WOOL INDUSTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 April 1943, Page 3

WOOL INDUSTRY

POST-WAR PROBLEMS

STUDIED IN BRITAIN. GOOD RESULTS FROM CONTROL (ByTelegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, April 26. The wool trade is planning to form a wool and textile reconstruction committee to study post-war problems in association with the Board- of Trade. All sections of the trade will be represented, including the trade unions. The Bradford correspondent of “The Times” states that the President of the Board of Trade, Dr. Dalton, has welcomed this realistic attitude. He visited Yorkshire in order to meet members of the industry, inspect factories and learn the wool trade’s problems. Dr. Dalton told' leaders of the wool and textile industry some of the lines on which the Government hoped to avoid a post-war slump, with the result that the industry can begin to build on the foundations suggested. The wool industry is an example of control at its best. There have been no profiteering, fancy prices or speculation in the handling of raw materials. Producers have received a fair return. Everyone is reconciled to the continuance of control after the war for at least three years and perhaps longer. Bradford is studying carefully the plans of the Australian, New Zealand and South African Woolgrowers’ associations for regulating production and marketing. It fully appreciates the South African Wool Marketing Committee’s view that an early revision to pre-war auction sales will be impracticable and inadvisable.

Bradford is also of the opinion that the marketing and distribution of wool will need national and international controls, specially because it must compete with an enormous advance in the production of synthetic fibres which are relatively cheap. Dr. Dalton warned that the industry after the war would be called on to help increase substantially Britain’s commercial exports of wool and textile goods and also the newly-freed regions of Europe.

War time accumulations of wool in the United States (mainly .from Australia in returning transports) from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America will probably total millions of bales before the end of the war. Disposal of this wool after the war and also of new clips will be a big problem, but Europe will be hungry for wool, also Japan. The question will be who gets it and on what terms. Bradford’s wool and textile workers before the war numbered 250,000, two-, thirds of whom have been diverted to the fighting services and war factories. The industry will be unable to meet post-war demands unless it gets its workers back quickly, so it must plan now how to reattract and retain the women formerly employed in weaving and spinning The industry has already provided canteens, rest centres and welfare work clinics. There is a belief in some quarters that the industry will need to increase mechanical efficiency to the point of allowing the workers shorter hours.