OUR COTTON.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1926, Page 10

OUR COTTON.

"FAR TOO GOOD."

INCREASED DUTY SOUGHT.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, May 3

"Our cotton piece and towel manufacturers have to enter into competition with goods manufactured from waste yarn, and with cheap labour, and containing no wearing qualities."

That statement was made by Mr. Herbert Crowther, superintendent of the spinning mills of G. A. Bond and Co., Wentworthville, in evidence before the Tariff. Board, in connection with au application for* increased duty on cotton yarn.

Mr. Crowther expressed the opinion that the cotton industry -in Australia required assistance, the reasons being that the wages paid in Australia .for spinning cotton were from 25 to 50 per cent higher than in any other country where he had supervised the spinning of cotton yarn; 'comparison of wages in Australia and England; cost of labour in spinning cotton here; and comparison of overhead .charges. Considering these matters, witness said his opinion was that the difference was due to the shorter hours in Australia and the higher wages paid. "The bulk of the yarn spun in my company's mill," he said, "has been spun from Australian cotton far too good for the particular purpose, and we could produce equally as good a yarn by a judicious : mixture of cotton." Mr. W. M. Alt, manager of G. A. Bond's spinning mills, spoke of the trouble experienced in training operatives. If the request made to the board were granted, he said, it would be beneficial to Queensland growers, and there would be several mills at work. It would be reasonably safe to assure the board that the whole of Queenslandgrown cotton would be consumed.

The Chairman: The demand would create the supply?— Yes.

Witness also said that, by reason of the high cost of labour, the local industry, was handicapped in its competition with the imported article. There was also the reason that the cotton from which imported goods were made was of inferior quality, while the Australian cotton used .by his firm was of good quality; too good for the purpose for which it was required. Success had been secured with ratoon cotton grown in Queensland, and his firm used all that could be obtained.