USE OF WOOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 10

USE OF WOOL

RECENT CONFERENCE PUBLICITY AND RESEARCH Satisfaction with the results of the Wool conference recently held in Melbourne was expressed by the Directorgeneral of Agriculture (Mr A. H. Cockayne;, who was one of the New Zealand representatives, on his return from Sydney. Mr Cockayne said that the conference was exceedingly satisfactory from many angles. Its importance could be gauged from the fact that the countries represented—Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand—produced over 5U per cent, of the world's output of wool, and each country had, by legislation, provided for a levy on wool for the purposes of publicity and reThe main feature of the conference was that unanimity was arrived at with regard to a stable wool publicity scheme overseas, and there was also unanimity regarding research. It was agreed that each of the three countries would do its share of work under a properly co-ordinated plan, and a satisfactory formula to determine the amount each would subscribe was arrived at. . It was agreed that research into tht improvement and production of wool must" be a matter for individual effort by each of the countries concerned, with the proviso that the executives of the wool councils, were to be kept fully informed of the work being done. The immediate result of the conference would be the setting up of an organisation which would co-ordinate the whole of the overseas effort in connection with publicity. The money would be pooled and devoted to publicity on wool as a product, and nol as the product of one particular country. The form of the publicity and the amount to be expended were left to an organisation on which each country would have equal representation. «, The only regret expressed at the conference was that certain woolproducing countries —notably South America—had not yet entered into the scheme, but it was felt that before long those countries would combine with the countries represented at the conference. Research could be divided into two main classes, said Mr Cockayne. One class dealt with the utilisation of wool, and the other with the production of wool. As far as the utilisation of wool was concerned, research must, of necessity, be conducted overseas. With regard to research into the improvement and growing of wool, it was recognised that as there were many local problems each country should have full cohtrol of the research work in its own country. Mr Cockayne remarked that it was rather significant that the South African levy was equal to Is 3d per bale, New Zealand currency, against the levy of 6d per bale struck by Australia and New Zealand. That was an indication of how South African growers viewed the importance of the matter. The only question yet to be settled was whether the manufacturers of Britain would join in the scheme.