FLAX CRITICISED

Grey River Argus, 23 October 1936, Page 7

FLAX CRITICISED

An English Rival (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, October 21. Sir David Rivett, after visiting the Wool Industry Research Association’s station, at Leeds, told the Associated Press: “I am most interested in an experiment connected with a new type of wool pack, composed of tough brown paper, woven with wool samples which is being sent to Australia. The pack eliminated the disadvantages of the jute pack, and appears superior to th© flax pack recently used by New Zealand-

WELLINGTON, October 22

• Replying to Mr S. W. Broadhead’s adverse comment on New Zealand flax woolpacks Mr F. W. Vickerman, managing director of New Zealand; Woolpack’and Textiles. Ltd., said that Bradford, so far, had seen only two seasons’ output of the New Zealand factorv. Mr Broadhead, who belongs to the British Wool Federation, of which he is a past president, said: I have received by air mail the results of meticulous experiments made at Bradford Technical College, and from these reports it is definitely stated that the packing of wool in the flax pack is going to ba very detrimental to the New Zealand farmer and to wool-users generally. The chairman of the wool pack committee of tho Bradford Wool Federation states in a letter to me to-day that in the committee’s opinion no improvement in the manufacture of the flax pack will eliminate the faults of the pack. The committee is quite satisfied that the raw material used’ is entirely* unsuitable for packing wool into. I am firihlv of opinion that wool so packed, when selling, will suffer depreciation in value against wool packed in a jute pack. I regret very sincerely to have to make such a damaging statement, but I feel that in the interests of the wool-grower and the wool-user it is necessary to do so. When New Zealand first sent the now' flax to Europe, wool-users unreservedly condemned it. A sample of a further flax pack showed some improvement, but when the wool arrived a; Bradford it proved little, if any better. Last season’s pack also showed a slight improvement, but it. was still behind the jute pack in efficiency.. He added, however: “I am now advised that the flax pack being distributed to farmers shows a great improvement on the pack previously delivered, and when this pack is received in Bradford very careful consideration will be given to its suitability. Mr Vickerman. in his reply to Mr Broadheadj, said that Bradford has seen onlv two season’s output of tho wool pack factory here. The first 193435 pack of twill weave was not es suitable as it might have been. The second 1935-36 p'kek was the latest in which wool was sent to England. The 1936-37 pack was now being distributed, to cover approximately one-quarter of this season’s clip. Lt was undoubtedly a much-improved pack, and next year it would be further improved, so as to eliminate the complaint regarding porousness, and also to minimise the possibility of loose fibre adhering to the inside pack.

IMr Vickerman said that an experiment very* much to the advantage of the flax pack was to rub a woollen surface against the flax and jute packs, and to observe the amount of loose fibre detached.