13

H.—3B

withdrawn by the Imperial Government, and negotiations took place with the object of securing to owners of slipe wool the option of valuation in New Zealand or London. The Imperial authorities, however, refused to allow the option, but agreed to permit valuation, to be made either wholly in New Zealand or wholly in London; and as the result of a conference of freezing companies and growers to consider the offer of the Imperial authorities it was decided that valuations of all slipe wool should be made in New Zealand, and should apply to all wool not invoiced to the Imperial Government at the 31st March, 1918, or produced after that date. The conditions of the purchase of slipe wool produced from the Ist July to the 15th November, 1917, were originally extended to the 30th November, 1918, but this extension has been subsequently modified as a result of the conference referred to above. As soon as arrangements have been completed valuations of slipe wool wi 11 be made at freezing-works and shipping-stores in the Dominion. To the 31st March, 191.8, 62,981 bales of freezing companies' wool had been dealt with, and payments totalling £1,594,895 made. Of the total quantity of wool advanced against, 49,332 bales have been shipped to the United Kingdom, and 1,795 bales sold on account of other Governments. SKINS AND HIDES. The purchase of sheep-skins on the basis of 55 per cent, advance on 1913-14 prices has been continued on the same conditions of purchase as obtained to the 31st March, 1917, with some small'improvements in procedure. The scale of values on which sheep-skins are purchased was fixed as follows : —

All skins with damaged or faulty pelts are valued at prices proportionate to those shown above. In valuing green or salted sound skins allowance is made for the extra value of the pelts as compared with dried sound skins of similar quality. Seedy skins are valued at lower values according to their condition. Black skins are valued according to their proportionate value to ordinary skins of the same class. Wherever the conditions are suitable skins from sheep slaughtered at abattoirs are now valued daily on the abattoir premises, and treated on the same day at neighbouring fellmongeries. Owing to the opinion being freely expressed in some quarters that the requisition of sheep-skins was against the best interests of producers, the Imperial Government offered to discontinue the requisition, and with a view to discussing the proposal a conference of the parties interested was called at Wellington. The unanimous opinion of growers, brokers, butchers, and fellmongers, however, was in favour of the continuation of the requisition, and arrangements were accordingly made to comply with their wishes. Fellmongering. Sheep-skins are allocated to fellmongers by the Department immediately after valuation, and are during treatment under close inspection by Inspectors of Fcllmongering-works specially appointed for the purpose.

Merino Skins. Half-bred Skins. I j fine Crossbred Coarse Crossbred Skins. Skins. _L Three-quarter to full-woolled sound skins Half-woolled sound skins Short to quarter-wSolled sound skins Shorn sound d. 101-111 8f-9f 7|- 8| 5|- 6| d. 13 -14 11 -12 91 -10| 8 - 9 d. d. 12 13 114-124 104-114 10 -114 94-10I 84 J Of 84- 94 8 -10 . y 1 Lamb-skins sound 11-124