TALKING WOOL

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 193, 12 June 1939, Page 4

TALKING WOOL

ORIGIN OF SECRETARIAT WEALTH OF THE DUMINIONS; INTERESTING STORM Though the work of the international Wool -Secretariat is of direct importance to- New Zealand—and not alone to wool growers, for national revenue concerns' all—-the secretariat/ to the majority of New Zealanders, is simply a, name, its objectives are far more widely known in Britain, where it carries on the work of talking .wool.and selling the wool idea;to 13ritish and Continental consumers, in the manufacturing, wholesale and retail trades, to ’the considerable lj.cnelit of Dominion growers. '" vi In brief this is the story of the s'etting up of the- Wool Secretariat. In January, 1937, there met in, Melbourne representatives of the wool growers of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in order to determine how they might, best promote the interests of their industry. At the Melbourne conference it was unanimously decided toi establish in London a permanent secretariat to be known as the international Wool Publicity a lull Research Secretariat, which would have at its disposal the sum oi £50,009 sterling annually, contributed by the three Dominions from statutory levies on all woo) exported, in

the following proportions: Australia GO I per cent., New Zealand ana South Africa approximately . 20 pet cent. • . In August, 1937, the lnterational Wool Secretariat was established in London, there being one representative each for Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, Mr. 1. Clunies Loss, Mr. A. F. Du Plossis and Mr. E.» S. Arthur respectively. TjT.e Objectives and Approach. The objectives of the Wool Secretariat may be as the- furtherance of the interests ol the wool industry as a whole, by whatever methods are conducive to tlnu end, and not the promotion of Australia, Newj Zealand or South Africa interests separately, but collectively, and moreover, the interests of Biit i.six wool growers and manufacturer; of] other major wool-producing countries. Though the secretariat has not been functioning actively lor long the ground work covered during the first year after its establishment in 193/ and the setting out oil a clear policy of approach have now brought tangible results, the voice of the secretariat is certainly heard in the great woollen manufacturing trade of .Britain. The secretariat- has examined those economic trends in the wool industry which may or db affect its future in this or that country; the influence of price fluctuations of the raw materials; the relationship between per

capito -consumption and wage levels; the directions! in which wool is being displaced etc. Finally, it lias. endeavoured to classify the fields in which new methods of distribution and marketing or of publicity may' be expected to lead to increased consumption of wool. Scientific Research. . Within recent years the industry had developed! its own research organisation, but it is as y’ot on a much smaller scale and with resources far from commensurate with the importance of the industry and the increasing competition which it must face. 'J'he secretariat conceive it -a vital necessity that they should co-operate to the. fullest, extent in the work of building up, of scientific organisations in 'Great Britain and on the Continent in order to determine in what direction scientific could most profitably be employed. It was finally decided that the Secretariat should finance a special programme of research at Tcrridon Woo] industries Research Association Laboratory, Leeds. In addition to the more applied aspects of scientific research, a research fellowship in Wool Chemistry at Cambridge University has been established and 1 two research assistants appointed at Leeds University, one in wool physics and the other in wool chemistry. The whole of the- secretariat’s scientific research programme is at present being carried out in Great Britain. This entails an annual .expenditure of approximately £12,000. Publicity i;i Many Forms. ■Jjhis year the secretariat has set up a special wool development depaitment, which will handle the detailed work of centralising all information and co-ordinating propaganda activities; will provide a source of information for all sections of the wool inclnstry- andi allied trades and will initiate and control the various propaganda. activities undertaken. 'the wool development department has, for instance, organised a “wool fabric library!” of immense interest and importance to manufacturers and traders generally, with a branch library and advisory centre at the Baris Bureau. A “creative” division looks after art work, assistance to individual .manufacturers, posters and displays, or even complete designs and layouts for exhibitions in England and abroad. The promotion division of tbs. wool development department lias a very wide field of action in ensuring the collaboration of all interested trade associations and individual manufacturers in the promotion of wool andi in interesting the consumer public in the wider and newer uses of woof.

Special fashion shows have been held in London and l’aris, at the Leipzig Fair and at other European fashion centres and the work has been carried over the Atlantic by the appointment of an agent in the United States, so that though the getting together of 1 Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in Melbourne in 1U37 had not so wide a. significance as to appear to warrant the name International Wool Secretariat, the activities have now taken on a true international importance. NON-SHRINK WOOL It ES U LiTS Elt o.\ 1 It ESE Alt C H NEW DRY BRUCESS TJie successful developnient of a reliable unshrinkable process, in addition to those already available to the industry, is a matter for congratulation, says the last number of the i. W.S. News, journal of the International Wool Secretariat, which represents in Britain and on the Continent the interests of New Zealand, Aus tralian and South African wool grow-

The so-called shrinkage of woolloi. fabrics is often more a matter cf felt iag of the fibres, due to the interlock ing of the edge.s of the microscopic scales which surround the wool urn than of true shrinkage. The “feltabif ity” of woof is, of course, its greai virtue for many purposes, but wliei felting is not desired, it is anything but a. virtue. The several process c, all aim at the sealing in one way <:. another, of the projecting edges o. the tiny scales. After years of patieir. experimentation in relation to tops, yarn and fabric, the unshrinkable process of the Wool Industries Re search Association evolved at Torn cion ‘"research laboratory 7 is now bein' taken up by the industry, both in ,th< West Riding and the Midlands. Several mills have already installed tli necessary plant while others are proceeding with plans which wijl make large scale production possible. Urn