WARNING TO WOOL GROWERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20057, 14 March 1935, Page 9

WARNING TO WOOL GROWERS

GERMANY SEEKING SUBSTITUTES HAMPERED BY SHORTAGE OF EXCHANGE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, March 12. Mr Heath, the New South Wales Government representative in London, on his return from the Leipzig Fair, issued a grave warning regarding the extent of Germany’s development of a substitute called woolstra, which is a mixture of wool and board pulp, containing wool in percentages varying from 30 to 50 per cent, according to the cloth required. “Germany frankly wants our wool, but is unable to arrange credits to buy on the former scale. There is no antagonism towards Australia, but merchants point out they sent us only £2,000,000 worth of exports for the yeai ended June 30, 1934 and Germany £7,250,000 from Australia. Nobody pretended that woolstra is as good as wool, but I was strongly impressed with the extent to which the nation is under stress to use it willingly. Merchants say if supplies are available they could be sold six months ahead. I do not want to create alarm. There is no great immediate menace, but the seeds of .a real menace are there. Those disparaging woolstra ought to remember the quality of early rayons and artificial silks.”