"WOOLSTRA."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 138, 12 June 1936, Page 16

"WOOLSTRA."

INGENIOUS GERMANS. SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOLLENS. RELIANCE ON THEMSELVES. The extraordinary developments in Germany to find substitutes for products which in the past had to be all imported was referred to to-day by Mr. L. G. Brundalil, Leipzig Trade Fair commissioner at Sydney, who returned by the Mariposa after visiting the LeipzigFair. Mr. Bruudahl said that while in Germany he investigated the substitutes which were being manufactured. They included benzine from coal, artificial rubber, nitrates and woolstra. The latter was a substitute for wool, and extraordinary success had been met with in its development.> It was a substitute which would react on Australian and New Zealand wool, and although the industry was as yet only in the primary stage, if allowed to go on it would revolutionise the market in the same way that artificial silk had done against the real article. In its present manufacture woolstra had about 40 per cent of wool, and the rest was fibre. It had much the same appearance as a woollen article, was light, wore well, and could be produced at a very cheap rate. The development of woolstra on the Continent was being viewed very seriously by Australian and New Zealand representatives in London, who were making a very keen study of the new product. Fair Exchange Wanted. Mr. Brundalil said that the Germans did nto wish to proceed with the manufacture of substitutes if they could place their manufactured products in fair exchange for wool, but at the moment Germany was faced with the fact that she had to find world markets for her manufactures. He said that with artificial rubber a very high standard had been attained, and the industry was bound to have a big effect on the world's rubber market. In manufacturing the product only a. little old rubber had to be used. The advance which Germany had made with synthetic nitrates was shown by the falling off in the export of Chilian nitrates and the fact that the substitute product was now sent as far afield as China. Mr. Brundalil said that Germany had great resources of brown coal for the manufacture of synthetic petrol and 20 miles from Leipzig there were enormous deposits. There a model village liad been built and an elaborate plant had been erected. Germany at the moment was manufacturing from a third to a half of her petrol needs, there were many by-products, it could be put on the market cheaply and it was considered that in a short time Germany would • be independent of outside sources. Largest Since War. Mr. Brundahl said that the recent Leipzig Fair had been the largest and the best held since the war. There were over 8000 exhibitors and. over a quarter of a million of buyers from all parts of . the world. The Germans were anxious that New.. Zealand should exhibit et the fair with a display of her primary products. The exhibition included machinery manufactured products and lasted over nine days. There were about fifty buyers from Australia and New-Zealand present. He said that the German people were very anxious to negotiate for Australian and New Zealand trade, but there had to be reciprocity between the countries concerned.

Describing conditions in Germany Mr. Brundahl said that the people were well dressed and happy, and there was very little unemployment. In the latter connection, he said that labour camps were to his mind {he only solution for dealinv with the unemployed young man. The German way waS to put them into camps where there would be an interchange of views. They were required to do certain work for municipalities without encroaching on ordinary labour organisations, there was a certain amount of discipline, proper tuition, good food, and the young man of Germany was taught that he owed some- . thing to his country.