ABSTRACT
THE fibres used in making clothing may be animal, vegetable or mineral in origin. Silk and wool are animal fibres; cotton and :ftax are vegetable fibres; and asbestos, wbich is used in making fireproof clothing, is a mineral fibre. Every one of these fibres has a complicated structure, but the scientist wasn't encouraged to take an interest in textiles until after the end ofthe first world war. It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good, and it was because the country couldn't wage a successful war without help from the scientist that our industrialists were led to believe that science might be able to solve some of their peace-time problems aB welle Since 1918, scientists have been at work on each of the main textile fibres and it is now fair to say that textile technology is no longer a craft but an exact science. Apart from textile tksigners, the training of those who will occupy responsible posts in the industry must be essentially scientific in character. The well-being of the whole industry depends on the recognition of this truth.
