SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
If the Australian tanning industry had been thoroughly organized at the 
beginning of the war, Australia would now have been producing and exporting 
all classes of military leathers, with the single exception of light sole leather, for 
a wet climate. 
I would suggest that certain work be carried out to improve the quality of 
sole leather, if it be necessary, from an economic stand-point, for Australia to 
export this leather. 
If the Federal Government were to adopt the following suggestions for the 
control of the manufacturing process for producing sole leather for military 
boots, then I think we could claim to be making a start to produce a standardized 
Australian sole leather of good quality :— 
(1) No glucose or sugar to be added to this leather. ‘Tanners are 
requested to note that glucose cannot be used in small quantities as a 
finishing agent. 
(2) Leather tanned after the fibre has been abnormally swollen by the 
aid of sulphurie acid will not be accepted for military sole leather. 
(3) Leather for military sole leather must not be exposed to the air for 
drying purposes and then placed in strong solutions of tanning extracts. 
(4) The ash must not exceed 2.5 per cent. of the total leather. 
(5) This leather may contain 8 per cent. fatty matter. 
(6) A red-coloured leather will not be rejected providing the quality is up 
to standard. 7 
I feel sure that if a certain proportion of pine-bark were used in a mixed 
tannage a leather would be obtained which would offer a good resistance to water 
penetration. To obtain profitable results from pine-bark the tannins would have 
to be sold in the form of an extract. I think the manufacture of an extract from 
pine-bark is of suflicient importance to put before your Committee us a problem 
requiring an investigation. 
SuMMARY AND SUGGESTIONS. 
(1) A proportion of Australian sole leather for the export trade contains water 
soluble substances which prevent it from offering a reasonable resistance to water 
penetration. 
(2) That under normal conditions a wattle-bark tannage does not produce a 
leather capable of offering a good resistance to water penetration. 
(3) The water-resisting properties of Australian leather could be improved by 
using more solid fats and a mixed tannage containing pine-bark tannins. 
(4) The Federal Government could help to improve the quality of Australian 
sole leather by demanding that certain faulty methods be left out of the process 
for manufacturing military sole leather. 
_ (5) That Australian leather would give good results in a wet or dry climate 
if used for the manufacture of strap, kip, harness, accoutrement leather, &c. 
(6) That it should be pointed out to those persons controlling the importation 
of leather to Britain that the Australian tanneries could supply large quantities 
of the leathers mentioned above, 
(7) Australian sole leather now held by local tanners would probably give 
good results if it were cut into soles and then dipped into solid fats or waxes at 
a temperature above the melting point. I would expect a leather treated in this 
way to give improved results in Egypt, Arabia, or any of the dry climates, and 
probably it would be quite suitable for the soldiers in France. f 
(8). That much valuable information is probably in the hands of the Federal 
authorities re the results obtained from Australian leather under actual war 
_ conditions, and that this information would be very useful to those persons who 
are interested in the scientific side of this industry. 
(9) If the above suggestions were considered to be of sufficient value, I would 
suggest a small committee be formed to report on their economic value, 
Such a committee could be expected to offer more suggestions, and improve on 
those mentioned above. 
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