WOOL CONTROL

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22321, 12 April 1944, Page 2

WOOL CONTROL

QUALITY DEFINITION

RATIONING REGULATIONS ASSURANCE TO GROWERS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Special Correspondent) LONDON, April 11 Dominion woolgrowers will be reassured by an official explanation ot apparently lax wool definitions used under Britain’s wartime rationing regulations. The President of the Board of Trade, Mr Hugh Walton, was invited by a questioner In the House of Commons to reconsider the definition of wool as including fibre from the coat or fleece of the alpaca, camel, goat, hare, llama, rabbit, sheep, vicuna, yak or horsehair, and the definition of woven wool cloth as cloth containing over 15 per cent weight of wool. Mr Dalton replied that these definitions were primarily to distinguish between products of the wool textile and other textile industries for rationing regulation purpoces, and were not intended to have permanent significance. They did not affect the definitions of wool, and woollen goods under legislation governing the description of goods offered for sale.

Commercial interests here say that these wartime rationing definitions actually protect the interests of wool. They say that if wool were defined as only sneep fleece, various other raw materials commonly used in wool textile manufacture, especially in the lower type of woollen products, would escape the quantitative and other control applied to wool and would offer more serious competition than at present, when they are subject to substantially the same restrictions as wool. Outside Rationing Scheme Similarly, if wool cloth were defined as containing 80 per cent of wool, any cloth with a smaller percentage would fall outside the rationing scheme, or would necessitate special additional regulations. These definitions, therefore, are purposely wide for wartime rationing purposes only. They do not encourage the extended use of non-wool fibres or cloths with a low v/ogl content, but ensure that if such goods are used or made they are subject to the same consumer rationing regulations as pure wool. It is understood that further discussions are going on between the Board of Trade and the wool interests, including the International Wool Secretariat, to ensure the utmost protection for wool in further official definitions.

The wool control has lately decreed that several of the most popular utility wool cloths for the home market must not contain non-wool yams or admixtures in the body of the cloth, and no more than 5 per cent for stripe or decorative purposes. This regulation is clearly designed to preserve the all-wool character of the principal ranges of British civilian woollen goods.