WOOL PACKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19373, 8 January 1925, Page 8

WOOL PACKS.

EDUCATING THE GEOWEES. ANOTHER MEETING AT BRADFORD. (Fbok Otns Own Coebespondent.) I/DNDON, December 3. At » meeting of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, Mir F. A. Aykroyd (the chairman) gave a report on the conference with the wool growers in London with regard to the new wool pack. Mr Aykroyd said that they had presented to the meeting a perfectly complete case, stating that all out-of-pocket expenses would be mot by the trade of the West Riding. But in order to bring this about there was one little item whch they did feel was really the concern of the growers, and not the trade. At the moetng, however, this little item seemed u> be a stumbling block, and rather frightened these large financial houses with their millions of capital. They were told that the moat important matter had been overlooked, and that was the necessity to scrap the old presses now in use in Australia and New Zealand and the Cape for packing wool, and installing larger presses so that a larger bale could be packed that would help the trade to bring down the cost of the new pack. As one who had taken a good deal of interest in this proposal, he had never for one moment thought that there would be the least objection on a score of that eort—- (" hoar, hear ”) —because, although it might look a very big thing collectively, individually it was so small as to be (beneath contempt for any ordinary business man in the West Riding. When one considered that the advance in price between this season and last season in Australia alone—not mentioning the Cape or New Zealand—amounted to between £15,000,000 and £20,000,000, to jib at the introduction of a small press that would cost £GO was really beyond comprehension. THE LONG VIEW. He felt that the only alternative now wan to proceed to educate the growers of raw material so that they could eliminate this evil once and for all. They were taking Steps on that line now. Possibly they had expected too much in hoping that the growers would accept the proposals without emur, but they did feel that on many points the growers and other representatives had misunderstood the suggestions, and they proposed to take steps to put them right on those paints. In order to educate the public generally, they were hoping to have some bales exhibited at the docks in London, so that the buyers from all parts of the world could see what it was proposed to do. Possibly, two of the balsa would bo exhibited in. Bradford. The French people had had a meeting since the meeting in London, and had passed a resolution. folly endorsing the proposals and suggesting that bales of wool packed in the new materia] should be sent to Boubaix for exhibition to all the users of wool on the Continent. He felt that nothing further oould be done until those who were vitally interested had been educated to a greater degree than at present. The colonies, like ourselves, were free countries, but he thought that in course of time public opinion, would be so strong that they would feel that they had another duty to perform than to take just the short view and consider the very slight expense in dealing with a matter of such urgent importance to the trade of the West Riding. SETTING THEIR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER. Mr Herbert Haigh said one thing seemed to have been forgotten, and that was the immense Home trade that was being done in jute packs or sheets. The whole of tha woollen trade material was sent out in jute sheets or hemp sheets or ordinary wool sheets. Would it not be as well to start with the wool pack at Home? He had had many cases in his experience of the woollen, trade 'in which most expensive material nad been woven, finished, and dyed, and had given trouble because those in the willeying room had not opened the bales in tha proper way, and strands of jute had got in and spoilt many pieces, i The Chairman said that was an excellent suggestion, and it was agreed to refer it to the committee dealing with the matter. He added that the jute Mr Haigh spoke of might have get into the bale as it came from Australia, and it was not much use getting the wool in jute packs from Australia and using wool paoks at Home.