WOOL SCOURING IN NEW

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 122, 17 February 1919, Page 8

WOOL SCOURING IN NEW

..INDUSTRY., ■ j, Af V, ;: By Telejfraph.—Press .Aesoclat-'in. ti.':)~.Q ■.'; ' ,'f •'... Christchurch, February 15. iv>-.: : 4.Tiiit' the. Freezing Works and Allied (^Trades*'lndustrial Union is.alive to the \ of the eneournging of tho wool-. |CvßCOuring'.industry, was demonstrated by vS.the'evidence of two of its rcpresentaj^tives'before.-: the- Industrial Committee. pf. was AV. Purvis, who contended s.r'-that-the:industry, witli the assistance of ? a, little'legislation, eonld be made one iii: of.ithe'most important in the Dominion, 'j-;-and would giVe.employment to hundreds '.',": ofreturned soldiers. In the pa6t it had f.-.i:been- th'e'.custorii ito -export wool, nn-i p : scoured whatever its condition or qual- !.' ■ itj-. Preyiously the employers had been \\ ••'handicapped by lack of machinery, which' ■'.. 'necessitated drying, outside. The imcei--'.-'■'taiii'W'eather in N'cw Zealand, therefore, I '-prevented operations on an exwided }-:'''scale, but witli improvements in m«chin-i-'ery which could be made in the Domin-: (.-,.'ion, this argument as to outside drying; [":,:.did- not. operate. During the past fno! ©.'.■' years an average of 128,557 bal&sof greasy I;:''wool per annum had been exported, and !''■••••• an ; average' of 49,503 bales of scoured! t:- ; iv6oi.j that a',further 100,000 available' for scouring in'the ,' ' •Dominion'. ■; ■ On.: this .amount -the-'sav-. iK v ing of,-freig'htby:.-thb loss -of 40 per, cent.; \ the ' scoured fe'.wobi i argu-:-;^.jnent;:iri^:Javiur"6f ! :ii; larger proportion ?:S;bf:Dominion iwbol being scoured here was '?,'"«,'saving in- deterioration. Some classes in ordinary times could not 1)0, ''Easily'marketed, and had to 1» held for ! vva 'long time." The grit in it affected the_ Equality: of. the wool in time, a fact that 'ijscouring.here woild prevent. ; " ; ; ■ ; .ThVchairman asked the witness,to for-, (:-'---murate , and ; (lr.w out a.scheme to submit -',-ip ro. -committee;latcr on' with' reference ■ ft'tothe b&t manner in'which the Govern-: VV-.merit 'could give ; the desired assistance. ;i':': : Jlr.':F: C. Ellis, secretary of the union. ■; I !.'said:.that the' wool-drying industry;- "could■ Iv-absorb; .a large number of men. includ'ii'ing.returned soldiers, if extended. Very ['■■little, special training Svas needed, except =: :,in-- the" case" 1 of sorters, but these men b, could,be trained in ,a- technical college. .