bly Japanese enterprise) will severely test the resources of the older industrial countries, and success will rest in the future with the country developing the most thoughtful captains and rank and file of industry.
(b) Wool Production.—During the high prices period of 1918 to 1921 the demand for wool was so great, and future prospects for the wool-grower seemed so rosy, that likely and unlikely fields for the development of sheep-breeding were considered.
With the slump in prices the future prospects of the wool- grower suffered an apparent eclipse. No doubt in 1920 prospects were considered too rosy, but equally in 1921 prospects were regarded in altogether too sombre a light. A few broad glances at the situation will clear the way.
If we take the United States as practically a self-contained country, and allow the approximately ten million negro population (wearing little or no wool) to balance the extra wool required for garments in the northern states, where cold winters have to be faced, we get this interesting result: Wool consumed, 600,000,000 lb.; population, 100,000,000; or 6 lb. of wool per head per annum. Even if we allow for a considerable quantity of re-man- ufactured material and also for the negro population, this can only be regarded as a " miserable statement," for the 6 lb. is greasy wool yielding about 3 lb. of clean wool, or hah" a suit or half a dress length per annum for each male and female in the United States. In this allowance are included the imports of wool materials (other than raw wool) amounting to an average of over 30,000,000 lb. per annum. Neither Great Britain, France nor Germany shows any advance on this.
The world's wool statistics and population only serve to em- phasize the lack of supplies; for taking the pre-war figure (given in Table i) of 2,728,461,630 lb., and allowing an average yield of 60% clean wool, this leaves about 1,400,000,000 lb. of clean wool to serve for a world's population of 1,606,542,000 or -9 lb. of wool per male or female. To make this discrepancy even clearer, however, take only the population of Britain, Canada, Australia, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Euro- pean Russia and the Netherlands these total up to approxi- mately 282,000,000 souls, consuming hardly 6 lb. per head per annum. The problem of the future would seem to be: How to develop such conditions of livelihood the world over that the greatest possible number become substantial purchasing (or exchanging) units?
What possibilities of increased supplies are there? These may be grouped under two heads: (i) an increased yield from the present flocks, and (2) the opening up of new tracts of sheep-rearing land. The first point is admirably illustrated by particulars taken from Table i, the weights of fleeces for the several continents working out as follows: Europe |9M | 5 lb. per fleece.
Oceania 645 I .....
^6/ 7
S. America 4826 "1 4 " " "
n86/ N. and Central America 3042 1 . 6 " " "
547 J'
Asia 2731 1 . . . 3 '
923 / Africa 2199 \ 3 " " "
634 >
In some cases the sheep-lands are too poor to be expected to do better, but it will probably be found that this is very rarely the case. It is stated, for example, that Herdwick sheep, living on Cumberland hills which will hardly support rabbits, will produce fleeces from 5 lb. to 10 lb. weight. But what may be effected through careful selection is best illustrated by the following record of New South Wales flocks:
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Period
Sheep
Average Weight of Fleece
Total Weight
1890-3 .... 1900-3 .... 1916-9 ...
60,000,000 36,000,000 T;,OOO,OOO
3 lb. 9 oz. 6 lb. 3 oz. 8 lb. 7 oz.
213,700,000 222,750,000 295,310.000
Thus with 25 million fewer sheep in 1916 as against 1890 some 80,000,000 lb. more wool was produced. Great Britain has seriously taken these figures to heart, and under the auspices of the Research Association for the Woollen and Worsted Industries strenuous endeavours are being made, (a) to increase the quality and yield of the well-established breeds of sheep, and (b) to improve the quality of the wool in certain mountain types by crossing with better quality sheep, especially Down sheep.
With reference to the second point, although nothing like the development of a second Australia is to be expected, it is already obvious that marked developments of sheep-growing tracts of land may be expected. In the spring of 1921, for example, Col. Robert Stordy, on behalf of the Peruvian Government, sailed from Britain with cargoes of Southdown, Suffolk Down, Shrop- shire, Rambouillet (merino) and Soay rams, with the object of developing wool growing in Peru. Wool analysis of the Peru- vian wools grown in 1921 on the degenerate sheep of the country, as analyzed by the university of Leeds, revealed remarkable qualities specially acceptable to the hosiery manufacturer. The development of Peru as a wool-growing country is one of the most fascinating possibilities.
The Duke of Devonshire, Governor-General of Canada until 1921, was specially interested and concerned in the development of the prairie lands of the Dominion on the four years' rotation basis, and one of the years will mean sheep. Thus it is quite pos- sible that in the near future Canada will produce more wool of the Down type and possibly of the merino type: for if Russia can raise merinos amid the snows of winter, why not Canada? The Indians and Japanese are both making inquiries with the idea not only of improving the breed of such sheep as they have but also of developing large tracts of land which probably could well carry sheep.
(c) Wool Distribution.—The question as to where the wool of the world will be distributed for manufacture and re-distributed for wear, is largely a matter of surmise, and, after the extraordinary change from the conditions prevailing in the early months of 1920 to the conditions prevailing in the early months of 1921, even the most reliable authorities hesitated to commit themselves. If the world becomes more stabilized, and the suppressive effects of vested interests on the one hand and of “ca’canny” on the other are brought within reasonable limits, then it may be that conditions as rosy as 1918 to 1921 will return with accompanying similar conditions in other industries. To meet such conditions, should they arise, will necessitate the employment of every possible type of automatic machine, and a developed skill depending on the quality of "thoughtfulness" on the part of the individual worker in using such automatic machinery. It will thus be evident that forethought, efficiency and skill will play a greater part than ever in deciding the peoples to whom the bulk of the world’s wool shall pass to be manufactured. Australia will undoubtedly manufacture an increasing quantity of wool—but she may possibly grow an even greater quantity than that demanded to balance for the manufacturing in her own mills. S. Africa, S. America, India and Japan will no doubt all claim their quota for manufacturing purposes. But the great bulk of the wool will be manufactured elsewhere: and it is safe to say that will be where scientific method and scientific management and a broad, humane outlook dominate. And the manufactured material of course will go to those peoples who have something to offer in exchange.
It is true that the immediate outlook in 1921 was dark. But the reason why was becoming apparent. And when this was fully realized the world would be well on the way to adjust its economic condition to facilitate production and exchange to the advantage of all its peoples. (A. F. B.)
WOOLDRIDGE, HARRY ELLIS (1845–1917), English musical antiquary, was born in 1845. He studied art, and became a student of the Royal Academy in 1865, about the same time commencing his researches into early music. He received various commissions for artistic works, the most important being a reredos for St. Martin's church, Brighton, and the frescoes in St. John's church, Hampstead. At the same time his reputation as
