RAYON REDUCED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21551, 2 November 1944, Page 6

RAYON REDUCED

BRITISH WOOL GOODS BENEFIT TO PRODUCERS RATION FOR PATTERNS (9.30 a.m.) LONDON. Nov. 1. New Zealand wool producers will welcome the news that rayon fibre usage in British wool textile manufacture is to be substantially reduced from the present restricted levels and that the rayon rations already granted for the next four months will have to suffice for a much longer period. The Wool Control stales that ibis is due to (he need for increased supplies of wool yarns for the Government, utility and relief purposes. This implies that the authorities need all the available wool machinery for producing woollen goods and intend further to curtail the volume of nonwool. fibres which may he processed on wool machinery. This is good news for the wool producers, indicating additional safeguards against attempts by synthetic fibres to encroach on (he field of wool usage.

The official policy here seems designed to ensure that no textile raw material shall be allowed to obtain an advantage over others under war-time restrictions on production and consumption. Reservation of Machinery The restrictive regulations apply fairly equally all round, but State ownership of wool permits the very strictest form of rationing and this might give a limited opportunity to other fibres to benefit at the expense of wool were special sefeguards not introduced. The measures now announced will ensure that the wool machinery is increasingly reserved for the manipulation of wool only. Under the present conditions wool enjoys comparative immunity from synthetic fibre competition in the British internal market so long as the war restrictions continue, but wool producers will realise that synthetic fibre competition must be faced in the British market as well as others when the wartime restrictions on production are relaxed after the war. Wool interests here are confident that wool will hold its own, but they do not under-rate the probable severity of the competition from other fibres. Aid to Popularising Wool The war-time wool accumulations are viewed with misgiving in certain trade quarters, but traders here believe that they can be an invaluable asset in helping further to popularise wool goods in the world markets. Further good, news is that British wool goods manufacturers are to be allowed small quantities of wool additional to the ration for the preparation of cloth patterns for export trade purposes. This is in line with the Government declaration of improved facilities for the export trade generally and pattern preparation is essential to any post-war export campaign. The world markets will shortly discover that Britain retains fully her traditional skill in producing new wool cloth designs capable of maintaining the world pre-eminence of British goods made from Empire wool.