THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 847, 20 June 1910, Page 8

THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

Ibtate encouragement wanted. The possibilities of the flax industry have never been fully' realised by a big majority of New Zcalauders. The Elax- ; millers' Association at Palmorston North is now making a forward move, and cu--1 deavouring 'to get . the Government to r foster the industry. The days when flax . businesses boomed with the , hum of are over for the time being, Und the later periods have been times of ; struggle: days uf proprietors keeping the 'mills working with the profit balance ■ down near at zero/ if in existence at all; > days of mills closed and men out of work. ■' Of course, just at present things are more, satisfactory than they wero : .not very long ago, but the good days are gone, • and it would not take a very ;.heavy blow lo crush the industry, or at ■ least cripple it. Chief.Grader Wanted. 1 The Minister for .Agriculture, tho Hon. ; Thomas Mackenzie,' has already been asked to appoint a chinf grader, with tlio '•object of ensuring equality •of grading ■at every port in the Dominion. The ... Minister expressed his own personal j with the idea, and the assxj- ' .ciation lias since lived in the hope of : -hearing of* an acceptable appointment before long. On the occasion alluded to ' tho Minister was also asked to further ; subdivide the present grades. The Mini- ; inter was also requested to permit the ; 'association (who claimed that they repre- . !6ented the greater number of millers of : this and tho surrounding districts, and I.in tlio aggregate at. least thirty to forty. .per oent. of the. total export of the Do- ' .minion) to approach tho Department : direct with any resolution or suggestion ; €or the benefit of the industry, as a i' fivhole, and so avoid delays. All tho ; replies were oonsidored satis■factory. Present Methods Primitive. t. ■ But the most important matter, and ; one which has a great deal of attention ; from the. association since its meeting ■■'.■with the Minister, is the request for. the : placing on the Estimates of an'adequate H Sonus to attract the attention of scienI 'tists and inventors to the huge scopo {presented. under the present process of '. iflaxmilling,' which—to be candid—is primitive. Tho hope of the preservation i of tho industry lies particularly in a' ■ reduction of tho cost-of production. HHow to Repay the, State. Xn an interview; with the writer "on [Saturday a prominent member of tho ' Millers' Association expressed the opinion that' tho industry in Neiv Zealand had little to . fear if tho. activities, of' other countries' were kept pace with. • There were numerous evidences of better . machinery being brought out, but he considered it idlo lo suppose that anyone ■ scientifically equipped arcl personally capable would address themselves to tho . matter unless there was a substantial Toward offered. "To that end, there- . fore," he proceeded, "the association are i awaiting an appointment to press honio I . ilie urgent necessity of this pro- - jeot. The question of ' means whereby this / can be secured without cost to the country has been met by .•& proposition from the association ithat any amount paid .by the Governiment respecting investigations should be ■ defrayed by collecting a tonnage charge Jevied on the fibre exported 'until the amount and the interest axe repaid. It •has been suggested that, whilst this idea emunatcs only from an association, jwlich, though large and representative fin itself, cannot be said to "represent the !-whole* Dominion, there may bo some miljlers who would object to a tannage charge Siring placed upon hemp. I don t think that that is,material, as whatever lux is levied there will always lie. soma who will dissent.. The-tonnage charge jvould be a mere circumstance compared ' with, the value of the benefits resulting. Suppose '£20,000' was expended; put tho average output for the Domiuion down as 20,000 tons a year. A hatf-crown per ton would in.' about eight years Tepay .thc ■whole amount and pay tire interest. And 'if, as is anticipated, something is introduced which.will save, say,_ £2 per ton in the cost of producing, it 'will be readily seen how infindtssimal the half-crown ionnago charge is. The Employees' Outlook. . "Apart from the direct benefit to milleiSj the possibilities to the Dominion generally are limitless. W'ho can realise what a spurt it would mean to the industry if the prkse, which is considered barely profitable , toniay, became to be regarded as one under which the industry could be run as a payable proposition? ■Think of what it would mean to the ■workers if double or treble their number ■could be employed at the reasonably remunerative wages which are earned by , ilaxmill hands! -It may Ife urged that .-tho advent of new machinery and better processes will limit the amount of •manual labour necessary/ I don't think eo. The production, of hemp' will always ■require brains, and tho enlarged sphere of the industry under tho altered conditions would absorb, not only the present .labour, bnt a very great deal moTfl. And, further, whereas mills have to close down -ivhen the , price. goes, below a certain figure, they would then continue working, - as the margin. between the reduced cost of producing and tho average prico of hemp, would permit a continuance. "Here is another very important feature; It is considered that tho planting of ilai areas is not . a payable proposition ito-day, but my opinion is that very large areas of waste lands suitable for the purpose would be. planted and intelligently farmed as flax-producing lands.

•The Latest Machinery, "Another thing must not be overlooked. At no tiino in tho history of flax-milling has there been such a development in the improving of machinery.' .Already there are several new catching machines on tne market._ There is an automatic bench-loader in practical work. A machine scutcner, simplifying the present operation and quadrupling the output, is now in the hands of experimenters, awl geems likely to be' a success. So that, with all those things and many others looming up in the near futuie, wo cannot escape a small revolution, in the process of manufacture. "We asked the Government to keep that spirit alive, and make it worth the while of- those men with new ideas to persevere with their intentions. The patent laws are su'eb. that many are afraid that the result of their years of work and hundreds of pounds of expenditure will bo fruitless if they have, to exploit their contrivances themselves. Others, again,, are apt. to put too high a price on the results of their inventiveness and labour. That is where wo want the Government to step in to deal equitably with inventors and -with millers. The Greatest Need. "But tho greatest thing of all is that aai ontirely new process might be evolved which would render our fibre suitable for many purposes for which 'it is' not no.w nsed, and so extend its utility and increase its consumption. We are awaiting advice from tho Minister as to . a convenient date to discuss this very important matteT with him." Many New Zealand farmers' gatherings have expressed great regret concerning the death of King Edward, who was noted for his real interest in agriculture, particularly in live stock. When proposing the toast, "The King," at the Farmers' . Union dinner at Palmerston North on Friday night, Mr. John Balsillie, wlio presided, said that all present, wished the new monarch long life and a peaceful xeign, and hoped that he would fill tho position he had attained.to in as exemplary a manner as his father and his grandmother had. ilr. C. J. Eeakes, Government veterinarian, who has been taking an interest in poultry, and paying a deal of attention to it lately, says that the standard of birds going into the market at pregent is very low. If slieep wero sent in in similar condition to the sheep inarfcete they sould never find, sale.