against any sort of embargo; and quite recently the Tasmanian' branch of the Australian Corriedale Breeders’ Association forwarded to Canberra a protest against any attempt to limit the export of Corriedales. But not all our sheepbreeders are so shortsighted as to risk sacrificing the future to the present; and twelve months ago the New South Wales Graziers’ Association carried a motion appealing to the Federal Minister of Commerce “ to prohibit the export of all breeds of stud sheep derived from the merino, such as the Corriedale and the Polw’orth.” Mr Walker, president of the Graziers’ Association, last week emphasised once more the objection that, if the Japanese want Corriedales and Australia refuses to sell, they can get all that they need in New Zealand or South America. But surely the answer to this is that the mere fact that the Japanese are always trying to buy our Corriedales shows that our climatic and pastoral conditions are the best for the production of the wool they require, and the rapid . growth of our merino flocks is positive proof that Australia surpasses all other countries in the essential requisite for the production of the finest wools. There may be as much danger to our wool industry in the export of Corriedales as in the sale of stud merinos; and with our experi-; ence of the expansion of wool-growing in South Africa and South America and Russia to guide us, we should be wise in time. South African Embargo. Quite recently the secretary' of the j New South Wales Graziers’ Association i drew public attention to the interesting 1 fact that “ South African sheep inter- j. ests are considering the question of i imposing an embargo on the export of ! merino sheep to Manchuria,” and he: mentioned incidentally that “ sufficient ! Australian merinos have been imported into the Argentine to give the breed a : good start there.” About the same ' time it was stated, apparently on good . authority, in the “ Labor Daily,” that , “ Manchukuo is a good country for' wool production—better than South . Africa and at least as good as the ; Argentine.” With all these facts and :

warnings before us, it may seem strange that the Federal Government has not taken more energetic measures to safeguard “ Australia’s priceless heritage.” The reason, of course, is that many sheep-breeders are so anxious to set up a lucrative export trade that they have shut their eyes to the dan&er to which they may expose their industry and their country for a little temporary gain The pressure that they have been able to apply to the Federal authorities may explain the indecision that Mr Lyons displayed last year when the New South Wales Graziers’ Association urged the extension of the era- ! bargo from merinos to Corriedales, and his rather futile attempt to throw the responsibility for action upon the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The council apparently holds that the case is “ not proven ” against Corriedales and Polworths. j But the excuse that Japan can buy these breeds in New Zealand, if we refuse her, is completely exploded by j.Japan’s persistent efforts to buy them i here rather than elsewhere. This J proves that our merino-cross wool posj sesses some of the distinctive qualities jof the pure merino that cannot be 1 secured elsewhere, and it is a sufficient ! reason for the extension of the em- ‘ bargo to cover these types as well. The Japanese know their own business, and ,we cannot grudge them any success that they may earn; but there is no reason why we should sacrifice our greatest industry to ensure prosperity for them.