Britain

In such an old industry, with this high standard of technical achievement the place of science was not at all bvious nor was it felt necessary. Wool had been studied in various university laboratories, but such science had little or no influence on the industry itself. Indeed it may well be regarded that England again took the lead when in 1915 the Woollen Industries Research Association (WIRA) was established and in 1920 opened its laboratories at Torridon near Leeds. This date might well be taken as the date when science first took part in wool matters, the action being stimulated by the stresses of World War 1 which indicated that science must enter more and more into industry in the interests of national survival.

This entry was achieved by the English establishment of research associations in which industry and state combined to fund scientific laboratories to deal with the problems of the times. Prom this it would seem that science has played some part in the affairs of this centuries-old" wool textile industry for the short period of about 50 years. Recently the assistance given by Wira scientists to Britain's wool textile industry was valued at £2.000,000 annually.

In due course England's lead was followed by the three principal wool producing countries of the Commonwealth — Australia. South Africa and New Zealand; all southern hemisphere countries, all large producers and small manufacturers of wool. Over 90 per cent of the wool clip of all three countries is exported overseas for processing in the northern hemisphere.