WOOL SUBSTITUTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 83, 8 April 1940, Page 6

WOOL SUBSTITUTES.

Mr. R. G. Casey, Minister to the United States, has suggested that America should endeavour to retain as much of Australia's trade as possible by taking her wool instead of utilising artificial substitutes. Mr. Casey is doing good service and he is getting support from the woolgrowers of the United States, who axe raising a fund to eo-operate with the International Wool Secretariat in devising means to check the use of the treated wood fibres. This co-operation is of equal value to New Zealand, for any movement that will foster the use of the natural wool product is of immense significance fo us. New Zealand is represented on the secretariat, which is facing the problem on a practical basis and from three sides, scientific research to devise new methods of handling and manufacturing wool, the production of new fabrics, and, thirdly, publicity, so that consumers may be made aware of the superiority of wool over its artificial competitor. This is easily demonstrable, but wool has certain domestic attributes, such as shrinkage, which require attention. Seience has shown this greatest of all problems to be capable of solution, and on this basis alone a great market improvement is anticipated. The position of the industry in world economics and trade is also being closely'investigated, to discover what tendencies are operating against the use of wool, and to correct those tendencies. The action now taken in America if vigorously prosecuted will have a stimulative effect on trade both : in Australia and New Zealand. i