Hide Processors Confer In Wellington

Press, Volume C, Issue 29623, 20 September 1961, Page 16

Hide Processors Confer In Wellington

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. Fellmongers and hide processors representing every works in New Zealand and handling £2O million of exports a year are meeting at Wellington. The 120 representatives are attending the twelfth annual technical conference being held under the auspices of the Shoe and Leather Research Association. Seven years ago the New Zealand sale of raw calfskins had been seriously threatened by hard spot. Today spot had been completely eliminated, Mr F. W. Woodroffe, director of the association, told the conference today. He was presenting a paper on the impact of plastics on hides and skins in which he spoke of the association’s work on improving the cure of skins. Successful Investigation The problem of hard spot had been investigated successfully. Today no skin leaving the country was subject to that condition. In investigating deterioration of pickled pelts the association had established a strength of acid which was safe and used in conjunction

ith a fungicide. Thereby a pelt was now produced, which, seemingly, would last indefinitely. Recognised overseas as a first-class accomplishment was a hide-curing method developed by the association In this the salt was fortified in order to prevent organisms growing on the skin. This had improved the standard of skins and hides available to the New Zealand tanner as well as winning acOlaim abroad.

New Zealand exports of slipe wools were valued at £l2 million annually, said Mr D. Moir, of Christchurch Sheepskins and lamb pelts were worth another £8 million. Slipe wools were those taken off in the works and fellmongeries by chemicals