VEGETABLE FIBRE IN WOOL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1136, 8 December 1893, Page 6

VEGETABLE FIBRE IN WOOL.

Australasian Pastoralists' Review. The Sydney and Melbourne Chambers of Commerce have handed us the following correspondence : Chamber of Commerce, Keighley, 19th August, 189. The Secretary Chamber of Commerce, Sydney, N.S.W. Sir.—l beg to enclose herewith copy of a letter of complaint, addressed to the president of this chamber by a firm in the district, who are large consumers of colonial wools. lam diiected to say that inquiries made in some of the principal towns of the west riding of Yorkshire go to show that the subject of the complaint is by no means confined to the district represented by this chamber; and, after careful consideration, my council believe that the object sought will be best attained by submitting the complaint to the principal colonial chambers. I am sending by same post a small parcel containing a sample of the cloth showing the defect referred to, and also a small sample of the fibre mentioned in annexed copy of complainants’ letter. My council look upon the matter as of some importance both to this country and to the colonies ; and I need scarcely add that I shall be pleased to be made acquainted with any action you may consider it desirable to take, and also to be favoured with the views of your council on the subject.—l am, Sir, (Signed) BALPH SINGLETON, Secretary. Copy of letters to be addressed to the president Keighley and District of Commerce :

Keighley, 18tl» July, 1893. Bir, —I am instructed by J the directors of this company to draw the attention of your chamber to a matter of great importance all users of wools imported in the scoured state from the Australian colonies.

I allude to the presence in the scoured wool of various pieces of vegetable fibre, principally flax and cotton, which, if not taken out in the sorting, cannot afterwards be detected until tne pioce has been dyed. As a consequence the pieces of cloth made from ' these yards contain a number of white hairs, varying from half an inch to three inches in length, whic.h are very objectionable, and often lead to orders being cancellefl. From opr observations we are strongly of opinion that the difficulty js caused by the roffqrs of the. scouring iqachiqes being gapped ip sorpe cases with potton, pnff in p.tfler cases flax or and gs materials become wo,rn opt, srpall pieces drop off tfle rollers into the wooj as it rpns through the rollers. I need scarcely point opt that oyery care is taken by ps to sort opt these objectionable bits of fibre, hut the hest endeavours faff to detect all of them, and we qnderstand from other spinners that their experience is similar to our own. We may further point out that some scoured lots are quite free from this defect, which we attribute to the use of wool in wrapping the rollers in lieu of cptton or fiax. In this case, when the bits drop off the rollers on to the wool no harm is done, as the bits take the dye as readily as the wool, and consequently the pieces of cloth are free from these white hairs.

but it appears to us to be getting worse ] each year, and we have ventured to bring the matter beforo you in the hope that you may be able to suggest some plan whereby the exporters in the Colonies may be made to understand the seriousness of the fault. We feel sure they will be anxious to rectify the the matter when they realise that the presence of this vegetable matter reduces the value of their wool to the users.

We send you herewith a small parcel of this objectionable fibre, which represents the hemp we send out in large quantities. At the moment we have none of the cotton fibre by us, but a pattern of cloth we send you herewith will show you the white hairs complained of. Trusting you may deem the subject worthy of your attention, and be able to bring about a reformation, which will earn for your chamber not only the gratitude of ourselves, but of every other firm in the country using these scoured wools—Yours faithfully.