WOOL RESEARCH

Evening Star, Issue 19708, 8 November 1927, Page 6

WOOL RESEARCH

ARTIFICIAL SILK INTRUDES

ADVICE TO CROSS-BRED GROWERS.

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

LONDON, November 7

(Received November 8, at noon.)

A private conference of British and dominions’ representatives discussed at length the vital necessity _of research to improve the finer quality of wools and to meet keener competition in the future.

British research experts considered that tiio development of artificial silk was unlikely to affect the finer wools, but they anticipated that it-would seriously compete with the coarser wools; therefore they proposed to coordinate research throughout the Empire. The dominion members arc to concentrate on the problems of production, and the British members on the uses of wool. As a result of the conferences a definite scheme is now being formulated for submission to the Australian, New Zealand, and South African Governments suggesting points for research. Mr Julius, interviewed, emphasised the need for finer Australian merinos. Ho said: “The Yorkshire manufacturers assured mo that they are now unable to obtain the finer wools from Australia, but are compelled to purchase South African. Two Yorkshircmen in the trade, pointing to largo stocks of wool from South Africa, previously brought exclusively from Australia, told me that Australia had bettor concentrate on tin; production of the finest merinos, as artificial silk is going to hit your coarser wools bal'd. This means careful research and more exact knowledge of the conditions of the breeding and nutrition of sheep.

“The British Woollen and Worsted Association,” continued Air Julius, “ is prepared to develop research here, and has given the dominions the fullest information regarding the behaviour of different classes of wool for spinning and weaving if the dominion breeders undertake their share of growing the wool, specially merinos, which is best investigated m Australia.—A. and N.Z. and ‘ Sun ’ Cable.