SAViNG WASTE GOODS

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 209, 3 September 1919, Page 10

SAViNG WASTE GOODS

■WOOL, TIN* AND IRON. The immense quantity of tins and iron utensils sent to the city destructor and from there carted to a "tip" in Nelson Street, causes a feeling of regret that some of the war economics practised at France could not he introduced into New Zealand. Articles appeared in the dress during the war, describing how all tills in the lines were gathered up and treated so as to save anything of value. By this method solder and tin were recovered, which otherwise would have gone to waste. In these days, when so many articles of food are supplied in tins, it should pay to have a plant attached to the destructor, where empty tins could be dealt with, thus saving the cost of carting them to the tip, and also utilising what now is going to waste. New Zealand imports a lot of iron, and if there was a smelting plant to work up all old iron, and convert it into an article of value again, great waste of valuable metal would be avoided.

Another point is: What becomes of all the cast-off woollen clothing? Most articles are discarded when only worn out in one part, but the rest "of the garment contains a lot of good wool. In older countries methods have been in use for some time in unravelling old woollen goods, cleansing the material of the dye, and again using it up mixed with cotton, for the manufacture of cheaper clothing. Our New Zealand woollen mills took a pride in having no mixtures, which was all very well when clothing was cheap, aud the question of nsitt,"- up old material was not worth consideration, 'but now, when a suit of clothes co3t from -CS to ClO, the position is entirely altered, and it is essential that clothing should be supplied at a figure within the reach of tlie average wage earner. Ready to wear suits now cost as much as a tailor-made one did before the war. The shortage of good suitings is now so acute that tailors experience great trouble in getting even small supplies to go on with.

To give an idea of how some goods have advanced in price, one line of silkfinished suiting which, before the war, cost 3/9 per j'ard in England, was quoted at 10/. hut is now unprocurable even at that figure. Quite recently £-2 10/ per yard was offered in tiie South for a suit length of cloth, which two years ago would have been sold at 15/. Even £2 10/ failed to secure a yard of that particular cloth. Instead of prices easing after the termination of hostilities, they have advanced for most lines of suitings and dress goods iv England, and until rates are reduced in fireat Rritain the cost of clothing will keep up in New Zealand, as local woollen mills cannot supply anything like the stocks of goods required by warehouses.

At one of tho Presbyterian ■ huvehe* where rededicat-ion services are now being; held, the Minister was speaking on the importance of tile Bible being the rule of life, and stated that the second question in 'the cateeliiijni explained this very fully. "But probably some one of 3-011 can repeat it to mc," he said to those .sitting in front of him. There was a pause, then an elderly gentleman •sitting in the back of the church repeated clearly anil d : =tinctly the answer to the question. "'l'll never fbrge.t the drilling we got in our catechism." he added, as he sat back with a satisfied air, after being congratulated by the minister lor having audi a good memory. '