THE WOOL TRADE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 7563, 6 May 1919, Page 7

THE WOOL TRADE.

LONDON, May 4. Mr. Goldfinch, speaking at a .meet ing of the Wool Council, said there was a regrettable disparity in the April vales between ruling prices and Government issue prices. The. latter wore so much lower that it was difficult to satisfy the large applications for direct issue and find an equitable basis of distribution of the quantities available, but the difficulties wilF rapidly disappear. The arrivals to the 21st were 315,000 bales of merino, 883,000 bales of crossbred, and 104,000 of <o€her sorts. Subsequent cargoes brought the total for the four months to 1,017.566 bales. It would be safer, however, to reckon the arrivals at 950.00Q bales, which was fujly equal to the 1915 record. The shipments afloat totalled 460,000 bales, of which 217,000 were merino. The shipping arrangements were now working freely. There wos every reason to expect that three million bales would arrive in 1919, which would be considerably in excess of domestic requirements. The Allied restricts on, imports by neutrals bordering on Gemnany had now been removed, and complete free tratfo re-established. Regarding the export of finished woollen textiles to Denmark, Holland and Switzerland, guarantees against re-export to Germany were demanded from Norway and Sweden. The samo facilities for exporting yarn, tops find wooi could be granted by Britain, subject to a license, which would l:-e imposed solely for the protection of-Brit-ish manufacturers.