WOOL AND ITS USE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 20 May 1930, Page 10

WOOL AND ITS USE

SPEECH BY HON. G.Nv. FORBES

The Minister of Agriculture (theHon. G. W. Forbes) attended at the D.I.C. this morning to open that firm's exhbition of woollen goods. Ho made an interested inspection of the wobldecked windows and various showroom displays, and after performing the official opening, stayed to tea with a representative gathering of those interested in the woollen industry.

.Mr. W. Simm, manager of the D.I.C, introduced Mr. Forbes, ■ saying that tho exhibition was designed to interest people- in the uses of wool and to stimulate the purchase of woollen goods by the people of this province, and emphasising .the fact that the retailers of the Dominion were with the manufaturers in their desire to push woollen manufactured goods. "As Minister of Agriculture I need hardly say that I am very much interested in anything that will improvo tho position' in regard to our wool industry," said the- Hon. G. W. Forbes, in declaring the exhibition'open. Wool of this country were having to produce wool at considerably below cost, and that could not go on for long without having disastrous effects: They were assured that if /the people of this and other countries would turn their attention away, from silk, which had been invading wool's territory, the position would be as good as it had been. He hoped that the disastrous fall in prices would not be maintained. It had been said that , the wool growers and those interested in the wool industry had not sufficiently advertised the merits "of their goods, but Jiad been content to rely on the merits of the' articles. On the other hand, their rival artificial silk, had advertised and achieved a very prominent position. Wool was infinitely superior to any other fabric that 'could bo worn, and Ifiom tho pJ.C.'s display they could ! see that wool was capable of being manufactured into, articles of the most •irtistie nature. There was no reason why a lady who wore woollen garments should feel classed as "dowdy." Ho felt sure, too, that the enterprise of wool men would see to it that even more beautiful articles were produced in the future. "We are a small country," continued Mr Forbes, "and wool is a. very important industry to us. We are all concerned in it. What adversely affects one section of the community very soon reacts on the other. The wool industry, must improve in tMs country." No country in the world was better adapted to.wool raising than New Zealand. We had in this country to-day something like twenty-nine million sheep, and as Minister of Agriculture ho was very pleased to say that during tho last four or five years the total munberof sheep had been increased by a million 'a year. That showed that the industry was not standing still. Last year ,211,000,0001b of wool (688,000 bales) had been produced, and the exports iwcro valued, gi, &15,55P t 000, Local

mills had purchased £.400,000, and they employed 2576 persons, paying out £400,000 in wages. There were twelve woollen mills in the Dominion. Ho would like to see more articles made in Dominion mills, for wo must beeorac more self-sustaining than in the past.

Mr. Forbes concluded by thanking the D.I.C. for the step they had taken in advertising tho wool products of the Dominion, and hoped that their example would be followed by other centres, thus bringing under the notice of users the quality and variety*of woollen goods made in this country and throughout the world.