WOOL SUBSTITUTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 November 1938, Page 3

WOOL SUBSTITUTES

REAL DANGER APPARENT.

NECESSITY FOR ACTION.

We have been told again and again that wool growers have nothing to fear from wool substitutes, but even if artificial fibres result in just slightly lowering the demand for the real article there is sufficient danger in the position to warrant the liveliest action oh the part of wool growing interests. The chairman of the Australian Wool Board, Sir Daiziel Kelly, evidently realises that the position is not as satisfactory as is commonly believed. He urges the need for expediting some form of trade agreement with Germany for he points out that the longer interhation financial and other barriers prevent agreement being reached the more strongly would the artificial fibre industry become entrenched in Germany with consequent reactions on the Australian wool exports.

The same remarks apply to this Dominion’s exports. All textiles for use in Germany, states Sir Daiziel, contain fibre. Army uniforms contain 10 per cent, but the naval uniforms are not adulterated at all, which is a tribute to wool. It is admitted by the Germans that the substitutes are not as good as the wool, but with scientific investigations going ahead daily disadvantages might be offset, with very serious results for the British Empire. At present France is considering the position of the large wool imports from Australia and something may be done by France to limit imports of wool from the Commonwealth.