DAMAGED FLAX.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 28, 28 October 1907, Page 2

DAMAGED FLAX.

'^ ; .■'.'.-1 ■=,»!.-■:-. - I ' , ■' ■ 'n-.--; •■i-t--.'>!i;:v^;.' , ':;:.!' i'.'i •.■,•',':,!'•: '~■;-,• i.rra'■•'"■! .-.i .'■, >;•':,m '- : .'-<\*'':i .h^T ■ ■■■ ;=; .r.-r.GOOD WORK,.DONE,..- : . ; .,;. K;,,^;-. ,• Tlip.Tura.kina's damaged flax cargOj. is being* reconditioned 'at Miramar,'"near': I R'tel- ' _ JlessrsV .M,"l<!.' Burke'-'and' C 0.,.V l : ;* ■tho weli-known miller's, 'is leaving tlie .cpn- 1 tractors , ' hands,' iir , silrp'risiiigly '.good' condjv^;;: ;tion. J lwSonie i : i "qf(.the,'fta.j£, ;,' ,'tipnal.dryiiigaud bleaching-, would np.w'grade. : v ;' higher r than befprp'Jt damaged.",.. , .. '■■,'. .'.A Changed tandsoape.,'','.;; , ' \ : '.Vi-f^.' ■[;:$., '•;-,•' - ;, ' The' proceedings are/extremely^dnterjasting,-..V- ---■ Tliey-have been: -roferred.'to;. aßrf" Wellingtpn's-' ■■;.■" ~new ihdustry,-'- arid-many:-peop'le have visited:. -.-M Miramar'' ; to " .see •'•'' the "■■■ changed; • landscape &. ;. Nearly' two"'square ■ miles' of -igrasa Jand' and: , n". "dry sand are-white with'the drying' flax/.*and 'AC the'we feribesj' with which Mifaniarl is ..weU , '."-; supplied, 'liave ; quite : a'strange appearance.' ■>:' The land'agents'nave , taken'care I^per,medmm^:-.v . ,iof: startling hotice-bpar'ds— '-.I •visitdf shall'not remain-ignorant:of-the .fact 'that : 'Miramar./'' as i a' desirable" suburban'. , .'•. reside"nce,'tlie's"witliin,'- his- grasp. '■>, '■ Possibly r^ , in yc'arstd Pomo , ,"' when th'e'good'people 1 of'the "'" thickly-peopled suburb of 'jVliramar/'talk 6f 'the '■' 'hist'bnc 'football' , fights; "and-' lacrosse "'matches' . ; that"'tpplc •some' pnq-wiH"remember: the , TiiraKina fire '.'in '■■}•" ■whicli , " o'rer : sixty"-, lieop'le'nafrbwly.'/escaped-'', being' burned' to tho recoflditipn-' s- ,'• 'ing of'-the flax'-, iii what. will- then bjW their ■■■■) ■' % ''!.'.', "\v, ;; : ' '. fi '.' 1 , , '-^^V'i ; An ; '■' T. The■ "industry,", began--.with,'_abpjit- ■ 17,fi ; .;,.\.. workers) .but' the..permanent-..staff is'.now ro-J.... duced to about,BU: They.iWojk"all'.dajv.and ( ;.,' r all night—in,t:hree:-.shifts.-,,.Mr] Spotchor ) ...tlje l .,, general manager.of Messrs. /Buike s nine.:flax..,;.j mills, is;in charge of the, Wqrk.t Tlic-.c05t.'.0f.,,/_ removing and.:reconditioning,'the il«oi .must, - >: 'be very, heavy?,— possiblyvOUQ-quaYter,;its-.- ,' value.;. ; Tho flax and tow-on ltb,o.;shin ; '.inuin-;. ; :.a. .the.'i' .'cost'of , . cartago; spreading [-.out;;. , rebaling,-,^-•,.;.-;; scμtchulg , •whero■necessary, and,carting ;a.gaitt*.,i.to::town, there : have ■ been- ■, heavy;' =.oxp.eiises - :-m incurred ■in the -erection.'-of • temporary, '.build-. jo,. ings, , ''and,: doubtless, a--substantial 1 sum ,u'se. of the , mile, ori.two'of ; t land.3;-A The cmer.v y building, made of corrugated iron.vcost £700/vvi. : : and'the electric plant for 'lightiiAg: and. for.;., driving"' , the 'scutching , machinery., cost'; an-•.'-■■• . other "£7OO. ■ Teii'teams-' of-' ; liorses\'aror.con-;;'.;: tinually ; ;occupied-innthe' carthge of .the;_ilas ,•;/:. .between the'paddocks arid'the'shedji and.four :<:■..- .presses are in use^for -'squeezing.-the;. dryjy,; •flax for re-baling^'■ Pour riioropresses'areyins use : iu ; 'tl':o -paddocks foi"'pross}ng.i the :Extra"ca"re i's'takeirthat uti-dabip flax;shall'..:7> '■be baled. "After-it is' ; cart'ea K in'''from ,: the;-.- ; .' paddock's it is l 'closely 'examined*hank"'by' " ' haiik' bofore"it is finally baled up. 1 ;, v ■' , '/ :, ;-' ; .'""".

'•; Wax'Matches;Barred:;? T;'/'';, r^{"!!V : f r ' '!]['. ' I'\ 'Regulations'' are '•. strictly' enforced ijo'^prei',^, .ventiJire;, ,A..npt : ice: on tlip,.wall,informs all,. ;, \vhom ; it.'may.'concern.that !(.nowax.matches,^,. are to.;b'e ,uspd' by m. these.-works,;;;.; matches; are supplied free,,;.,)}pjkmeii,.;.;.. disobeying this order ,will be instantly r diß-, N: .. -missedi'-'.. Tho meji,.are;,-not .only.i.supp led.,:. ■ 'with'-safety inatohos gratuitously, - but,,thev .., • are allowedt.wo.quarters.of : an hourj)eivshift, ; ; forsmQldng..,Tho.luxuiTiS;indulged;,mat,a, ! . . 'safoldistance..froiii tlio.sh.ed,, .The only .thmg, i; ., -. 'labkiig, tb.inake Miran)ar-a.working.,miLa ; » ■■. -~ :para4i.so;is free.cigarettes.-■-,•!:•■:■•> nV.-.-:;rii!; v -.:.:c; Revelations.;; : ■-:■•■• >-;; ■■■;; W' l !::^' . r ' The-'revolatidns of"Slipshod'methods.in - . ihtr'-J' original prbparatibh of tho"fibrd';are .extensive''VThere; are;soo. to;pMa*'. were 'iiover properly .scutched. ~ ;The 'hahk»i ■ are : 'full of broad pieces of raw . flax -.lc»f p. thoroughly calculated to-'brpak' the maclimeryt; - ' of the , English twine-makers; for\whom i*,..; • ; had : .been destined. These are the bales r render necessary. ,the supply of , pliances'.fdr. rescutching.'./'.Such. flasVshouldV ■ 'novor'.hiive been passed .by graders., F6r in the hands of the;, merchants, means -fibre,. ._ and this stuff'is certainly' not. fibre.':. ,lhe .. tow contained 'considerable':.quantitifcS: ot, ' "flax dust "—obviously the' sweopmgs'or lnill ... flooi-s—fermentable vogetablp matter that had heated into lumps like' the pakes"of in a cow paddock'. As a soil, manurci, , s th« ; .. stuff lias a commercial valuoj.but. as ( .tow. it is worse than vajuoless...,. '~'■-■,r '■,;"'■:.:/'.'•'* Six YVeeks' V/orkL. ~ ',;'..' ~:', .\,',i-%U>'■■ The necessary re-scutching of .tho-:ilU' : : scutched ilas will greatly dolay ; the com- ■: plotion of the work, ■ which--will'not bo. finished- .I.' for six or seven weeks yet. On thowholo, ;■. the llax'will bo worth more money ■ leaves , Miramn'r than when it first-entered the ' ■Turakiua's hold.' It : will' be ,, -whiter; "pro-"' bably drier, and bettor scutched,- and tho to\rv'] willbo at ; least tow. ■ . :"'■ '*■ ' :^ : '?, '■'• \V^ : -