WOOL PUBLICITY

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 10

WOOL PUBLICITY

Meeting Of Committee In London POLICY FOR FUTURE Mr. H. M. Christie To Represent N.Z. New Zealand will be represented at it meeting of the executive committee of the International Wool Research and Publicjty Organisation, to be held in London about the middle of June, by the chairman of the New Zealand Wool Publicity Committee, Mr. H. M. Christie, M.P. He has arranged to leave Wellington for England by the Rangitaue on May 5, and to return to the Dominion early in August. The excutive committee is part of the organisation established by the wool-growers of South Africa, Australia ana New Zealand at a meeting held in Melbourne at the beginning of last year to devise means for furthering the use of wool by publicity and research. This will be the first meeting of the executive committee, which is responsible for the formulation of general policy. Meetings are to be held only as occasion demands, there being a permanent secretariat in England to deal with routine matters and to administer whatever policy is adopted. Each of the three countries concerned has the right to send two delegates to the meeting of the executive, but New Zealand is only sending one. Australia will be represented by two delegates, Sir Dalziell Kelly and Mr. J. P. Abbott, but no information has yet been received in New Zealand concerning the South African representatives. Extension of Plan Desired. Although the present organisation is limited to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, negotiations are taking place with a view to bringing France, Argentina and Uruguay into the scheme, for it is realised that only by combined action can an effective stand be made against the competition of synthetic fibres. In an interview last evening, Mr. Christie said that the London secretariat, on which New Zealand was represented by Mr. F. S. Arthur, formerly of Dunedin, had collected a great deal of information since its appointment last year. This material would be of great value to the executive committee in deciding what policy was to be followed in future with a view to retaining and expanding the market for wool. A tremendous amount of publicity was being given to various staple fibres by countries manufacturing this material, more particularly Germany, Italy and Japan. Members of the-secretariat were quite perturbed at the fact that people interested in these staple fibres were using a good deal of propaganda against wool, and the main concern of the executive at the moment was to combat that propaganda. An effort would also be made to co-ordinate research of both manufacturers and wool-growers so as to avoid any overlapping and to obtain the best results for the money expended. Interests of Growers. Members of the secretariat represented the interests of the wool-growers in the three countries, said Mr. Christie. This was very helpful in negotiations with the manufacturing side of the wool trade. Textile manufacturers, not only in Great Britain, but also in Germany and France, regarded the secretariat members as the official representatives of the wool-growers and consulted them on many questions concerning the industry. “For every £1 New Zealand spends £4 is spent by South Africa and Australia” said Mr. Christie. “The investment is therefore a good one from our point of view. Although New Zealand wool-growers contribute to the publicity and research fund on a pro rata basis, the Dominion has equal representation with the other two countries in the making of decisions and the framing of policy.”