SOLDIERS AS WEAVERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3097, 30 May 1917, Page 5

SOLDIERS AS WEAVERS

WOOL EXPERTS CONFER WITH , AVAR COUNCIL. ' ■ A conference was held at the 'offices of , the Victorian State War Council last week between represfntatives of the War Council and Mr. George King, principal of tho Gordon Technical College, und ■ Alcs=rs Suiale (Commonwealth. Woollen. Mills) and Hurst (Albion Woollen. Mills,; Geelong) regarding the future of hand.. ■ . weaving, which is being practised by a., number of returned soldiers' under the .... instruction of Sergeant Sinclair. l)iscussion took place as to the etant to which tho War Council was going to es- : tend the weaving classes, and how it was. to bring- about the successful marketing of the cloth made. It was pointed out that after six months' trial 500 yards ot material, had been produced by thei soldiers and would be offered for sale.shortly- The men employed at this work are suffering from some physical disability and it was asked to what extent such-. soldiers should be taught the trade, where the goods should be marketed, - whether there would be any serious competition in the mills, whether the warehow* would assist, and whether the . <ale of tUe cloth would have to be con- ■- fined to private clients. The questions ot extending tho weaving classes to Bpudipo and Balfarat, and of how tar the tecl--Staal schools would assist, were < ™d The woolleu experts pointed out that it was necessary for the soldiers to procure „ material" from the mills and at pieLnt there was- great d.fficuty in maintaming tho supply of yarn to tho latter. Ste the soldier had concluded his work atthe loom the finishing had to be done at some woollen factory. In regard to the supply of varn to the soldiers. Messrs., • K P aml Hurst pledged to MSB every endeavour to maintain it Mr. Kin" produced a letter from tho E. H. Uscelles Jlpmorial Rmd siting that the establishment of a school for weaving at nf the evecutive. At such establishments ?ltu were to bave preference. Tho matter had been taken up by an important committee. The experts agreed Sat the teaching of hand weaving, to Sdiers was a laudable scheme, and mu»t lw a success, within certain limitation* * to the numbers of men employed. If it were too much developed «">»«£ would come into competition with th* n mt which would defeat the intention, o he War Council. There was only* limited market for hand-woven material.