FINE WOOLS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 282, 25 August 1944, Page 6

FINE WOOLS

Growing Scarcity In Dominion “Lt may not. be generally known, but nevertheless it is a fact that line wools are becoming very scarce in New Zealand ; so much so that there is not enough being produced to provide the needs of New Zealand mills,” said the chairman, Mr. A. E. Allison, at the annual meeting of the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. “Synthetic fibres have improved to such an extent that this shortage of fine wools leaves the door wide open for the blending of synthetic fibres with them,” lie continued. “When it is realized that synthetic fibre tops, animalized to enable them to take the same dyes as wool, can be landed in a wool-producing country like New Zealand, paying no duty other than primage of 3 per cent., at a smaller price than we can produce pure wool tops here, the gravity of the position cannot be emphasized too much. “At the same time, we can confidently state that no substitute for wool has yet been found. All wool-producing countries are carrying out research work to confirm the value of wool as clothing, and we believe that wool can still hold pride of place in this connexion, particularly now tha't such great strides have been made along the line of increasing ils resistance to shrinkage. “Synthetic fibre will probably be a greater competitor of cotton and silk than of wool, but there is no room for complacency in this matter. Wc heartily subscribe to the proposals made by Australia that legislation should be introduced to compel the correct labelling or branding of all textiles, showing the percentage of constituent fibres. Not only would this practice prevent deception in the sale of such goods, but at the same time it would stimulate sales of textiles made from all wool. The proposals include the prohibition of the use of the terms ‘synthetic wool’ and ‘substitute wool,’ and an absolute ban on the use of I ho word ‘wool’ for any textile which contains less than 92 per cent, of wool. Wool-producing countries .would be well advised to support Australia in this matter, and insist that all goods manufactured in a country or imported into it are so branded. In this way synthetic fibres will have to make their markets on their own merits, and not rise to prosperity on the back of pure wool, which has so many advantages which cannot be provided by any substitute.”