WOOL’S FUTURE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 43, 20 January 1936, Page 10

WOOL’S FUTURE.

SCARCITY OF OPERATIVES. The fact that there is a shortage of skilled operatives in Leeds, Bradford, Batley, and in other towns is regarded as confirmation of the prediction made by Mr M. H. Pickles, director of a Bradford wool firm, who has been nominated as president of the British Wool Federation, that “the / wool trade is fairly safe for another year or two.”

The shortage of skilled operatives is pronounced, despite the extensive introduction of numbers of unemployed workers from Durham and Northumberland, says a London correspondent. The scarcity of weavers is acute. Orders arc falling in arrears. In West Riding some manufacturers are bringing back retired workers; others are advertising for unemployed cotton weavers from Lancashire, offering a training in wool operations. Difficulties, however, will arise from a large-scale migration, owing to the absence of suitable houses for transferred operatives.

It is noteworthy ■ that Air Pickles qualified his prognostication by saying that, when everything looked rosy, it was the time to be vigilant and cautious. This reference was apropos of the debacle in 1934, due to Germany’s decision not to buy wool. Air Pickles pointed out that it was gratifying that Germany had adhered to her promises. All old debts had been paid and partial payment made in resnect of interest charges. He said that Bradford industrialists had always had the greatest confidence in German clients. Air Pickles’s tribute to German industrialists is significant in view of discussions likely 'to take place at a forthcoming meeting of the Australian Graziers’ Council. ITALY’S SYNTHETIC WOOL. Through sanctions curtailing exports of gorgonzola, Italy’ is increasingly churning her surplus of casein into substitute wool, aiming at an output of 15.000 tons yearly, at half the cost of real \fool. Samples of this fibre have been examined by Professor King, who conducts researches into textiles at Leeds University. He does not think it will ever rival natural wool. Although it looks nice superficially, he doubts its ability to stand tests of durability and washing. Though the Italians are reported to consider that an advantage of their milk wool is that it does not contain sulphur, it is a mistake, because sulphur is valuable. It hardens-, natural wool, hut can,not be reproduced in milk fabric. The casein is convertih’e into lampshade fabrics and unbreakable glass, but it is hopeless to try to produce synthetically "the natural properties of wool.