WOOL IN BRITAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25870, 14 June 1945, Page 6

WOOL IN BRITAIN

WAR-TIME CONTROL DOMINION PRODUCT POPULAR (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) LONDON, June 12. The New Zealand delegates to the London Wool Conference have been spending some days in Yorkshire, the world hub of the wool textile industry, where they have visited some of the most up-to-date wool-processing and manufacturing establishments in iexistence, including mills which have been visited by royalty on industrial tours. The delegates have also visited Torridon, the wool research centre in Britain, which in the interests of the war effort is understood to have produced far-reaching developments in wool research which have not yet been publicly revealed. Not the least important point is that the delegates have made contact with the wool trade organisations here and have had informal discussions of inestimable value to the wool industry here and in New Zealand in that they will contribute to a closer understanding by each side of the problems of the other. The New Zealand producer will be interested to learn that under war-time control of wool in Britain his, product has become even more popular than before in the United Kingdom wool textile industry. This is no mere platitude. The reason is that, whereas in peace-time a particular firm might confine its use of New Zealand wool to one or two types of proved value, in war-time it has been obliged to use the wool issued to it by Wool Control, and the normal and equitable spread of supplies has meant that the average firm has been called upon to process a far wider variety of types than it might normally have selected under peace-time freedom of choice. This has resulted in the industry here acquiring more complete knowledge of New Zealand wools than ever before, and the obligatory use of certain types under war-time control has enabled the industry to discover previously unknown merits in them. These things will be remembered when free buying is possible once more.

New Zealand will be aware that it is not possible for the wool industry 'in Britain to own a single bale of wool, as under war-time control of the commodity here all wool remains the property of the authorities until it passes to the spinner. At present the large British firms of brokers, importers, merchants, and topmakers are merely employees of Wool Control, handling Government-owned wool .and being remunerated for their services. This condition of affairs has been accepted without complaint for five years and a-half as necessary to the war effort; but there is a strong feeling—now that the war in Europe is over —that it would not be inconsistent with national or Empire interests to allow these firms a measure of freedom to trade on their own account.