WOOL AND STAPLE FIBRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22584, 24 November 1936, Page 8

WOOL AND STAPLE FIBRE

Woolgrowers should be reassured to have further confirmation that the much-advertised new artificial textile, staple fibre, is proving to be more of an ally than an enemy of natural wool. That conclusion has been reached by the special correspondent at Manchester of the Australian Associated Press, whose report is published this morning. English authorities expressed the same view a year ago when the British Government removed the import duty on staple fibre on the ground that it was an important raw material, a view subsequently supported by the Intelligence Branch of the Imperial Economic Committee. Actual experience in Lancashire has apparently justified these prognostications. The consumption of cotton, it is expected, will be reduced but new uses will be found for wool in combination with staple fibre. If the blend is as high as suggested—fifty of wool to fifty of staple fibre—extensive new fields of demand will be opened by the relative cheapness of the new material, and old ones should be regained. This will be better understood when it is explained that staple fibre is artificial silk cut into short lengths, mainly for the purpose of spinning into yarn, either by itself or in combination with natural textiles. It has made a remarkably rapid rise in favour, the -world production last year being 117,200,0001b., an increase of 140 per cent on the previous year's output. In spite of that or, maybe, partly because of it, wool is meeting with a steady and strong demand at rising prices. Fashion had ousted wool from several important markets, notably for women's underclothing and hosiery. Those might never have been regained except in alliance with the erstwhile competitor, artificial silk, in its new guise as staple fibre. The new fabrics should combine the sheen and attraction of artificial silk with the durability, warmth, elasticity and other sterling qualities of natural wool.