WOOL PRICES

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1932, Page 2

WOOL PRICES

TREATMENT OF PELTS. N. Z. COMPANY’S ' CLAIM, AUSTRALIAN NEGOTIATIONS. WELLINGTON, Sep. 14. Negotiations are at present proceeding between Australian fellmongerhig interests and a New Zealand company formed to .exploit a new 'process for tlii© removal! of wool frum skins. Demonstrations conducted by representatives of the company who visited Australia recently are said to have convinced experts that the process is oapalile of revolutionizing the industry.

Outlining the history of the comupiany, Air 11. M. Chrystall, of Ohirstclmrcbj who arrived in Wellington yesterday, said that experiments with both . the ■ treatment of wool ar| d the bleaching of flax were begum in Christchurch several years ago. The. inventor of the processes was Mrs 0. M. Hedverg, formerly of Wellington.

STE.EDY BLEACHING OF FLAX. The company, of which Air Chrystial is chladrman, first turned its attention to the flax process, and 50 tons of fibre were turned otnt at Foxton by a- method which, to a large extent, eliminated paddocking and . weather bleaching, Tim process had now been so perfected that fibre couhl be bleached and dried in 13 minutes, and the company intended, when economic conditions in New Zealand were favourable, to begin, milling operations. In the meantime the investigators applied themselves to the fcllmomgering process, and had succeeded in (attracting the attention of Australian organisations.

One of the existing feilm on goring processes, said Air Chrystall, Was based on the use. of sodium and lime for the removal of wool from skins.. This was a very speedy method of de-wooiling skins; but had the grave disadvantage of impregnating the wool fibre with lime to such an extent that it could not be scoured except at excessive cost, and even when scoured was inferior to shorn wool.

DISADVANTAGES OF SAVEATING

The other process known to the trade was that of “Sweating,” which was favoured in Massument, France’s great fellmopgering centre. Sweating, which depended for its success largely upon suitable atmospheric conditions, practically meant that the skins were hung up until they reached a - stage of decomposition whereat the wool came away freely. During this operation, however, the jpedt was reduced to a condition that made it of little value to the leather trade, while, on the other hand; The wool was liable to'deterioration whether or not it. was pulled from the skin exactly at the right time, ■ ;

"The new process,” continued Mr ChrystnU, “aims at producing what was described recently by an Australian expert as a. wool as dose as. possible in quality to that of shorn wool, at the game time leaving an improved pelt and obtaining) the same die-wooJling speed as under the old processes.’ He explained) that hi* company Was in the course of negotiations with New Zealand fieilmongering interests when it received an offer from Australia to demonstrate, the process. During the subsequent demonstrations, the company’s representatives had had an uninterrupted run of success, and those who had examined the results had pre-dicted-that the adoption of the process would mean an immense increase in thje fellxrongecring industry of Australia. • ; : SUBSTANTIAL SAVING CLAIMED. As ia result of a demonstration at one of the largest Australian works where 4000 skins ware treated it was ■ascertained that the process—in itself rather less expensive than the older methods—enabled a substantial saving in the cost of the subsequent treatment of tlhe .products. For example it eliminated double scouring and the use bf the materials now essential to that scouring. ' In Mr Chrystall’s opinion the general 'adoption of the new process in, New Zealand \youM mean an increase in the country’s income of approximately £200,000, this figure being based on the present wool values.