WOOLLEN GOODS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21196, 20 August 1940, Page 4

WOOLLEN GOODS

NEEDS OF FORCES TRADE ADAPTS ITSELF FIGURES REVEAL EXTENT (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Tuesday At the annual meeting of the Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company, Limited, the chairman, Mr Barber, said that in his opinion the woollen industry of New Zealand deserved commendation for having done a creditable job by producing .in quick time high quality supplies for the fighting forces. The changeover from a domestic output to a large proportion of ordnance supplies could not be effected hurriedly without some inconvenience to trade customers. The trade had accepted the resultant shortcomings with patience, goodwill and tolerance, and its co-operation was appreciated. Mr Barber gave figures for New Zealand, showing what had been turned out for the Army and the Air Force, as follows:—Worsted cloth, 627,000 yards; great coating, 313,000; flannel shirting, 831,000; blankets, 190,000; pairs socks, 666,000; undervests, worsted, 242; garments, shorts, 222,000; jerseys, 96,450. There were other sidelines and items for the Navy list. He remarked that it might instruct some critics who publicly complained that in a wool-growing country there should be a scarcity of wool, meaning knitting yarn. A large quantity of fingering yarn had been produced, but obviously not enough to meet military needs and the legion of home knitters at the same time.