THE USE OF SHODDY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11479, 12 January 1903, Page 5

THE USE OF SHODDY.

ACTION BY THE TBMRU A. AND P. ASSOCIATTON.

At a meeting of the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association, held in T-tnaru on Saturday, a circular was received from the Hawke's Bay A .and P. Association relative to "the Bale of shoddy goods. The circular embodied a resolution passed by the Hawke's Bay Association approving of the following xesolution passed by the International Conference of Sheep-breeders held at Carlisle on July sth, 1902:—"That this Conference is of opinion that the increasing adulteration of woollen goods, and the unscrupulous substitution of inferior materials in the manufacture of ■woollen goods, demand, in the interetta of both the consumer and the producer, immediate legislative action." A copy of a paper read on this subject at the Caff-isle Conference was also forwarded, and the support of the Timaru Association was solicited. An interesting discussion followed the reading of the circular. (Mr D. McLaren contended that woolgrowers in New Zealand were suffering through the extensive use of shoddy, and he thought the subject of sufficient importance to bring under tho notice of the Government, with a view to legislative action being taken to suppress the sale of shoddy, or to compel manufacturers to sell it as shoddy, and not as pure wool. (Mr T. T«s<_he<_t_aker said that he would be willing to do everything he possibly could do to bring about a better state of affairs, but he thonght the difficulty of preventing the sale of shoddy goods was an insurmountable one. Shoddy goods had stood the test of years; there was a class of people whom they suited, and no legislative enactment could prevent these people from buying what they chose. IMr C. N. Orbell pointed out that what was required was ndt so much to stop the sale of shoddy, as to ensure its being sold under its true name. If thai, were done, shoddy wonld oornmand a lower, and the pure material a higher, price. Mr Teschemaker doubted whether this would bo the effect, as he believed that so long as' shoddy is sold cheaper than woollen goods, so long wild there be a demand for it. Ii was stated that shoddy is composed very largely of nags of wool, whereupon Mr Tesc-hemaikar said that there might not •be so much to complain of after all. Same articles from Home papers, and one which had appeared in the Ohmstchurch "Piress," on the subject, ipjre discussed, and eventually' the following motion was carried una_imoualy:— 'That this Association support the rescduitoicai of the International Conference of Sbeepbreedars held at Carlisle en July sth, 1902, in reference to the adulteration of woollen goodsj a copy of. this resolution to be sent to the National Sheepbreedenj' Aascciation of Eqglaaid, and to the New Zealand Minister of Agriculture."