ARTIFICIAL SILK

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6667, 21 July 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

ARTIFICIAL SILK

NOT' ArrJJCTINO WOOL ’’ ■ 1 , demand. :. r/ ,• j ;v/ :'-,v ; The effects of artificial, silk oh wool / Were dealt with in an address by Profeasor -Barker, at Bradford. Ho said that with an artificial silk production for 1926 of 235,000,0001 b, it was hot surprising the wool growers were alarmed, for in terms of clean scoured wool - /■ that figure was dvCr 50 per cent of Australian and New Zealand'wool pro,'duction. ' ■; • ••. ’■ / If however,, the artificial silk production for 1926 were put . down, in terms of the other, natural fibres, i then V readjustment of view was called for. ' The following list supplies the fibres: , ■ —rArtificial silk in terms of the world's cotton production, under 2 per cent; silk in terms of world's wool under 8 per cent; artificial i-i'u silk in terms of -the world’s silk.'prb- . . duction, 250'per cent. - What was there to be said for and

.against artificial silk? The uniformity of fibre and ease of standardised production were dominant factors in favour of the synthetic fibre. Tho beauty of the- fibre would be subject to “fashion periodicity,” and. such factors in prices, warmth, softness and appearance would have to be taken into account. 'Professor Barker, argued that the manufacture of artificial silk would increase the wealth of the world, and woiddilead," pot to a decreased, but an increased demand for natural silk, and thnother’natural fibres.

This suggestion was strongly supported by. the .figures supplied’ by tie secretary of the Silk Association, which showed that the total production of raw silk in 1926 had increased by over 20,000,0001 b. above, that five-year period 1911 t 0.1915. This contention is still, further supported by the fact that the demand - for wool is exceeding the suppiy»f "V' ’ ;