KAPOK V. WOOL

Patea Mail, Volume LII, 27 February 1931, Page 3

KAPOK V. WOOL

USE IN BEDDING. ILL-EFFECTS OF DUST. Colds and nasal catarrh among children were attributed in the main to the dust from kapok-filled mattresses and pillows by a delegate at the last meeting of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, “A great deal of good could be done if manufacturers would use more wool where kapok and other materials arc at present in use,” wrote a member of the Southland Farmers’ Union, in advocating the use of wool in place of kapok for filling mattresses, pillows, and cushions, “'Wool could be bought at ’twopence per pound to-day that would be far superior for numerous purposes in which kapok and flock are used. For instance, seats and cushions in all the railway carriages could be filled with wool instead of the article now in use. The same applies to the manufacture of chairs, bedding, and pillows. As a filling for tho above purposes wool is unequalled. Kapok costs about eightpencc per pound and is retailed at from Is 2d to Is sd, and in a very few years goes into dust.” Mr. J, Preston, of Otago, said that there would be fewer colds among children if they slept on wool-filled mattresses and pillows instead of on kapok-filled articles. A child of his who slept on a kapok mattress was seldom free of colds until he had replaced the kapok bedding by wooltilled bedding. The- youngster had never had a cold since sleeping on the wool-filled mattress.