WOOL FOR JAPAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18294, 10 January 1923, Page 9

WOOL FOR JAPAN.

EXPANSION OF INDUSTRY.

LAND SETTLEMENT SCHEME.

INQUIRIES AS TO METHODS.

Some interesting information with regard to the remarkable expansion of the woollen industry in Japan during recent years was given yesterday by Mr. G. Akamatsu, who, with two of his countrymen, arrived from Sydney by _. the Marama. Mir. Akamatsu is the representative in Australia of one oi the oldest banking, shipping and insurance firms in Japan, that of Mitsui, Bussan, Kaisha, Ltd., which has been in operation for the past 300 years. He believes that in the course of a few years, Japan mil be one of New Zealand's, chief buyers of crossbred wool, which is being used more and more by Japanese woollen manufacturers. " Before tin war, Japan imported between 5000 and 10,000 bales of wool a year," he said. " During the war, when industry was at a standstill in the Western world, the quantity jumped to 60,000. We are now importing about 200,000 bales, and are manufacturing all grades of woollen materials, blankets, and rugs. For the former, we shall still require the fine, Australian Merino, but could do with large quantities of New Zealand wool for the other articles. One woollen mill in Kobe employs 10,000 hands, and the industry is steadily growing. Our great opportunity, of course, lies in the nearness of the vast markets of China and India, while our own people are gradually forsaking their taste for cotton, and taking more and more to woollen clothing. Japan is now the Western world's greatest competitor in the textile trade; we have practically captured the Indian and Chinese markets, and t are also opening up trade with Russia." Mr. Akamatsu will leave for Wellington in the course of a few days, and will attend the wool sales there and in the South Island. Another member of the party is Mr. K. Kakuta, land expert and adviser to the Japanese Provincial Government in the i Island of Hokkaido, who has come to L New~Zealand for the purpose of investii gating methods of land settlement here. '. The total population of Hokkaido, he ' said, was 2,000,000; the island was about i the same sjze as Scotland, and was capI able of bearing a very much larger popui lation. • Most of the land, which was in a rough state, was in the hands of a few rich people, and the Government was anxious to secure possession of these large estates, and to break them up for closer settlement, thus affording an outlet for the overcrowded areas of Japan proper. Everv inch of. land available was already under cultivation in Japan, continued the speaker, and it was felt that more should be done to break in new country, -in i which small lots could be sold to • the ' people, with facilities for working them. The Government was ready to do this, but was at a loss how to proceed, and was therefore seeking information as to the system in operation in Australia and New Zealand.