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Describes a study in which three fabric samples containing 50 per cent to 100 per cent cotton were treated with various wettable latex dispersions of Polythylene Acrylic Acid (PEAA) copolymer having 20 per cent acrylic acid content. Additionally, 100 per cent cotton yarn (25's cc) were sized with the dispersions at add‐ons of 2 per cent to about 14 per cent. Some of the alkali PEAA was subsequently converted to aluminium and aluminium/magnesium (1:3) ionomers. In both the yarn and fabrics the abrasion resistance could be significantly improved. The abrasion resistance of the ionomer forms was not as good as the alkali form. Yarn tensile strengths were improved but gave lower elongation at break. The fabric tensile properties were lowered by the treatments. Concludes that the treatments offer potential improvements in the wear life of fabrics which are laundered infrequently, such as outerwear for apparel, shoe canvas and upholstery.

Previously in Aslib Proceedings, there appeared a short report of the proceedings of the first seminar for users of the London Classification of Business Studies (LCBS) and the steps being taken to prepare a revised edition of the scheme. Since then there has been a considerable amount of progress: the Working Party set up as a result of the first seminar has held several lively meetings; a questionnaire has been sent to users (and some non‐users) of LCBS to obtain their views on its good and bad points and the direction which the proposed revision should take. There have been two further seminars for users, one at London in 1974 and the other at Oxford in 1976. Most important, a grant of £6,000 has been awarded by the Social Science Research Council to Ken Bakewell, who will act as Executive Editor of the revised edition working in close collaboration with the original authors and helped by a Research Assistant, David Cotton, who will have the important task of testing the revised schedules and visiting major users so that their views and amendments can be taken into consideration in the revision.

The American agricultural economist Marion Clawson advised the Israeli government during 1953–1955. Clawson, a protégé of John D. Black and Mordecai Ezekiel, criticized the government for ignoring economic considerations, and stated that Israel’s national goals – defense, Negev Desert irrigation, immigrant absorption via new agricultural settlements, and economic independence – were mutually contradictory. His major recommendations were to improve the realism of Israel’s agricultural plan; end expensive Negev irrigation; enlarge irrigated farms eightfold; freeze new settlements until the number of semi-developed settlements falls from 300 to 100; and limit new Negev settlements to 10 over 5–7 years. Thus, Clawson ignored political feasibility and made value judgments. Minister of Finance Levi Eshkol and Minister of Agriculture Peretz Naphtali rejected Clawson’s recommendations because they ignored Israel’s national goals. By September 1954, Clawson shifted towards greater pragmatism: He acknowledged that foreign advisors should not question the national goals or make value judgments, and sought common ground with the Ministry of Agriculture. At his initiative, he wrote Israel Agriculture 1953/54 in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. Israel Agriculture was a consensus document: Clawson eschewed recommendations and accepted that the government might prioritize non-economic goals. In proposing Israel Agriculture, Clawson made a pragmatic decision to relinquish some independence for (potentially) greater influence. Ultimately, Clawson was largely unsuccessful as an advisor. Clawson’s failure was part of a general pattern: Over 1950–1985, the Israeli government always rejected foreign advisors’ recommendations unless it was facing a severe crisis.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ideals and activities of the nineteenth century Welsh industrialist and reformer Robert Owen (1771‐1858), and how they informed modern human resource development (HRD) concepts and practices and provided evidence of Owen as a HRD pioneer.

Historiography provided a method to understand how historical figures, and the context in which they lived and worked, inform contemporary research and practice.

Contextual factors of economics, politics and societal demands and the influences of Owen's early life, his immersion within the British factory system and the creation of the New Lanark mill village, Owen's great work experiment, revealed a strong impact on his thinking and actions. Thematic findings included: managing people and profit, education and training, pioneering workplace innovations, and the failure of the New Harmony, Indiana community. Themes provided unique historical evidence that education and development of workers, and the creation of humane work and community environments are linked across time and contexts to modern concepts of human resource development and thus supported Owen as a HRD pioneer.

Understanding the ideals and workplace experiments and contextual influences on a historical figure such as Robert Owen illustrate how modern concepts of workforce training and education, diversity, equality and justice and social responsibility originated and the importance of contexts on their development and success.

Contexts of economics, politics and societal demands greatly influence organizations and the creation of humane workplaces that nurture human potential.

The study brings history and historiography as a research method to the forefront of HRD research and practice. The study provides the beginnings of a collective historical memory that can contribute to HRD defining itself and establishing its identity as a discipline.

Examines the subject of safety training and attempts to demonstrate that it has particular challenges, especially in relation to the provision of realistic training. A review of the research literature in both industrial training and occupational health and safety reveals a wealth of material on the subject. However, the authors expected to find – and did not – material concerning the subject of “training safely” and of “risk assessment for training”. Proceeds to show that these are issues that are of practical concern both to practitioners and to safety regulators. A small study involving 34 safety inspectors seems to confirm this. It is argued that “training safely” is an area where the research lags behind practical developments. Concludes by proposing a programme of future research to meet this need.

The case describes the competitive advantages that U.S. farmers enjoy in the global cotton industry and the subsidies they receive from the U.S. federal government. Arguments for and against the subsidies are presented in the context of global competition. The case includes the data needed to estimate a supply curve for 2004 cotton production and predict the average 2004 cotton price using total cotton consumption for 2004. Students can also estimate the result of eliminating the U.S. cotton subsidies on the average 2004 cotton price.

Students have the opportunity to learn about the history and structure of U.S. cotton subsidies as well as their impact on global cotton prices. Students also are able to practice building and interpreting an industry supply curve.

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.