WOOLLEN INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 149, 21 December 1945, Page 4

WOOLLEN INDUSTRY

ACTION ASKED IN BRITAIN LONDON, December 20.

A strong deputation from the British wool and textile industry has lately urged Government Departments to do everything possible to expedite the release of more personnel from the forces and war workers into British woollen mills in order that output may be much increased to meet world demands. The industry needs practically 100,000 workers to restore its pre-war personnel and, with world wool accumulators : awaking liquidation and world markets hungry for wool goods, it is regarded as vital that workers must be returned to the mills as quickly as possible. Everything possible is being done to , step up Britain's rate of wool consumption. Production of wool goods for the civilian trade is steadily increasing and there are hopes of .higher allocations for export shortly. Meanwhile, there is growing anxiety in trade circles here to take the fullest, possible advantage of export trade opportunities in wool and processed wool, such as tops, for which there is great need on the Continent. N.Z. WOOL RELEASED, The Wool Control Organisation recently released for export further substantial quantities of crossbred tops of 48's, 46's, and 44's qualities—which means that the available total will be almost entirely composed t)f New Zealand wool —and these are available to all countries with which Britain has permanent arrangements. This is only the second occasion since the end of the War on which New Zealand tops have been made available for export and, since no Australian tops are yet available for export, it would seem that crossbred tops are the- only type in which there is a stock margin at present which can be placed at the disposal of overseas buyers. The trade' is anxious to see rapid extension of export facilities in both wool and tops, and points out that though the war in Eiirppe has been ended some months Britain's total exports of imported wool this year" are less than one-third of the pre-war normal.

At the moment it seems that exports of wool and tops from Britain must be governed by the spot stock position in relation to priority needs at home, and there is evidence that the authorities are alive to the need to make maximum possible supplies available to Continental Europe.

To this end traders are hoping for early resumption of unrestricted commercial importation facilities into Britain as a necessary preliminary to an extended export trade.