SAFEGUARDING WOOL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 59, 13 March 1929, Page 10

SAFEGUARDING WOOL

OTHER SIDE OF CASE

OPPOSITION HEARD

Australian Press Association—United Serrlc*.

(Received 13th. March, 2 p.m.)

LONDON, 12th March,

Before the Committee inquiring, into the application for safeguarding duties on wool, Mr. A. S. Comyns Carr, K.C., putting the opponents' case against wool safeguarding, pointed out that it was difficult to make credible comparisons between English .and foreign wages in ■ the absence of foreign witnesses. England's loss of the dress goods trade, especially to, France, was due. to. the difference of warp. French cloths were generally single-warp and Bradford's double-warp. The durability of this was formerly popular, but now a positivo disadvantage, because, the modern girl expected a dress to be worn out at the. end of the season, so that she could bu/.a new one

The first witness against tho application was John Ross, managing director of Oombie, Ltd., described as the largest woollen manufacturers in Scotland. He said that they worked full time continuously. The ouput was confined: to; men's wear. He estimated that the export business represented 84 per cent, of.the turnover. Despite;severe competition in.. foreign f markets', they < had increased their Continenal business by concentrating on novelities and excercising economies.. If , a safeguarding duty were-: imposed, it would seriously affect foreign trade. Three of his principal German .customers' had , already advised him'that Germany would certainly impose a countervailing duty. Gross-cxamiue(l v Mr. ..Ross admitted that all his fellow ..directors supported tho application. ■He "also^ .admitted that.the Scottish trade feared Yorkshire .more than foreign competition. F. 11. Fox, chairman of Fox.Brothers, deposed that the depression in.textiles was werld'wide on account of the reduced demand for woollens. Men were spending less on clothes •and : more on. motoring and holidays. Women did not sacrifice clothes for motoring, but used,far less material for a.costumo.