In the age of tariffs and free trade and making stuff that the world wants, how is it a Government can then argue that you have to buy wool?
If you are redecorating, or building, or refurbishing a major chunk of your consideration will be around cost.
Can wool outprice what might be your desire for the cheapest product going? No, it can't.
Can wool mount an argument that over time it pays its way? Possibly.
Then we come to the patriotic side. Should we support things that we are good at? I think yes.
If you are a regular, you will know no one loves wool more than me. I'd pay anything to support wool because I'm a natural fibre geek.
Polyester should be a crime and banned.
Funnily enough, I read a report yesterday about the return of fake fur. Fake fur is now so good you can't tell the difference, but it is made out of petrochemicals. So in banning the real thing to save the animals, we have simply set about trashing the Earth some more to quell the demand for fur that never went away.
The demand for cheap flooring is driven solely by price. Wool, for what it lacks in price, makes up for in vibe. It's amazing in both carpets and jerseys.
But is the Government picking winners or is the Government artificially backing one over another, and if they are in that business, where is the line?
Why is it okay to make you buy wool, but at the same time allow any number of new building products into the market to cheapen the price of building a house? Why aren't they making you buy GIB?
It's price one day and quality the next. There is an inconsistency in this.
The wool fan in me says go for it. Wool needs and deserves help. It's been badly treated and if this programme makes a difference, then we can all feel good about it.
But the purist in me says, for a free trader, we favour quality and wool is quality.
But the reason we don’t make a lot of stuff is because we can't make it at a price we want to buy it at, and that is smart, sensible business.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
Can wool mount an argument that over time it pays its way? Possibly.
Then we come to the patriotic side. Should we support things that we are good at? I think yes.
If you are a regular, you will know no one loves wool more than me. I'd pay anything to support wool because I'm a natural fibre geek.
Polyester should be a crime and banned.
Funnily enough, I read a report yesterday about the return of fake fur. Fake fur is now so good you can't tell the difference, but it is made out of petrochemicals. So in banning the real thing to save the animals, we have simply set about trashing the Earth some more to quell the demand for fur that never went away.
The demand for cheap flooring is driven solely by price. Wool, for what it lacks in price, makes up for in vibe. It's amazing in both carpets and jerseys.
But is the Government picking winners or is the Government artificially backing one over another, and if they are in that business, where is the line?
Why is it okay to make you buy wool, but at the same time allow any number of new building products into the market to cheapen the price of building a house? Why aren't they making you buy GIB?
It's price one day and quality the next. There is an inconsistency in this.
The wool fan in me says go for it. Wool needs and deserves help. It's been badly treated and if this programme makes a difference, then we can all feel good about it.
But the purist in me says, for a free trader, we favour quality and wool is quality.
But the reason we don’t make a lot of stuff is because we can't make it at a price we want to buy it at, and that is smart, sensible business.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
11 comments:
Simple answer Mike .
The justification for using Wool instead of other cheaper products is based on a number of practical and scientific grounds.
a) In an age when we need to reduce our use of synthetic fibres, the government should simply ban the importing of synthetic products where our home grown alternative is a superior environmental mix.
For example - 1) wool is a natural biodegradable product
2) wool is a superior home insulation product - floor coverings and building insulation. Just think about a restructured building industry where
all home insulation is in wool products
3) the livestock farming industry (the bulk of whom farm crossbred wool sheep) are serviced by the shearing industry which also provides jobs and taxes to the national economy.
Currently, due to the low returns for crossbred wools, farmers are being forced to change over to sheep breeds like Wiltshire who shed their wool in the paddock which sometimes means the place looks like an explosion in a mattress factory.
b) the elimination of the synthetic competitor goes a long way towards restoring crossbred wool as a significant contributor to the “on farm” surpluses needed to sustain the livestock industry as a major part of our national economy.
And we can do it without using subsidies or forcing farmers to adopt practices that may not fit their “modus operandi.
A win / win for everybody - even for patriotic townies like you and geriatric farmers like me.
Woollen clothing wears out very fast.
Do you not remember the countless jerseys you once had that were all worn completely away at the elbows?
I don't like polyester either but a certain blend with wool or cotton or other natural fibers is a compromise I can accept over those god-awful elbow patches.
Couple of points to consider. 1) My wife has an allergic reaction to wool, cannot stand it against her skin. 2) We bought our house in Northland and found the existing wool carpets riddled with carpet beetle. Apparently carpet beetle is endemic to Northland. No brainer, we removed the wool and installed synthetic, in the hope that it blunts the teeth of carpet beetle. One size does not fit all!
W
ool carpets into the 70s were great. Soaked with deadly dieldren or somesuch still often see them in perfect conditon. But later carpets are just fodder for carpet beetle. No one is going to remove all heavy furniture, bookcases etc every 6months and severely vacuum every square inch. Most of those who know are below the level likely to be consulted , and/or are retired.
Woollen clothes have many virtues but washing is a skilled labourious art. And if moths or carpet beetle discover, promptly look like from an op shop in Ghaza.
Step one, subsidise local wool industry
Step two, get mad at other country for adding tariffs to local subsidised product
Step three, change nothing, maintain superiority complex.
Here's an even simpler answer. Let the consumer decide.
Trump....Tariffs....Buy NZ Wool.....Same stuff ,different day!
I am a dressmaker and love natural products. Unfortunately, I can very rarely afford woollen fabric these days. Yet when I was learning to sew some 50 years ago, this beautiful and varied material was the norm. It probably accounts for my love of sewing and natural fabric and also I think, my skills - hours of practice on responsive material to produce wonderful garments that with just a little care, last and last. So much so they could often be recut, thus maximising value and use. We couldn't afford to buy synthetic clothes, wear them once and throw them away, no matter how badly made they were ( mismatched stripes anyone?)
Those were the days ....
Wool insulation: I thought rats nest in wool, but not, say, in pink batts?
Just incinerate your family in a fire and be proud you bought oil based nylon carpet and furnishings for your home. You will not even find a bone in the ash as a keepsake of your loved ones .
Yes, You surely are intelligent . Yeah Right
Politicians have been pulling the wool over our eyes for years!
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