HOW OUR WOOL IS DISTRIBUTED.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1166, 29 July 1885, Page 4

HOW OUR WOOL IS DISTRIBUTED.

The total production of Colonial wool for the year 1884 was in round numbers 1,303,000 bales, of which 190,000 bales were grown in Cape Colony, and the balance, something over a million bales, in Australia and New Zealand ; and as we in this Colony claim a large share in this important trade, onr clip of wool being three times as large as that of any of tho other Australian Colonies, it may be interesting to give a few figures showing where all this wool goes to : Six years ago — that is, in 1879 — nine-tenths of the clip went to auction in London, tho other tenth being shipped direct to Continental ports and to America. At that time the diatribution was as follows : Taken in London by Home buyers, 373,000 bales ; taken in London by foreign buyers, 585,000 bales ; sent direct to Home manufacturers, 9000 bales ; sent direct to foreign manufacturers, 74,000 bales ; sent direct to America, 9000 bales — total, 1,050,000. It is worthy of remark that, of the 74,000 bales which went direct into Continental hand 3, no less than 06,000 bales were shipped hence to London, and there transhipped to their destination, only 8000 bales going from Australia to Europe without transhipment. In 1884 the figures were as follow : Taken in London by Home buyers, 503,000 bales ; taken in London by foreign buyers, 565,000 bales ; sent direct to Home manufacturers, 38,000 bales ; sent direct to foreign manufacturers, 178,00 bales ; sent direct to America, 39,000 — total, 1,303,000 bales. It will be seen that last year the export of wool from the Coloniea direct into consumers' hands showed a marked increase, the total thus disposed of being 235,000 bales in 3879 ; and a notable point is that the quantity sent direct to Europe, with transhipment, was six times as great as in 1879. These are reassuring figures to the Australian woolgrower ; for they show not only that the foreign demand for our staple is on tho increase, but that the inclination on the part of the consumers to como to Australia to buy our wool at first hand is on the increase, and that the tendency in this direction is being encouraged by tho establishment of direct means of transport. — " Sydney Mail."