Rural Handcrafts Fostered in Plans of Scottish Trust

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 160, 24 July 1937, Page 18

Rural Handcrafts Fostered in Plans of Scottish Trust

S EDINBUEGH.— Goods xanging iroa j wrought iron work to lambskin powdei fpuffs were seen here recently at the firsl j exhibition • held in Aitken Dott's GalUeries by the Scottish Country Indusijtries Trust. It is ' seven years since !England set about checking the decline of rural craf tsmanship, but ScotlAnd has been "tackling the same" problem for a syear only. . j ' ! The decay of Scottish country trades P and industrieB has been one of the disIquieting fea.tures of recent times. Ceni.sus figures show a steady decline in rural j population. Year after year the numbei of men,, engaged in; traditional country trades and crafts — smiths, joiners, wheelwrights, saddlers, .weavers, thatcbers — had been decreasing. ■ Modern Conditions " Paced The Scottish Country Industries Development Trust has been founded with a gr'ant from the development fund with the aim of helping to develop these industries and country trades — the main object being to assist rural trades to adapt themselves to modern ccaiditions, and not to bolster up uneconomie enterprises. That the trust has made.a successful start was shown at the exhibition at Aitken Dott's. j' For instance, a blacksmith who finds 1 his trade . falling into- disuse may turn to the making of wrought iron work as a seeondary occupation. Scotland has always had skilled blabksmiths — the old locks and iron work on the houses alone gave them an outlet. Copy of Ancient Plaid Among otlier notablo exhibifcs were tho plaids. One was au exact copy of a silk shawl in ancient Ogilvie tartan — Ihe lirst of its kind to be woven for many years. Sheepskin fobt-muffs, modern furniture from local woods, embridery, leather wofk of all kihds were also on view. The trust is not a eoinmercial body. Its funetion is to provide advice on tcchnical matters, processes, equipment, materials and the installation of machinery to country trades and industries.

But, as its succcss dopends upon support in the open market, these exhibitions lielp to bring before the publie the real craft work of the country.