SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOL

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19565, 2 May 1935, Page 7

SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOL

CLAIMS BY GERMANY. —i RANGE OF FABRIOB EXAMINED. WEARING PROPERTIES INFERIOR. United press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received May 2, 10.40 a.m.) 'LONDON, May 1. Though he made no detailed investigation into woolstra, Mr D. H. Wilson, director of the Wool Industries Research Association at Leeds, informed the Australian Press Association that a limited range of fabrics were examined, with the following conclusions:— The ratio of wool and fibre In them varied from 1:1 to 1:2. Cloths spun as worsted have a “good handle” and are attractive but have a dull appearance. Their only inherent advantage is their silky handle tpr fanoy effects, but their wearing properties are definitely inferior to wool, owing to the tendency to rub up, stretoh, become baggy, and crease. Bradford manufacturers express the opinion that they may find a definite place in the industry, but mainly on account of the price of wool relative to the artificial product’s more stable price. At the moment, however, they are unable to compete with wool fabrics, owing to the low price of botany yarns. If the latter rise 25 per cent mixed fabrics would then he in a position to compete successfully.

On March 12 Mr A. E. Heath, representative of the New South Wales Government in London, on his return from the Leipzig Pair, issued a grave warning regarding the extent of Germany’s development of a wool substitute called woolstra. This is a mixture of wool and bbard pulp containing variously from 30 to 50 per cent of wool according to the cloth required.