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H.—3Bb

Wool-buyers' Meeting. Wellington, 14th November, 1916. Resolution passed for submission to the Minister. 1. That if wool is requisitioned by the Government the Minister be requested to allow contracts made prior to the Government's warning to stand, and then take over all wool at a price to bo decided on, or pay the buyer a satisfactory commission to cover expenses and remuneration. 2. That the time of the Government's warning be reckoned as midnight on Wednesday, the 6th November. 3. That the Minister be asked whether wool actually shipped will be interfered with. 1. That the Government be asked if their proposal is meant to include all wool of every description. 5. That the Government be requested to take wool held by fellmongers, scourers, and dealers on the basis of present London prices less charges. 6. That in view of the limitation of shipping-space, and for the purpose of finding employment both for the fellmongery and scouring plants, and the labour connected therewith, this meeting recommends that sufficient sheep-skins, earthy wool, pieces, bellies, and locks be allotted to and treated on a fair remunerative basis by the various established fellmongery and scouring plants. 7. That the Minister bo requested, to utilize the services of the members of the New Zealand Wool-buyers' Association in valuing the wool for the purpose of fixing the prices to be paid. 8. That the Government be requested to prohibit the export of sheep-skins, and that the whole supply be commandeered by them, the State employing all fellmongers at present in business to manipulate the skins on its behalf. Wool-buyers' Meeting. Wellington, 15th November, 1916. Further Resolutions passed for submission to the Minister. 1. That if wool and skins are to be taken over by the Government it be a suggestion to the Minister that for the purpose of buying the wool and skins the Dominion of New Zealand be divided into the following districts : Auckland ; Gisborne ; Napier ; west coast of the North Island ; Wellington ; Marlborough ; Christehurch and Timaru ; Oamaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill—or eight districts in all. 2. That the following gentlemen—Messrs. Walter Hill, E. J. P. Denny, F. B. Clark, T. 0. Price, E. Myers, R. Nettlcton, J. A. Roberts, and 11. T. Milnes —be appointed eight supervising buyers in connection with the above-mentioned districts, with twenty other assistant buyers for wool, and another twenty assistant buyers for skins. 3. That the commission to be paid for the assessing of the value of the whole of the wool be |d. per pound, and for skins 1} per cent., the buyer paying his own expenses. 4. That in the event of fellmongers and scourers being required by the Government to fellmonger skins, cure pelts, or to scour wool, the following rates be asked for, viz. : — Eellmongcring : 2d. per pound on weight of wool, with 6d. per skin as minimum. Scouring wool : 2d. per pound for fleece ; 21d. per pound for pieces and bellies ; 2}d. propound for locks, second pieces, and stained pieces, with }d. advance on each class for scouring merino. Curing pelts : 3s. 6d. per dozen for sheep, casks extra ; 3s. per dozen for lambs, casks extra ; delivery to be taken and given at nearest railway-station or Government dejrot. Rates to be subject to adjustment in the event of Arbitration Court proceedings varying present conditions of working or wages. That all fellmongers and scourers throughout New Zealand be requested to furnish an estimate of the number of skins and weight of greasy wool they can handle per eight-hour day. 5. That all firms doing business in New Zealand and connected with the Wool-buyers' Association be requested to furnish an estimate of their financial loss consequent on the disorganization of business through the requisitioning of the wool and skins, the estimate to be based on the following lines : (1) Firm's standing expenses ; (2) loss of commissions of any kind. As a result of the resolutions submitted the proposals of the Wool-buyers' Association may be summed up as follows : — The Wool-buyers' Association is prepared to assess the value of the whole of the wool taken by the Government on any basis which may be acceptable to those interested — i.e., the owner and Minister of Agriculture. The association will also assess the value of sheep-skins in any condition on the same basis. The remuneration for this work to be §d. per pound on wool and 1} per cent, on sheep-skins. The scourers and fellmongers' section of the association are prepared to take delivery of wool and skins at nearest railway-station or depot and manipulate the same, delivering again to rail or store at the prices set out in resolution No. 4 of the 15th November. Wool-brokers' Committee. The committee, after discussion, arrived at certain resolutions, which are, in effect, embodied in the following communication addressed to the Minister : — Wellington, 15th November, 1916. Dear Sir, — Commandeering Wool-clip, 1916-17. Referring to the conference hold in Wellington at your request, the wool-brokers of the Dominion have pleasure in placing at the disposal of the Government, in the event of the proposals hiring acceptable to the farming community, their respective organizations, premises, &c, for the proper conduct of the business.