WOOL SUBSTITUTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22820, 30 August 1937, Page 5

WOOL SUBSTITUTES

REMARKABLE GROWTH THREAT TO INDUSTRY UNITED ACTION NEEDED The threat of European substitutes' for wool to the producing countries of the world was increasing daily and tljr time was fast approaching when united action would have to he taken to combat it, said Senator T. Guthrie on his return from London recently, as representative of the Australian 00l Board at the recent international textile conference jji Paris. Last year the world had used wool substitutes equal to 6,000,000 bales of greasy wool, or twk'4? the total ol' the usual annual Australian clip, "Tremendous quantities of wool substitutes are being made in Europe, from wood pulp in Germany, and from milk in Italy." said Senator Guthrie. "1 am not afraid of the competition from the Italian substitute, lanital, which has many disadvantages, but 1 frankly confess my fear of the German substitute, woolstra, which has been improved tremendously, and which is becoming better every day, I carefully examined samples of woolstra, which is made from vegetable fibre, and with the naked eye I could not detect any difference from Australian wool. "We must not view the futuro lightly. It is necessary for the woolproducing countries to unite in a campaign to fight substitutes. Not only must there be a world-wide campaign of publicity to tell the people of the undoubted merits of wool, but money must l>e spent on biological research to reduce costs of wool production, and on technical research to make woo! more attractive for the wearer. "AVe cannot afford to sit down smugly because wool is selling well, Ihe wool market is good, because stocks in the world have never been lower. But millions of vards of substitute fibre are being sofd as wool. You can even buy it in Australia. I think that the wool-producing countries must soon introduce uniform legislation to protect the consumer against adulteration- of woollen goods."

ACTIVITY IN BUTTER CONSUMPTION RESTRICTED INQUIRY FOR CHEESE 4f (Received August 2!), 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, August 28 13utter has developed an unexpected activity, although it is not easy to make higher prices. The opinion of Toolev Street merchants differs whether they can be maintained. The recent advance in retail prices has restrained consumption, some of which has been diverted to Siberian,- which is of excellent quality. Cheese also is firmer. Inquiry is concentrated on coloured, resulting in a disappearance of the margin between white and coloured. , NEW MARKETS NEEDED i DOMINION'S BEST POLICY ADDRESS BY MR. H. R. RODWELL [FROM OUR OWN CORRKSPONDENTI HAMILTON, Sunday " There is a feeling 111 New Zealand that it is impossible to develop new markets, but there is little justification for that attitude," said Mr. H. R. Rodwell, dean of the faculty of commerce at Auckland University College, in an address to the Institute of Secretaries in Hamilton. Other Empire countries are exporting freely to fresh countries. England looks upon New Zealand as a foreign people, and trade v ith them is a question of business, not sentimentality. " Every effort should be made to develop trade with other countries, for New Zealand is at the ends of the earth and very little is known about her " said Mr. Rodwell. Attempts were being made at present to encourage that svstem, and it was to be hoped that .trade with Russia would be extended on a reciprocal basis to the advantage of both countries. There was a tendency to forget that New Zealand s nrosoeritv was bound up with that or other countries, who were trying to reverse the process of building uh trade barriers. The policy for to adopt was to eo-operate to the tullest extent to free international trade from the fetters that had so long bound it. GOLD DREDGE WORKERS 48-HOUR WEEK FIXED ARBITRATION COURT AWARD [by telegraph —own correspondent! WELLINGTON, Saturday The award of the Court of Arbitration in the Nelson gold dredge employees' dispute fixes the week at 48 hours, in six shifts of eight hours each. "Wages range from 2s 6d an hour for engineers, fitters, carpenters, electricians, blacksmiths, welders, and enginedrivers, to 2s Id for laboureis on dredge work. The minimum rate in alluvial mines is ss, provided that 011 non-paying claims a lower rate may bo paid, piovided that a secret ballot be taken among the men, and subject to the approval of the union secretary. On boring plants wages range from 2s 6d for drillers to 2s 14 d. The wages of boys under 19 years are to be adjusted* bv the secretary of the union and the'employer, or referred to the conciliation commissioner. All employees over 11) shall be paid in accordance with the schedule. Men employed on other than the ordinary job are to be paid not less than the rate 011 the ordinary job, or more if the rate is in accordance with the job. EAST AFRICAN COFFEE East African Coffee Plantations, Limited, Melbourne, has declared a dividend of 7 per cent, unchanged, on preference shares for the year ended May 31. Payment will be made 011 September G.