A NEW TEXTILE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 129, 13 March 1935, Page 5

A NEW TEXTILE

WOOL AND BOARD PULP. MANUFACTURE IN GERMANY. SEEDS OF MENACE TO PRODUCERS. (.United Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) LONDON, March 12. Mr A. E. Heath (New South Wales Government official representative in London), on his return from the Leip' zig Fair, issued a grave warning as to the extent of Germany's development of a substitute called woolstra, which is a mixture of wool and board pulp containing wool in percentages varying from 30 to 50 according to the cloth required. "Germany frankly wants our wool, but is unable to arrange credits to buy on the former scale. There is no antagonism toward Australia, but merchants point out that in the year ended June 30 last they sent us only £2,000,000 worth of exports and took £7,250,000 from Australia. Nobody pretended that woolstra was as good as wool, but I was strongly impressed with the extent to which the nation, under stress, uses it willingly. Merchants say that if supplies are available they could be sold six months ahead. Ido not want to create alarm. There is no great immediate menace, but the seeds of a real menace are there. Those disparaging woolstra ought to remember the quality of early rayons and artificial sjlks."