WOOL SCOURING

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 39, 17 February 1919, Page 2

WOOL SCOURING

PLEA FOR ENCOURAGEMENT.

(»T TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

CHRISTCHURCH, 15th February

That the Freezing Works and Allied Trades Industrial Union is alive to the necessity of the encouraging of the woolscouring industry was demonstrated by the evidence of two of its representatives before the Industrial Committee. The first was W. Purvis, who contended that the industry, with the assistance of a little legislation, could be made one of the most important in the Dominion, and would give employment to hundreds of returned soldiers. In the past it had been the custom to export wool unscoured whatever its condition or quality. Previously the employers had been handicapped by lack of machinery, which necessitated drying outside. The uncertain weather in New Zealand, therefore, prevented operations on an extended scale, but with improvements in machinery which could be made in the Dominion, this argument as to outside drying, did not operate. During the past five years an average of 428,557 bales of greasywool per annum had been exported, and an average of 49,503 bales of scoured wool. He estimated that a further 100,000 bales were available for scouring in the Dominion. On this amount the saving of freight by5 the loss of 40 per cent, of grease and dirt from the scoured wool would be £200,000. Another argument in favour of a larger proportion of Dominion wool being scoured here was a saving of deterioration. Some classes of wool in ordinary times could not be easily marketed, and had to bo held for a long time. The grit in it affected the quality of the wool in time, a fact that scouring here would prevent. The Chairman asked the witness to formulate and draw out a scheme to submit to a committee later on with reference to the best manner in which the Government could give the desired assistance.

Mr. F. C. Eilis, secretary of the union, said that the wool-drying industry could absorb a large number of men, including returned soldiers, if extended. Very little special training was needed, except in the case of sorters, but these men could be trained in a technical college.