WOOL SUPPLY PROBLEM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14572, 6 April 1918, Page 8

WOOL SUPPLY PROBLEM.

STATISTICAL COM.M I'ITEE'S OPINION. (From Our Special Correspondent.) BRADFORD, Feb. 7. Some interest has been aroused during thp past few days in a revived form of the wool supply problem. The Director of Haw Materials has been giving explanations with, which all practical men will not entirely agree, though if course his views are worthy of reasanable consideration. He points out that consumption of wool for combing purposes during the year 1917 was above tho average ot* pre-war years, and that this has brought about au exceptional state of affairs iu regard to this class of manufacturing material. Readers will scarcely need to be reminded that there are both combing, and clothing wools. It ia impossible to draw an arbitrary, dividing line between the two, but it will suffice to say here that broadly speaking combing wools are such as are suitable for combing on the Noble comb, and afterwards being jfpun into worsted yarn. The contention of the Director of Raw Material Supplies is that the consumption of this class of wool has been so .great • during the past twelve months as to make it impracticable for any increase to be made now. Combing machinery has certainly been running at very great pressure, the director pointing out that even if less time is worked in the oombing establishments of Bradford this cannot be taken to indicate that the employees are actually on short time, but' that they are returning to something more like normal conditions. This is somewhat reassuring when the matter is looked at from a broad point of view, but other questions are involved^ which make it unwise to express a decided opinion without giving them due recognition. POINTED QUESTIONS. For some time doubts have been entertained in some quarters as to whether the very * best use was being made of the wool brought to this country, "and whether the most desirable descriptions were actually arising. The importation of wool is of course in the liands of the Shipping Controller, and it is quite possible that some very real difficulties mighi have to be overcome in making certain that wool should be brought .hr*. reasonable quantities* and also that the said wool should be of. the right sort. It will suffice to say here that the Department have not always realised the importance of this aspect of the wool supply \ problem. There are practical men in the trade who have long been alive to its significance, and as far J back as last November it was men. Jtioned at a meeting of the Board of Control of Textile Production. It wa,-? then intimated that certain questions drawn up by the board had been sent to the Raw Wool Committee. . Those questions were as follows : — (I). Are arrangements' being made to bring over wools in the order in whi^h the industry requires, them, so as to keep eveiy. kind of machinery running as far as possible? (2) Have steps been taken to prevent wool which is suitable for combing front being used up for woollen .} r arns? , (3) Is it being arranged that tops should be made from blend's which will admit*- of the use of shorter and shabbier wools? The above are very pointed questions, and it now seems that if greater attention had been paid to them at an earlier date, some of the problems which are now having to be faced in connection with combing wools would never have arisen. Tliere is no needi to question here the increased consumption of combing wools, and this is quite in harmony with the large arrivals from the colonies, which, in spite df the present war conditions involving the German U-boat campaign, seems to be a providential part of the Allies' huge military requirements. THE COMBING EMPLOYEES' ATTITUDE. ■ The statements niade by the Director of Raw Material Supplies have been drawn forth by representations made by the National Society of Machine Woolcombers. Tliis Society exists fov the sole, purpose of defending and furthering the interests of combing operatives. In such strenuous times as these the cost of living i.s undoubtedly a factor to be reckoned with, and the representatives of the workpeople seem to be taking every opportunity, favorable and otherwise', for. securing advances in wages which are presumably needed to recompense them for the increased prices which they have to pay for commodities. Without wishing to raise any needless objection to such movements as. tliese, it is obvious that they reveal a tencJehcy. : which, is far from being favorable to "the interests 'of "the employers in the wool textile industry, and which it is very doubtful indeed: would ultimately benefit the employees. There is a very close relationship between production and wages; .and when the former diminishes, the latter can scarcely be expected to be maintained. Tliis latter, however,- is apparently what the employees in %he woolcombing industry are wanting, for thay are expressing themselves as being, /decidedly opposed; to any reduction' in wages in the event of the combing output having to be reduced in consequence of the circumstances already described. AN END TO BE DESIRED. It has become known during the past few weeks that the pressure pf military requirements is diminishing. Spinners and manufacturers who haye machinery which in their own opinion might be engaged more or less fully on civilian trade, naturally "jump" at such a piece of information. It i.s impossible in the scope of this article to deal with all that is "involved in the expansion of civilian trade. Enough lias been said on various previous occasions for the reader to have ai thorough grasp of all that is implied. The immediate point is that knowing the military needs are less pressiiTg tlian they were, those whose production is in any way being curtailed are naturally beginning to argue that if less stuff is consumed for military fabrics, -there ought to be more available for the civilian trade. The Department is showing little inclination to look upon the matter in this light, and when the question has been brought forward by trade representatives in official circles, no encouragement has been given. It js therefore to be expected that the ohief battles of the industry will be fought on this ground. Some members of the Government are arguing that wool supplies in the country are so largo as. to make it unnecessary, or at least, not imperative, for considerable quantities of wool to be brought to this country. The industry as-* a whole is naturally looking forward 1 to having a free hand in the wool trade of the world ns soon ag the opportunity comes, but when officials are saying that there is already too much wool in the country, and when there is no disposition to" turn into civilian channels supplies which are not likely to he wanted for military use, feelings of uncertainty and dissatisfaction arise. It is unfortunate that the Board of Control does not possess a larger amount of power, but the trade members are not likely to giye in easily. * They are certainly justified in some of the demands they are niaking, but the Department have already secured such a strong grip that it will be anything but an easy mattenttfor the trade to re-establish itself in ' its preivar independence. * A SUBTLE DEVELOPMENT. The reason for the statement at the end of the preceding paragraph is that further developments are being made in the manufacture of standard civilian fabrics. The point in this connection is that raw materials which are considered suitable for this purpose are