HIDES AND SKINS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18163, 10 August 1933, Page 2

HIDES AND SKINS

RESEARCH WORK

IMPROVEMENT IN PRODUCE

LONDON, June 9,

Reference is made in the annual report of the Empire Marketing Board to a grant to the New Zealand Department of Scientific arid Industrial Research to meet half tho cost of research on tlie i processing of New Zealand pelts. | The leather research 'chemist, who is * responsible for tho work in New Zealand, has visited Plriglarid and established personal contact with manufacturers who are buyers of New Zealand piclded pelts. Arrangements have been made for the British Leather Manufacturers’ Research Association to carry out 'research hvork with the, object of eliminating faults and generally improving quality. A start has been made on research into tho pickling process,, j Which, it is hoped, will yield informaI tioii as to the correct amounts and proportions of acid and salt required for tho effective preservation of pelts. A large number of trial casks of pelts have been treated by different methods in New Zealand and manufactured into leather jft this country. The leather has been inspected by technical experts, and recommendations have been made by them for modifications in the particular process used. A New Zealand pelt committee has been set up in this country at tho request of the New Zealand Government.

The improvement already brought about by this work has established confidence among manufacturers, says, the report, and its continuance will, it is confidently believed, result in much larger quantities of Now Zealand pelts being used in the United Kingdom.