WOOL PUBLICITY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 127, 11 March 1936, Page 7

WOOL PUBLICITY

MOVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA. GROWTH OF RAYON INDUSTRY. At a recent conference between representatives of the Graziers’ Federal Council of Australia and the Australian Woolgrowers’ Council, it was decided to recommend that a publicity and research fund for wool be established by means of a compulsory levy, with legislative authority, and that the levy be imposed at the rate of not more than Is a bale in any one year. A sub-committee which considered the question of publicity for wool reported that the phenomenal growth of the rayon industry, the manufacture expanding from 5,000,0001 b in 1902 to 795,355,00011) in 1934, is one of the reasons for the displacement of wool, silk and cotton in certain sections of the trade. The perfecting of wool substitute manufacture on the Continent of Europe is already influencing manufacturing interests to participate in such production, and it is considered that unless adequate steps are taken in the direction of wool publicity it is quite possible that the use of wool ip the near future may he seriously prejudiced. As far as Germany is concerned tho new production is one which has arisen to a great extent from necessity, owing to the financial and economic conditions of the country, and pot because of any particular desire to do without wool.

That the demand for woollen goods has been stimulated by a publicity campaign in the United States is claimed by Associated Woollen. Industries. In recent years the demand for wool in America has been steadily decreasing, and the use of competitive substitutes has been increasing. A comparison with other fibres shows that cotton has practically held its place in consumption, compared with the totaL textile fibres used, ranging from 201 bto 301 b a head. Wool has shown a decline from about 3jlb to 21b a head. The consumption of silk has increased nearly threefold, although it now averages only about Jib, but rayon, starting from scratch in 1920, has now almost equalled the consumption of wool, being about IJlb. Whereas the average adult in the United States used eight yards of woollen material in 1910, the amount had dropped to four yards in 1930. A statement in regard to publicity indicates that wool has been outbalanced by 11 to 1, it being stated that the advertising expenditure for the various fibres has been as follows: For cotton (15 years), 4,220,000 dollars; silk (15 years), 3.232,000 dollars; rayon (10 years), 1,528,000 dollars, and wool (15 years), 872,000 dollars. It is claimed that, as a result of recent advertising, the consumption of wool for the first seven months of 1935 showed an increase of 72 per cent, compared with the corresponding period of 1934. The members of the sub-committee stated that “irrespective of what may be the cause, wo are convinced that the concern evidenced in the United States in regard to the serious decline in the per capita wool consumption of that country warrants tho most serious attention of those connected with the Australian wool industry. If there is justification for concern in the United States, where almost the total production of wool is consumed internally, surely the decline must be even more serious to Australia, with a home consumption of not more than 9 per cent, of its wool production.