Coarser Wools Get Better Hearing

Chronicle (Levin), 2 June 1949, Page 6

Coarser Wools Get Better Hearing

i > — Received Wednesclay 7 p.m. LONDON, June 1. The opinion that the high prices at present ruling for line Merino wools and the difficuities being experieneed by manufacturers in obtaining suffieient supplies of them, may lead to an increasing use being made i of coarser crossbred varieties which I form. the bulk of the New Zea- 1 land clip, was expressed in an inter- 1 view with the N.Z.F.A. by Mr Jameson, J chairman of the New- Zealand Wooi Board and-Mr A. Briscoe' Moore, a member of the board, who have just completed a tour of the Yorksliire woolien textile manufa'cturing areas. Mr Moore said he had seen samples of knitting wools made( from New Zealand crossbred wool, which was eminently suitable for making such articles as socks and pullovers. it was chiefly a question of educating women knitters to realise that this type of knitting material had harder wearing qualities than lighter wools and was just as easily handled. He had been told in Bradford, continued Mr Moore, that manufacturers eould use larger quantities of New Zealand 46 quality of good length. This they found very suitable for blending with other wools for the manufacture of blankets and similar heavy fabrics. Mr Moore said he had come to the conclusion that in the wetter areas of New Zealand, woolgrowers could alford to develop a rathef stronger type Of Romney producing wool slightly coarser than the present average — something nearer to 46 quality rather than 48 to 50. Both Mr Jameson and Mr Moore said they had formed the impression that New Zealand woolgrowers were ; entitled to expect rather more com- , petition at New Zealand saies for wool required for carbonising. At present the number of buyers bidding for carbonising wool in New Zealand was very limited and as a result buyers' profits were high. Mr Jameson, who has visited Britain on several occasions since the war, said that this year he saw an improvement in the labour situation in the manufacturing eentres though there was still a Isliortage of women workers. It was evident that the settling down process which was iuevitable, was proceeding without uiulue disturbanee. Some Yorksliire manufacturers were a little apprehensive that increasing exports of wool len textile machinery would lead eveutually to increased overseas competition. Mr Jameson said he had seen the new process invented by Air-Vice-Marshal G process invented by Air-Vice-Mar-shal Geoffrev Ambler, demonstrated in Bradford and thought that it would lead to a great improvement on the manufacturing side. It enabled three processes to be eliminated without affeeting the quality of the yarn. The chief purpose of Mr Jameson 's and Mr Moore 's visit was to attend a meeting in London of the International Wool Publicity and Research Fund at which, for the first time, American woolgrowing interests were represented "It was a most successful meeting," said Mr Jameson. "I think we are justified in assuining that this new fusion of interests will be for the benefit of all coneerned. I am sure, too, that our growers are getting value for the monev they spend upon International Wool Kecretariat. It is now truly an interna tional organisation and is doing extremelv useful work. " Mr Jameson and Mr Moore, who spent a week in the United States ou their way to London, said that Ameri can woolgrowers were coneerned about the high price of line wool because, by raising tlie retail price of certain'types of light clothing, this had made it possible for manufacturers of rayon suustitutes to enter a field previously closed to them. At the moment this was strictly an American problem but it was oue which should be noted by all woolgrowers. Mr Jameson and Mr Moore leave on June 3 by air on their return to New Zealaud.