892 



Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



GOVERNMENT WOOL PURCHASE SCHEME. 



The Central Wool Committee has issued a statement to the effect that an 

 interim dividend of £250,706 has been received from the Imperial Government, 

 being the Union of South Africa's share in the profit on wool sold under the 

 Government Wool Purchase Scheme. As the final dividend will probably be 

 declared in December, it has been decided to defer payment of profits to partici- 

 pants in the scheme until the final amount is received in order to avoid a 

 double payment, provided the final dividend is received before the end of 

 December. In the meantime the above amount bears interest at the rate of 

 5 per cent, per annum. Participants in the scheme will receive their pro rata 

 share of profits, calculated on the appraised value of their wool delivered under 

 the scheme. Cheques for the amount due will be made out in their favour by the 

 Central Wool Committee and forwarded to them through the respective brolcers 

 who were appointed Government Agents under the scheme. The brokers should, 

 therefore, be notified without delay of any change of address in order to avoid 

 delay in payment. 



OSTRICH FEATHERS. 



During the period under review, five public sales of ostrich feathers were 

 held in Port Elizabeth, viz., 27th September, 5th, 11th, 18th, and 25th 

 October. Weights sold and the price- obtained were as follows: 23,693 lb. 

 sold, value £35,131; 6022 lb. withdrawn, value £92C9. During the five sales 

 mentioned above, one buyer took the major portion of the offerings. Specu- 

 lators did not operate so freely as was the case the previous month. 



With regard to the prices obtained during the above sales, there has been 

 very little change to note. For the period covered by the first three sales 

 prices remained more or less steady, although the fact that one buyer was 

 the principal operator caused a certain amount of irregularity and lack of 

 competition. At the last two sales, prices for superior quality feathers were 

 more or less unchanged, whilst prices for medium and common grades were 

 decidedly weaker. 



The coal strike in England appeared to unsettle matters considerably, 

 more especially as competition was not as general as it should have been. 



The present unsatisfactory condition of foreign exchange rates, makes it 

 very difficult to forecast even the near future, but advices from overseas state 

 that there is a very great demand at present for ostrich feathers, and if the 

 factors mentioned above could be remedied the trade would probably again 

 flourish as it did in 1913. 



