THREAT TO WOOL

Southland Times, Issue 23682, 3 December 1938, Page 6

THREAT TO WOOL

ARTIFICIAL STAPLE FIBRE WARNING GIVEN AGAINST “PROPAGANDA” (Special to The Times) DUNEDIN, December 2. “The other day I read an- interview in Wellington with the director of an English firm in which it was stated that wood pulp fiibre would never affect the market for wool and in fact would increase its use. You can take it from me that that is only propaganda. The fibre people are only trying to lull us into a sense of security until it is too late to take any steps to combat wood pulp products. Unless we do something soon it will be 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 remarks made to a reporter by Mr Alan Cambridge, a wellknow run holder of Omarama, who recently returned from an extensive tour of the United States of America, Canada and Great Britain.

■‘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 at Bradford where it has built mills fully equipped with modern 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 pjflp product. “This fibre will not wholly take the place of wool,” Mr Cambridge stated, “but it will certainly seriously affect the industry. The position is not hopeless, but it has to be faced. There is an organization in England, the International Wool Publicity and Research 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, of Dunedin, whose services have come in for much favourable comment. At the present time the secretariat is severely handicapped because of lack 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 the necessary funds to enable the secretariat to fight this distinct menace to the future of the wool industry.”