NEW USES FOR WOOL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19759, 13 October 1938, Page 11

NEW USES FOR WOOL

RESEARCH IN DOMINION SCIENTIST FROM (BRITAIN MANUFACTURERS' MOVK The opinion that in the past there has been an unbalanced amount of publicity given to the development of synthetic fibres was expressed by'Dr. s". Townend, who arrived at Auckland by the Rotorua. to join the New Zealand Wool Manufacturers' Research [Association, which has its head- ■ quarters in Duncdin and 'has a membership consisting 6f woollen mills in both North and South Islands. Dr. Townend is to be technical research officer. Actually, he said, synthetic wool had only been developed for economic reasons in the case of countries which were unable to obtain by their own growing adequate supplies of genuine wool. One of the best known find;; was .that made ! from casein, but although it had some valuable uses, its physical qualities did not compare favourable with wool fibre. Help for N.Z. Manufacturers The association's aim was to help New Zealand's wool manufacturing industry and its activities would be quite distinct from the breeding side of the industry. They would include consulting work and the standardisation of testing methods and also keeping in touch with the latest world developments. The association would aim at finding new uses for wool and also at demonstrating to the public the wonderful properties of wool as compared with other fibres. Dr. Townend has been engaged on similar work in England and he mentioned as one of the new uses which had been found for wool, the upholstering of motor cars with it instead of with leather. More important, however, was the development of a process by which wool could be made less shrinkage. Two.processes which increased the resistance of wool to shrinkage were already being used commercially in England. It was of course essential, said Dr. Townend, that an industry of such importance to New Zealand should keep abreast with the latest delevopments. He was familiar with the Dominion's product, and said its quality, specially the crossbred type, was regarded as extremely high.