INDUSTRY’S SUCCESS

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1935, Page 4

INDUSTRY’S SUCCESS

PRODUCTION OF WOOL PACKS*; ENTIRELY NEW TO DOMINION. By Telegraph—Press Association. Invercargill, Last Night. ’'One of the industries entirely new to New' Zealand which has received assistance during the initial stages from the unemployment fund is the manufacture of woolpacks from New Zealand flax, said Mr. W. Bromley, deputy-chairman of the Unemployment Board, when addressing the Invercargill Central Unemployment Executive this afternoon. “At present, though still in the development stage, this industry provides employment to more than 200 persons in its mill at Foxton, near Palmerston North. The difficulties encountered during the earlier stages of development in producing a pack wholly satisfactory for the purpose appear to have'been completely overcome, and this year’s pack, which I have had the privilege of examining and which has recently been judged as highly satisfactory by the principal wool buyers in England, is indeed a credit to the factory organiser. “Although the perfecting of the product was the first essential to achieve, that is only a part of the battle in the important task of expanding pur industries. A second factor also of great importance is to educate buyers of woolpacks to insist on New Zealand production. Until last year the whole of the wool produced in New Zealand was packed in imported woolpacks. With the advent of a high class pack manufactured in the country and providing employment to our own people the purchase of imported packs should only be possible beyond the capacity of the New Zealand factory. “If wool growers who themselves have enjoyed substantial assistance by way of subsidies for development work and in other ways give close attention to this point there will be one new industry firmly established.”