Lack of finance limits wool research

Press, 25 February 1977, Page 15

Lack of finance limits wool research

The laboratories and offices of the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand were opened on February 21, 1967. Now, in the week of the organisation’s tenth anniversary, its board and management are concerned that lack of funds will severely hamper research and development work on New Zealand's secondbiggest earner of overseas receipts.

They are wondering just how they will be able to continue to operate effectively. The executive is looking somewhat apprehensively into a future marked by declining effective revenue, decreasing staff numbers and an inability to further research projects that should benefit the wool industry. In its first year — 1967/68 — industry, Government ana the Wool Board provided 5345.000 for W.R.O.N.Z. For the year ending March. 1977, the annual grant was just in excess of SIM, but in terms of the 1974 dollar, this was worth only $370,000. Today, the management and executive are fighting for more funds and are carefully allocating existing finances to ensure important projects can go ahead. When the W.R.O.N.Z. pilot plant was opened at Lincoln in 1971, it was planned to have more than 100 staff by 1976. Today, there are 83 employees. More than 70 per cent of its total revenue goes on salaries for scientists and technicians who, incidentially, could earn much more overseas. “We have to live within our income,” says Mr A. G. (Tony) Lawrence, chairman of the W.R.O.N.Z. executive, “and the only real way we can do this is to cut down on staff. This is serious, as our main investment is in scientific knowledge and expertise.” The Organisation is managing to replace some ageing equipment, but not enough. Research programmes are suffering because the money is not available. Mr N. F. (Norman) Roberts, director of W.R.0.N.Z., explains the situation: — “We are engaged in a number of projects, and others have been mooted, which could be of great benefit to the textile in-

dustry. But these are either proceeding too slowly for the best return to the wool industry, or they have been postponed so current projects can be dealt with adequately. “Some ' projects that would benefit from more finance and manpower include research into upholstery, blankets and knitwear, methods of setting yarn twist, methods of bulking New Zealand wools and methods of improving tufting efficiency. “We would look at ways of improving soil resistance and cleaning of wool. Synthetic producers have made a lot of progress in this field recently. “Development of a method of testing the fibre length of scoured wool has been awaiting finance for some years,” Mr Roberts said. One of the things that Mr Lawrence is concerned about is the amount of the Government contribution — percent age-wise it is decreasing. In 1972/3 it was 49 per cent. This year it will be 41.2 per cent of total expenditure. The Organisation has recently received the support of the National Research Advisory Council for a change in funding from category “C” to “D.” The outcome is now in Government’s hands. Should the change be approved it will mean an increase in funding — but nothing like sufficient to implement the programmes Mr Roberts is talking about. As a farmer and deputychairman of the Wool Board, Mr Lawrence sees wider implications than just another research organisation putting pressure on the Government for funds. “One of the only ways New Zealand is going to get out of its terms of exchange bind is by not only increasing production, but by increasing the value of existing production. That, in many cases, means further processing in New Zealand.

“Take carpets. for example. This country has . a very efficient tufting in- | dustry. and to maintain its t competitive position it will s depend on technical ad- 1 vance. The future health of the whole carpet industry I in New Zealand depends on this and W.R.O.N.Z. has an important role to play.” After 10 years of sendee and a valuable contribution to a major New Zealand industry, W.R.O.N.Z. is ‘ standing still or. in some ; areas, going backwards. “This cannot and will not * be allowed to happen and j the executive will shortly j begin talks designed to im- j prove and maintain the Or- j ganisation’s financing,” Mr I Lawrence says. The Organisation’s list of I achievements is impressive. The W.R.O.N.Z. comprehensive scouring system, used extensively in New Zealand and overseas, has meant savings to the local industry of about SIM a year. The system’s success is reflected in the dramatic rise in scouring of the clip in the past few seasons. Scourers have recognised the importance of W.R.O.N.Z. research by increasing their contributions from 36400 in 1969 to 3120,000 in 1976. W.R.O.N.Z. scientists are also responsible for work in flameproofing wool, for the design and manufacture of a unique carpet wear simulator, for research and development in carpet tufting, suitability studies of various wools for carpet use, a feasibility study into spinning crossbred wool on the self-twist system and studies of anti-static treatments for carpets. The list goes on . . . The buildings housing W.R.O.N.Z. the country’s third biggest research organisation, were opened by the Governor-General at that time, Sir Bernard Fergusson, on February 21, 1967. They occupy six acres near Lincoln. The organisation was formed in 1961, with funds coming mainly from the New Zealand Woo] Board and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Industry groups, such as scourers, began to contribute later. In 1968, the Organisation merged with the Dunedin-based New Zealand Wool Industries’ Research Institute. This institute, along with Government and university laboratories, carried out all the wool research in New Zealand prior to W.R.O.N.Z.’s formation. A pilot textile plant was added to the Organisation’s facilities in 1968.