WOOL IMPURITIES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 141, 12 June 1909, Page 2

WOOL IMPURITIES.

TROUBLE IN THE PACK. The report oi: the coninnUee which.,, recently met in London, at Dalgety's; office, to consider the question of vegetable fibres in wool, has been reoeived. ' Manufacturers and merchants of late years have been greatly troubled by the increasing quantity of vegetable matter appearing in worsted and woollen goods, after they have been dyed. Various parties were blamed for this state of affairs, but it has now been proved that the mischief was due to loos© fibres of jute from bagging or string. Burrs are removed from wool by special machinery, and they are detected in the wool before dying, but the jute fibres escape even the keenest eye, and can only be removed after the-piece has been dyed. The committee found that there had been a marked deterioration in the bagging material for wool, but that it had been so gradual as not to be readily noticed. Comparison with a pack made ten years ago, however, showed the difference in a most striking manner. The committee came to the conclusion that wool linings for packs furnished a real remedy, provided wool-growers could find an easy and convenient method of manipulating these linings in the process of packing. Papdr lined- packs of a special character are also strongly recommended. With regard to wool linings, the committee was confronted by the fact that the duty on such packs entering Australasia was 25 per cent, or Is 7d each when landed. The hope was expressed that the Government of the Commonwealth would see its way to cancel this duty on woollen pack linings, and negotiations are in progress to that end. . The committee was presided over by Mr J. E. Fawcett, ex-Lord Mayor of Bradford, and there were represented wool-growers, including Mr Acton Adams, of Canterbury, New Zealand, London, selling brokers, colonial wool merchants, top-makers and spinners, wool buyers and representatives or French and German spinning mills.