PAPER TEXTILES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 44, 16 November 1920, Page 9

PAPER TEXTILES

HOW BRITISH MANUFACTURERS LED THE WAY GERMAN CLAIMS REFUTED ' " During ;tho progress of the .war a'good' ideal was heard regarding the remarkable, ingenuity displayed by. German, facturers' in. the uso of various substitutes of which, owing to tho rigours of the blockade, becamo. painfully scarce. Circumstantial reporfe were' freoly circulated, to the.effect that very, useful textiles wero .being .successfully uuuiufic-tui-ed from-nettle fibre. -Moreover, it was occasionally hinted -by the industrious but not'always wisely conducted German commercial propaganda authorities tliat tho necessity to adopt the, use, .of substitutes was not--wholly disadvnhageous, for "whou peaco "came it would bo possible-, it was said, to turn tho experience gained to good account in building up valuable' now industries. Tho, .carefully disseminated hints and suggestions derived 'few connected with the British textile manufacturing try, for most leading manufacturers, wero familiar with the.- merits , and demerits of netllle fibre, and were convinced that Its use• would not be freely'resorted to when supplies of nioro suitable raw materials became available, says the "Daily Mail." This view has Iji-en substantiated, for. instead of . dot eloping the •boasted nettle fibre industry, German textile manufacturers'arc, straining every 'effort, to secure adequate stocks of wool. ' cotton, lla.v, and jute Vnth wh;eh to restore their various industries connected with the,production of textile fabrics.. German manufacturers did not, however,- confine'their attention to-nettle fibre; they, conducted' experiments With the; typha plant with a view to obtain- j ing a substitute for jute, and also obtain- | on spinning fibres from turf and willow bast, wind. even . had recourse 'to hop piants.'lupine,.straw, wood-wool,.and tho common broom, of which large quantities were ready to hand. : It is true that more, or less satisfactory results,. were obtained, but' those familiar with the character of the goods produced ar(> conviiiced (in spite of -the cheapness of the raw material) that, these unusual .me- ' diums are hot likely to "cut much ico" in competition with fabrics hfadc from, wool or cotton. Moreover, it is riow clear that German wearers who tolerated substitutes of many kinds -'duriiiK tho stress of "war and the consequent privations. are anxiously looking forward to tho 'complete disapenranco from the .market of .the numerous curious fabrics they were compelled to purchase during the two or three years which preceded the signing of the armistice. They arohow demanding .materials similar to those with which fhoy were fa- • miliar before "The Day," and are displaying littla In. the form of patriotic anxiety to oncourago tlio development of the onco fi-eelv- talked about now industries, the establishment of which would, it. was stated, render. Germany independent of wool, cotton,, silk, ilax, and jutc-produe-Ing countries. The result is but anothci ihstanca of German, war-time, propaganda. Its failure was doubloredged: it did not deceive tlio Allies and it has apparently failed to convinee .the German people. . But perhaps the mosl .flamboyant!chums' mado by Germany wore'in respect to i'« pioneering work in the. production; nt textile materials from paper.-This enter priso was boomed during -the war, and 6iuco the signing of peace, us a 'triumph of Teutonic manufacturing ingenuity. H tos, "of course, nothing of the •kind,',it ■was merely another instance of Germany's adaptability—of her readiness to take advantage of research-work conducted by others and. experiments' previously made by her commercial rivals. Paper textiles wore manufactured in Great Britain long before war was declared in Augmt,. 19H. Years prior to Germany embarking on the paper • textile manufacturing industry paper yams for gas mantlcw and Joe material suitable for ladies''•_ hats. nh!t Wen's ties were made in London. And nt an oven oarlier period various articles formerly made of cotton were familiar to .many users.' If. is, for instance, -more than a quarter.-of .a. century'since 6crvi-bites-mado of paper'wo're'first'inlroduccd; and the industry—now firmly established boon successfully Conducted in botn .Great Britain, and Japan for Very many years. Then, too, inojt retail drapers used pa nor twine for parcel packing long before Germany, drivon by war-limo 'necessities, found it necessary to boast of the progress it was making in iaunclilns a now industry which'promised ultimately to threaten tlio prosperity of the or'din* arv. textile manufacturing industries., ■ While engaged in looking backwards It may also 'be asked how lons ago it is since e tough cream-coloiireiT-paper was freoly used l>y ladicg for underskirts and fqr certain forms of dross linings. Older 'members of the drapery anu'dressmaking trades will doubtless remember. that ','n .the. early 'nineties' quite » considerable volume of business was frtmsaHci )n ■this material, the uso of- which was neci>Br.ry to ensure a certain nieasuro of fulness and rigidity. The bulk of tliet n?it-. • torialwas, it is understood, Animcaji, though some, of it was,produced in Great Britain. ; Tn the iorm of bed coverings paper.textiles have had a voguci for many years, While■ paper'y«rn9 have not only .been freely used for tho -manufacture of carpets, rugs', and floor' coverings, - but also for. tablecloths and table centrepioces. The latter was quite a natural sequence to' tho use of' paper serviettes.. For carpets, rugs, and matting certain British manufacturers ..in. tho north of England have used paper' spun yarns for n long period; and they have-built up thriving businesses, their productions having been found to be exceedingly hard-wearing, easily freed from dust, and very moderate in,'price; ■;.■'• ■• Just recently nttentibn was directed to the fact- that Germany had exported a tertain quantity of paper suits for mens wear, ajid the astute, promoters of the enterprise succeeded- in . convoying the euggestion that those interested in the venture were the first.to adapt the mn'terial to this special purpose, As a matte- of fact, at least one of the firms referred to in the north of England had already -taken "■■ up the idea. ..It is recognised, however, that the demand for men's clothing of this description will be 'somewhat limited, especially, in. the home market, for-the. fabric .possesses none of the yielding features of ordinary cloth,'and consequently suits made of it lire unsightly and entirely lacking m the essentials of stvle and fit. For this reaBon paper textile suits are not, expocted Beriously to compete :with ordinary garments; though in tho form of overalls for wear by mechanics : in industrial undertakings it is thought' there may be si 'field open for development. Tt is also ■possible, having Tcgard to the low price St whicih the goods are available, that a market could be found-for them overseas, and that natives in warm countries might'be induced to wear such clothing 'during the dry season. '. . : . ft-is necessary to explain, m view ot certain- referenced which - have Men ( made to • paper . textile - fabrics that" the." amterttls .. are not made on the principle employed in paper making. The material is produced from paper yarns, and tho latter are woven on specially constructed mnclnnes, eomc of which were made in Great Britain a few years ago and are still being operated by, among others, u big concern in London. •