WOOLLEN INDUSTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19804, 5 December 1938, Page 15

WOOLLEN INDUSTRY

MENACE OF THE FUTURE

WOOD PULP FIBRE

RUNHOLDER SELS DANGHR

“The other day I read an interview in Wellington with the director of an English tinn in which it was stated that wood pulp fibre would never affect the market for wool and, in fact, would increase its use. You ear. take it from me that that is only propaganda. The fibre people are only trying to lull us into a sense of security till it is too late to take any steps to combat wood pulp products. Unless we do something soon it will t> e too late and the wool industry will be in the same position as were the cotton people when rayon products began to flood the markets of the world.”

These were the remarks made in Dunedin on Friday by Mr. Alan Cambridge, a well-known runholder, Omarama, who recently returned from an extensive tour of the United States of America, Canada, and Great Britain.

“Subtle Propaganda’

“The contention that artificial staple fibre would not affect the wool industry is utterly absurd,” Mr. Cambridge said, “and here is something definite to back up my words. The same firm whose director gave the interview is carrying out a subtle piece of propaganda in Bradford where it has built mills fully equipped with modem machinery solely for the purpose of demonstrating to the Yorkshire trade how synthetic fibre can be used on standard wool machinery. It wishes to show Bradford buyers that they can use a lot less wool by using the wood pulp product.

“This fibre will not wholly take the place of wool,” Mr. Cambridge said, “but it will certainly seriously affect the industry. The position is not hopeless, but it has to be faced. There is an organisation in England, the International Wool Publicity and Researcn Secretariat, and it could fight the danger if given sufficient funds. This body is doing excellent work and New Zealand is fortunate in having as its representative on the secretariat Mr. S. Arthur, Dunedin, whose services have come in for much favourable comment. At present the secretariat is severely handicapped because of lock of money, and it is time something was done to remedy this.

"It is essential,” Mr. Cambridge concluded, “that the Governments concerned should assist in contributing 1 lie necessary funds to enable the secretariat to light this/dislinet menace to the future of the wool industry.”