Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, JAN. 20, 1936. WOOL PUBLICITY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 43, 20 January 1936, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, JAN. 20, 1936. WOOL PUBLICITY.

Sheeiwiex iu Australia and New Zealand can scarcely realise tfie strength, ot the competition of syntlietic fibres with wool, for tiiey do not come in contact with the selling end of tfie finished wool products, as do the manufacturers of the West Hiding of Yorkshire. The competition is very real and very strenuous, and the cheaper syntlietic product is making great progress. In 1934, about 950,000,0001 b of synthetic fibre was produced, while the clean Wool produced in Australia is about 1,000,000,0001 b. Lord Barnby, an English ivool expert now in Australia, told woolmen in Melbourne that he was more than ever convinced that unless an Empire-wide publicity campaign is undertaken Australia will suffer seriously, and we may add New Zealand and South Africa also. Australian sheepmen are conversant with the situation and are contemplating action. A special convention of the Graziers’ Federal Council of Australia is to meet in Melbourne in the course of a few days, and will discuss ways and means of fostering wool consumption abroad. At the last annual convention of the Graziers’ Federal Council, a sub-committee of three was appointed to draw up a report on a world-wide publicity campaign, and the report will come before the Melbourne convention. The president of the Graziers’ Association of New South Wales stated the other day that the remarks of Lord Barnby previously made had aroused increased interest in wool publicity. It seems that no financial support is to be expected from British manufacturers, but if Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa co-operate in the matter a worth-while publicity campaign could be inaugurated. Such a campaign, however, would be worth while only if it is continuous over a series of years, and has the active support of all the main interests. There is no doubt that New Zealand wool growers would join in this movement, but a new situation arises for them as for other producers under the Government guaranteed prices policy. The wool grower would have no interest in the market beyond selling - to the Government at an economic price; that is to say, he is assured of a payable price from tfie Government. Lord Barnby has suggested that a levy by Dominion Governments on every bale exported would be the most effective action. In the case of New Zealand woolgrowers they would not be exporters for presumably their wool would pass from them if a policy of guaranteed prices is brought into force, and the^ exporting would rest with the Government. This is a new factor in the situation which may very well complicate a scheme, so far as New Zealand is concerned, to give greater- publicity to the uses of wool.