The Organisation of the Wool Industry. 
189 
Washed Wool. Unwashed Wool. 
Hoggs. 
Ewes. 
Hoggs. 
Ewes. 
Fleeces. 
Fleeces. 
Fleeces. 
Fleeces. 
Pieces. 
Pieces. 
Pieces. 
Pieces. 
Bellies. 
Bellies. 
Bellies. 
Bellies. 
Locks. 
Locks. 
Locks. 
Locks. 
On the completion of the 
year’s clip, an 
expert classer is 
employed to classify the fleeces according to the quality. Each 
farmer’s fleeces are treated separately and the farmer credited 
with the amount he has sent in under each class. The wool is 
then bulked, but the separate classes are always kept distinct, 
and it is packed in sheets for sale and distinctly labelled. 
The expenses of working a society of the nature outlined 
would vary according to the scheme adopted. The expenditure 
would fall under two headings : — 
(a) Capital expenditure to be defrayed out of share capital. 
Under this heading would come (if necessary) : — 
The purchase of shearing plant ; 
The fitting up of the collecting depot ; 
The purchase of a weighing machine ; 
The purchase of sheets ; 
The purchase of a press. 
(&) Working expenditure to be defrayed out of income. 
Under this heading would fall : — 
The cost of registering the Society ; 
The rent of a collecting depot ; 
The wages of the man in charge of the depot ; 
The wages of a classer and labourers ; 
Auctioneer’s charges ; 
Cost of clerical work ; 
Annual membership contribution to the Agricultural 
Organization Society. 
It has to be borne in mind that most of the working 
charges will require to be met for a short period of the year 
only. The working expenses should be paid out of revenue, 
and can be met by the Society charging a small commission on 
sales. 
The first instance of home-grown wool being dealt with on 
co-operative lines occurred in 1912, when about fifty members 
of the North West Flintshire Agricultural Co-operative Society 
disposed of their wool co-operatively, the total value of this 
wool being about 400Z. The wool was collected at the Society’s 
warehouse and there classed, with the result that an increase 
of about Id. per lb. was obtained over current prices obtained 
by other farmers locally. 
