DRESS DESIGNERS' INTEREST IN N.Z. WOOLS

Chronicle (Levin), 5 July 1947, Page 6

DRESS DESIGNERS' INTEREST IN N.Z. WOOLS

P.A".

w ■ , (From-E. G. Webber. Snecial

Correspondent.) Received 1'riday, 7.0 p.m. , LEEDS, Juiy 4. At reeent^ -fashion exhibitions in Paris and London, encouraging interest w.as taken by a number leading dress designers in new patterns and cloths manufactured from crossbred wools which form tbe bulk of New Zealand 's wool export. Previously it had been difficult to interest these designers in heavier and coarser clotlis and the^ development is one which may well have important effects upon the demand for New Zealand wool. Another is the effect of recent research discoveries whieh will improve the manufacture of felt from coarser wools. This point emerged from discussions between i\Ir. W. W. Mulholland and Mr. W. N. Perry, of New Zealand Pederated Farmers, and representatives of the Yorkshire woollen trade during a tour of the mills and research stations in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield. The tour was organised by Mr. E. G. Lund, New Zealand representative on the International Wool Secretariat, who accompanied the party, together with Mr. S. A. Chisholm, London manager of the New Zealand Meat Board, and a representative of the New Zealand Press Association. Regret was expressed by one leading manufacturer who is a very large consumer of New Zealand wool, that larger quantities of New Zealand Merino were unavailable. He assured the delegation that this wool was, without any exeeption, the best his firm had ever used for the -weaving of fine cloths, and superior even to the best Alstralian. Tt was cxplained that New Zealand Merino at present represents only about three per cent of the total clip and that there appears to be little prospect of inereasing the output of this particular grade. At present the emphasis in the British wool trade is on fme cloths and this has caused a keen demand for Merino wools. Manufacturers attribute this to some extent to rationing which has caused customers to exercise a preference for the more expensive cloths as a compensation for the restriction of the amount of clothing they are able to buy. Effects of Feeding. One misgiving expressed by a leading representative of the weavers was that New Zealand 's preoccupation with meat production might cause a deterioration in wool standards. He expressed doubts whether fat lamb production was eoinpatible with high wool quality, and about the effects of turnip feeding on wool iibre. All the manufacturers were unanimous in emphasising that uniformity of fleece is a prime eonsideration from their point of view. In this connection a series of interesting experiments into the relationsliip between feedng and wool growth, is being conducted at the Torridon Research Institute, Leeds, by the New Zealander, D- Naney Palmer (formerly Miss Nancv t.alpin), of Marton. Dr. Palmer, who is the daughter of a well-known Rangitikei s'heepfarming family, is worlcing in conjunction with the Animal Husbandry Research Institute at Cambridge and showed the New Zealand visitors interesting diagrams demonstrating the effect of feeding and skin expansion upon the fleece. Scouring creates difficulties for manufacturers in Yorkshire owing to inadequate facilities for handling the intake but it is emphasised that if scouring is done in New Zealand before export, the wool must not 'be over-, scoured and must be treated according to manufacturers' requirements. Several manufacturers said they saw distinct signs of a falling off in the present sellers' market overseas and the managing director of one leading firm said emphatically that it had ended and become a buyers' market. This doesn't apply to worsted cloths for which there is still a large unsatisfied demand in all markets. In other classes of clotli and clothing it is eonsidered that currency difficulties and adverse balances of trade are affecting the ability of customers to buy from British manufacturers. The trend isn't unexpected, however, and in general manufacturers are confldent that they can sell all they are able to produce. A firm which has for years been a leading British exporter of woollen clothing to the Ear East, said that although they had received no orders from China since before the war, they were confldent this business would eventually be regaincd.