FLAX-WORKING MACHINERY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 837, 8 June 1910, Page 8

FLAX-WORKING MACHINERY.

TWO-THIRDS OF LABOUR COST SAVED., ■ Jhe • "Hawke's Bay Herald" states that , Mr. R. M'Gaffin, contractor and flaimiller, of Hastings, has invented some important improvements in the, methods of handling flai fibre, the effect of which, our contemporary declares, will be "practically to revolutionise the hemp industry." This is a matter which remains to be demonstrated,'but if llr. M'Oaffin's appliances can achiove all that is claimed for them by the "Herald" they should certainly result in vast savings. The inventions are stated.to cover practically every operation. in the process of converting the'green fibre into the finished hemp. The Government 'instructors (from the Hemp Division of the Agricultural Department) recently tested the machines in operation, and the "He/aid" Bays they found them fully to justify the claims made for their efficiency , and sim- ., plicity. The' different machines, which are covered by patents in. Mr. Jl'Saßin's name, are aV follow':—(1) Bench-loader, (2) flai-catcher, pi) flax-washer, • (4) draint cleaner, (5) tow-shaker. . : '

Messre. A.' Seifert and Co.-, of Palmarston North, recently, sent ,- one of their managers, Sir. W; Norman, to Hastings to investigate the merits of the machines. Mr. Norman, the "Herald" is informed, Expressed his entire satisfaction at. tho mamaei' in which the machines did thoir work, and. gave it as his opinion that success eould not help following where these 'machines were installed.

It is the the machines will mako to the iVorkin'sf expenses of the first process of flaxniilling, i.e., from the green leaf.;to the' bleaching process,' will he that they will' do away witS two-thirds of the men. at present required, and effect a definite sconomy in actual- material, inasmuch 'as the waste inseparable with hand work, is entirely eliminated. As a matter of fact, a mill. that, under existing conditions takes nine men to operate will, with the installation of the above' machines, be successfully operated by three men, : and the sample of fibre is infinitely superior to that, produced under the conditions which previously obtained. The actual number of men at present required successfully to operate a flaxmill are One feeder, one bench-loader, two sorters, one catcher, two shakers, one washer, and one rouseabout, or a total of nine, whereas, this,gang will 'be reduced- to' three inen, i.e.,' one feeder, one sorter; and ■ one han&er-up. - % '

The methods by which this result- is obtained are not described , in the', "Herald." "A representative of this journal," lays our contemporary, "was given detailed particulars of the various machines, Hid, although space does not permit of their being fully dealt with in these columns, he brought way a conviction that an important development in the hemp industry, must eventuate as the result of .the above inventions."