Board Welcomes Wool Labelling Act

Northern Advocate, 21 October 1949, Page 6

Board Welcomes Wool Labelling Act

WELLINGTON, Fri. (P.A.)—By passing the Wool Labelling Act Parliament had brought New Zealand into line with South Africa in preventing the passing off of substitute materials as woollen or worsteds, and it is understood that legislation of a similar nature will be gazetted in Australia on January 1, 1950, the New Zealand Wool Board stated today. “This is of special importance to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa,” said the board, “because the wool boards of these three countries, through their common organisation, are making great efforts to promote the use of wool and those efforts could largely be wasted if it were permissible for substitute goods to be falsely represented and sold as being made of wool.” The New Zealand Wool Board expressed the view that the now law which is to come into effect from April 1, next year, will benefit everybody. SIMPLIFIED By requiring the labelling of woollen or worsted products with their proportionate weight of wool (except where that is less than 50 per cent and the goods are not represented as woollen or worsted) the law would make it easy-for wholesalers, retailers and the buying public to know exactly what they were getting. The principal effect, of the act would be felt by manufacturers, but the board before it approached the Government to pass the law, had consulted with the New Zealand Mill Owners' Association and the act had been drawn up in close consultation with it. NOT UNDULY RESTRICTIVE In view of the importance of the British wool manufacturing trade as buyers of New Zealand wool and as exporters of one of Britain’s principal dollar-earning products today, special care had been taken by the board to see that the law was not unduly restrictive of manufacturing interests and a special delegation had come out from Bradford to discuss proposals with the board in Wellington. It had returned to Britain satisfied with what was proposed. “The board believes the Wool Labelling Act will work out well in practice, causing a minimum of trouble to those traders concerned in selling the wool products. “It thanks the Government and Opposition for joining in giving the law a speedy passage through Parliament and believes that this is in itself, an indication of the general public support for what the act is intended to do.”