Wool-packs

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 80, 29 December 1930, Page 7

Wool-packs

Sir, —Having noticed recently a renewed controversy regarding the much vexed question of wool packs, would you kindly find space for the conclusions of one who has had a good deal of experience in packing and pressing wool in the sheds and stores, both in New' Zealand and Australia. I have for years delayed publication of my viewa on the matter, as I have somehow thought it probable all along that the different scientific investigations going on from time to time, would in some way lead to an entirely new system being evolved, but it seems only too evident that the old jute pack, with all its drawbacks, will take a lot of ousting; for, notwithstanding its drawbacks, it has many advantages that will be hard to beat. Presupposing an abandonment of all alternative methods of packing, my ideas run mostly in the direction of making the best of a bad job, and working along the lines of improving the jute pack, at least to some extent. I quite hold with the manufacturers in their complaints regarding jute fibre in the wool. A careful packer will eliminate the trouble to a certain extent by picking up all stray string, etc., about the shed, but it is obvious that even with the greatest care a certain amount of fibre is constantly getting mixed with the wool, and all this apparently has to be tediously picked out by hand in all but carbonising lots, all of which work has to be paid for indirectly by the grower. It seems to me in the first place that a large amount of the 'trouble could be obviated by a little more care at the manufacturing end. Many of the packs seem to be made up of a number of short scraps sewn together with a. large rough hem of unravelling fibre which it is impossible to keep wholly clear from the wool, even when the packs are used seam side out, but where, as is common, little or no care is taken, the trouble becomes appalling, hanks of loose fibre getting into every bale. To obviate at least some of these troubles I would suggest something as follows: That the makers be approached regarding an improved style of manufacture ; for instance, it might be suggested that they hem down or otherwise hold the loose ends where joins must be made, and go over the packs after completion and trim off a few hanks of loose fibre. If the rough edges were dipped in something of the nature of boiled linseed oil before joining it should fill the bill admirably. Then could not something be done along the lines of a little investigation to see if some cheap and efficient paint could not be evolved with which to coat the whole of the inside surfaces of the packs, thereby binding down all loose short fibre to the body of the fabric. For this I have in mind something in the nature of a. mixture of paraffin wax and boiled linseed oil, applied warm or even, hot, so .that when cooled it would be in the nature of an ordinary coat of paint and too solid to be absorbed by the wool, or if the mixture were of such a nature as to be soluble in the scour, a little absorption would be of no consequence provided it was colourless. There are two or three points to consider in these paint investigations—cost, for instance. Ordinary oil and lead paint should be effective but expensive; it seems to me that something of a more pasty nature would be better, in that it would not be absorbed quite so readily into the pack fabric, for considerations of both weight and cost. Perhaps something in the nature of ordinary paste as used for wallpaper might be tried. If it could be waterproofed in some way it might fill the bill. Lastly there are the matters solubility, colour, etc., all of which points would require to be carefully investigated, but it would not seem.to be a difficult matter for the right authorities to try out a few schemes along the above lines. — I am, etc., N. E. JACKSON.