DOMINION TEXTILE TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21996, 4 July 1933, Page 12

DOMINION TEXTILE TRADE

A COMPLIMENT FROM . ;v, ■ v • \ ... •• 'V 4 *' *. ‘ ; V ; ’ QUALITY THE FIRSt CONSIDERATioN -cv; 5 POSITION’ IN’ THE CLOTH - • ... . INDUSTRY. --’. ■; . ’ An interesting estimate of that section of, the engaged in the production of cloth in New Zealand is contained in the remarks made to a Daily Times reporter yesterday hy Mr W. Castle,' of Melbourne, representing through "the ’firm of Messrs Robert Bryce Proprietary, Ltd., such organisations f as the Society of Chemical Industry, Basie/ J. yR.■; Giegy and the Clayton. Aniline Company, ‘Manchester. Mr Castle, isidyestuffs technical adviser, to the Australian firm, and has i been visiting textile mills throughout the Dominion. ' ’ He that. the Dominion ■ .cloth manufacturer is obviously concerned with quality first Wherever he has been he has found a definite tendency to use the very best of materials regardless of cost, and he believes that manufacturers in this country are,doing everything they, can to put the beat possible article on the local market. This is particularly noticeable with regard to dyestuffs. The' detaand at the moment is for-the more expensive dyes, artd the result-is a better quality article, from the pojnt of view of fadeless characteristics, than is generally turned out iri s ‘Great Britain. Mr Castle stated that fadeless quality was of special importance in New Zealand as there was usually considerably more sunshine • here than, in Great Britain, while in addition manufacturers had to cope with the problem of the existence everywhere in the Dominion of volcanic gases which had a very definite effect on colour. These conditions might not be altogether peculiar to New Zealand, but they called for particular effort on the part of makers of coloured cloths. Comparing the textile .trade in this respect in New. Zealand with that of the Commonwealth, Mr Castle said that the Dominion manufacturer easily held his own against the Australian industry, and he did that without the very high tariff wall behind which the Australian industry could shelter itself. New Zealand, had a much lower protection, but her' mills ..were turning but an article more than equal to the Australian product. He said that while travelling aromid New Zealand he had gained the impression . that the consuming public did not fully appreciate the great efforts the industry was. making in the Dominion with regard to the production of really fadeless fabrics. He had no hesitation in saying that’ the local textile mills were at present setting, a standard of. quality equal to the. very best, and they were achieving this by the use of only the finest materials and most expert workmanship. They .were not sheltering behind tariffs, nor were they taking the cheapest way of producing. Discussing trade generally in New, Zealand- ;as -compared with , conditions in Australia, Mr Castle said he thought that the Commonwealth: was just ’ about a year ahead of New. Zealand in its struggles to get free of, depression. New Zealand still had. some ..hard battling to do while all Australia', required was steady effort in the direction in which she was now heading. This was illustrated to some extent hy conditions in the textile trade. Whereas the industry in Australia was well on the \yay to recovery, the trade, i.n the Dominion was just beginning to show signs of improvement. , - ’ . ■