NEW ZEALAND WOOL.

Shannon News, 18 November 1924, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND WOOL.

JN ROMN.eV. A BRADFORD REP.ORT. Among the subjects discussed last week at title conference Qf the Bradform Chamber Qf Commerce wim Dominion wool growers (says the Manchester Guardian Commercial oi September 18) was the deterioration I 1 in the New. Zealand wool clip, which, in the opinion of Mr F. A. Aykroyu (President 'oi the Chamber;, has been brought about by the widespread use of the Romney sheep in New Zea- /' land. Mr Aykroyd took a staple from a Romney cross fleece and dissected it into its. qualities in order to dem- } onstrate his point.

Mr Aykroyd's contention, briefly put}, wafe that the cross with tne ilomney Marsh produces a wool the fibres of. which are irregular in thickness in the same s-taple. intermixed with the .finer wool which tonus ihe bulk of the staple are fibres oi a coarse kind, 'These inequalities present a difficulty tQ the trade, inasmuch as the coarse fibres will., not ."bed in" with the rest; and on Hie other hand, as the sorter must put the wool into the class indicated by its lowest quality, tne grower not get lull value for his. wool. lh ■.the discussion last week, the New /.tjuland growers said they were convinced that Mr Aykroyd had Called attention to. a deie-ct that should be remedied.

The complaints Which were voiced at the conference held in Bradioru last week are by nq> means new. Tne deterioration in Wool which has resulted ironi breeding with the Roini*ey rain has • been pointed out again | and again by Mr Aykroyd; the /damage Caused by packing in jute bags lias h&en discussed by every organisation in the trade; the trouble and expense caused by the marking u, sheep with ta.r and red rudd is a grievance a£ least a century old. An these matters were brought to the attention of the Prime Ministers oi .Australia and New Zealand on their 'visit tqi Bradford a lew. months ago, and so much correspondence has taken place with regard to theni, and tiney have been so. much .ventilated ' in the press, that it is impossible tnat sheep breeders should be ignorant d the evils. B'uit there is. nothing like ocular demonstration.

Last week tthe visitors were shown (among qther exhibits) a collection oi *i'elt. hats marked with unsightly ■spots ol black and red—vestiges o£ the .marking of the sheep. They were introduced into, the burling room oi a large worsted weaving establishment, and saw what an mterminajble task it was to take out the fragments oi jute . fibre from the "woven fabric. They were' shown samples, of wool containing the coarse lhairs. which result iroin bad breeding, and other samples ifrom Which hair had been removed. The result in many cases Was a sudden conversion. Many letters' have since been received at the Chamber of Commerce offering tiie assistance of the writers in bringing these evils to an end, and there seems to be no doubt as to the enthusiastic support of at least a considerable section of the; growers.