COMPETITORS OF WOOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23442, 5 March 1938, Page 27

COMPETITORS OF WOOL

* ■*► TO MEET THE CHALLENGE (Special to Daily Times) LONDON, Feb. 12. The greatly increased world production of staple fibre and its possible bearing on the future of the wool industry—discussed in this letter last week—has been brought before the city this week by a news item and a letter in the Financial Times Since 1935 there has been increase m the aggregate world'output of rayon and staple fibre of 64 per cent Production of rayon last year is estimated to have been 1,137,575.0001 b. compared with 997,206,0001 b in 1936 and 921,249,0001 b in 1935. The principal producing countries last vear were:Japnn 330,000,0001 b (J s A 312,000,0001 b Great Britain .. .. 119.000.00011, (iermanv 110,000,00011) Italy ' 104,300.0001 b World production of staple fibre tor 1937 is estimated to have been 604,125,0001 b, compared with 304,400.000 pounds in 1936 and 140,700,0001 b in 1935. The principal producers last vear were:— Germany 200,000,0001 b japan 174,000.0001 b Italy 157.000,0001 b • The Italian figure includes both woodbase fibre and lanilal, the casein derivative. Britain, the United States. France, Poland. Holland, and Sweden, in that order, also produce, but so far in almost negligible quantities. The United States, for instance, although normally in the vanguard of industrial progress, and very favourably placed for wood-pulp supplies, manufactured last yeai only 20,000.000 pounds of staple fibre. This economic contrast between the democratic and dictatorship political groups lends point to the arguments of the International Wool Secretariat advanced in a letter to the Financial Times yesterday. "It is true," says the letter, "thai economic and political considerations have led to the adulteration of wool on a large scale in such important wool manufacturing countries as Germany, Italy, and Japan; and that technical and scientific skill have made such replacement with artificial substitutes much less a sacrifice than might have been anticipated. On the other hand, these countries admit fairly freely that it is force majeure, for the most part in the shape of exchange and other financial difficulties, which has led them to reduce wool consumption. All maintain that thev are only too anxious to utilise greater quantities of wool as soon as the necessary financial requirements can be met. This fact is appreciated by the producing countries, and already, as the result of such trade treaties as

those between Germany and South Africa and New Zealand, steps are being taken which will at least minimise, if not entirely overcome, the tendency towards any further reduction in demand." MEETING THE CHALLENGE. One can acknowledge the logic of this argument, however, and yet at the same time doubt whether the most piously-expressed intentions of returning to wool will avail anything unless wool can carry the war into its enemies' camps and convince the manufacturing' countries of its greater merits. The International Secretariat is on much sounder ground when it proceeds to anticipate this objection: "There is one salutary lesson for the wool industry in the rise of these new industries, and that is the necessity for appreciating that what scientific research has done for these competing Interests ft can be enlisted to do for wool In the past there has been perhaps too great complacence on the part . of wool producer and manufacturer alike in regard to the future of wool, of the pre-eminence of which they have been, and still are rightly convinced. Now. both in the dominions and in this country there is rapidly being built up a coordinated scientific organisation which will enable attack to be made on all those problems of production or utilisation of wool which affect Its competitive power. It is, perhaps, not rash to anticipate that, given no less industry and skill, we may achieve, in relation to a fibre inherently superior, results no less striking than have been effected in relation to wood or other artificial substitutes Indeed, substantial results of such research have already been attained." It is not possible to make even a reasonably near estimate of the amount of money which has been spent, first to perfect wools competitors, and then to sell them to the consuming public: but one is fairly safe in saying that if half, or possibly a quarter, as much has been spent in establishing the scientific superiority of wool, and then in telling the public what it would miss if it neglected to buy wool, substitutes would not have made the headway they have in countries of free economy. Leadership in rayon manufacture, it will have been noticed, is not a prerogative of the dictator countries: the United States is the second largest maker and Great Britain the third largest. Rayon has not been a forced substitute; its progress has been the result of popular choice, but only after millions of pounds had been spent in research and delicate processes of manufacture with the object of giving the public a product it would prefer to wool. Popular choice occasionally is swayed by trivial and slightly comical considerations; but in the main it knows what it wants, and the suggestion that wool substitutes have been enthroned by skilful advertising

alone will not hold water. They are advertised widely and wisely; but the reason advertising sells them is that they offer certain qualities which appeal to buyers. One of the more homely of these, absence of tickle, is among the subjects of current wool research. Many women, and—so it is ■said—some men, object to wearing wool next their skin because it tickles. Artificial silk does not tickle. Perhaps wool need not; and if it could be spun and woven in such a way that its tickling qualities are removed, one of its apparent disadvantages in competition would disappear. Others are no doubt equally capable of removal; and at the same time science may be expected to reveal in wool new positive qualities that are beyond thp capacity of its rivals. GROWER-MANUFACTURER COOPERATION. For the fullest development of wool's case the closest co-operation will be necessary all along the line of its preparation. It is highly pleasing, therefore, to learn from the International Wool Secretariat that " never before has there been a closer and more cordial liaison between producer and manufacturer, or ,so clear an appreciation of their common interests in all sections of the industry. The secretariat consists of representatives from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, the world's three leading wool export countries, and also—which is a vital point—the three which look principally to the United Kingdom as buyer of their clips. To take the case of our own Dominion only, a glance at the statistics of staple fibre production is enough to show the urgent necessity of growers and wool manufacturers working in harmony To manufacturers themselves it may not matter greatly whether they use all wool or wool and fibre mixtures, especially seeing that their existing wool-manufacturing machinery will handle fibre: their livelihood would not be prejudiced by the change. Woolgrowers, on the other hand, would be hit immediately, and in the long run might be ruined. Happily it is not too late to bulla up defences against such a possibility. English and Scottish mills are still i using wool almost exclusively, ana, will be only too glad to go on using it as long as the demand for the product continues. Moreover, it is in their interests, as well as in the interests of growers, to stimulate the demand for wool by presenting its products in increasingly attractive form. DEMAND AND PURCHASING POWER. The mistake is sometimes made of charging against competing fabrics the inroads made upon wool by the depression. The prices of butter and meat fell not because people were preferring substitutes, but because purchasing power was restricted. So ia

part with wool. World demand for all textiles fell away, and has not yet fully recovered. Here is a comparison of consumption per caput (for all textiles) between the triennial period immediately preceding the onset of the slump and the latest period for which figures are available:— Period U.K. U.S.A. France Germany Italy lb lb lb , lb lb 1925-27 16.5 81.4 19. X 18.1 11.3 1934-36 21.9 26.5 15.8, 16.5 .'9.1 Only in the United' Kingdom has consumption increased. Furthermore —and this is a fact not generally realised—wool has in every case held its own, and in most countries increased its share of the total textile consumption. Competitive percentages for the same two periods are:— \

Cotton, rather than wool, has felt the competition of rayon; in girding itself to meet the advance of staple fibre, wool ought to be able to learn from cotton's mistakes.

Cotton Wool Rayon Staple Fibre U.S.A. ..91 7 2 0 In 1925-27 86 7 7 0 In 1934-36 U.K. .. 82 15 S 0 In 1925-27 T2 18 9 1 In 1934-36 (ft In 1925-27 France .. 80 . 19 1 73 20 6 1 in 1934-S6 Germany 82 15 3 0 In 1925-27 69 16 10 5 In 1934-38 Italy ..84 14 2 0 In 1925-27 59 20 10 11 in 1934-33