Farmer’s Criticism Of Woollen Mills

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29829, 23 May 1962, Page 14

Farmer’s Criticism Of Woollen Mills

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. May 22. New Zealand woollen mills could not produce a sufficiently high proportion of high-quality woollen products for the New Zealand market, said Mr J. D. Eraser, general manager of the Wool Board, today. He was replying to a question at the annual conference of the meat and wool section of Auckland’s Federated Farmers.

Mr R. T. V. Linnell. of Kaipara. said woollen mills in New Zealand were not being used to their full capacity.

A lot was heard, he said, about exotic secondary industries being started requiring Government protection and using imported materials. What was the Wool Board doing to increase the production of woollen mills? Mr Linnell asked. Mr Fraser said the question of the availability of woollen goods in New Zealand was a major concern of the board Representations had been made to the Government. It had been found that the industry could not keep pace with changing fashion The main stumbling block was insufficient labour. In an effort to remedy this situation a number of skilled men had been brought from Australia recently Skilled men were being brought from the United Kingdom all the time.

A highly-skilled adviser from Australia had arrived on Monday to advise the industry on new processes. The board felt that a degree of rationalisation could help the mills Mr Linnell: Why cannot the mills export manufactured garments? Mr J Acland. chairman of the board, said New Zealand could be placed in an embarrassing situation if it subsidised woollen manufacturers who would, in turn, compete with the people buying the country's raw wool.