NEW ZEALAND PHORMIUM.

Evening Star, Issue 2988, 16 September 1872, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND PHORMIUM.

“Anglo- Australian,” in the European Mail, writes The New Zealand hem]) maintains its ground in spite of the general dulneas of the fibre market. I hoar that Dr Featherstone has lately received some samples of towelling of very fine quality, manufactured from the pure New Zealand hemp. Tnese, I understand, will be sent to the International Exhibition, as an evidence of the thorough adaptability of the fibre for textile fabrics. I hear complaints, however, of the mode m which some of the sales are conducted, the trade discount and other charges eating up the profits, and leaving a very narrow margin to the colonial producers, who are expected to bear all the risk. If this be so, then there is no reason why the same reforms should not be insisted on as those recently introduced into the wool sales, for which Sir D. Cooper is now receiving the thanks of the Australian squatters. Of course you will have the opposition of some of the fibre dealers who are directly interested ; but the gain to the colony in the end would be immense. The appointment of a resident fiax commissioner, invested with some measure of authority from the colony, and specially charged to protect the interests of the growers and producers, would he the surest way of effecting this object. Onco fairly established, and, with an increasing market, the fibre could afterwards be left to take care of itself. I learn from Mr Thorne, a very valuable and intelligent correspondent upon this subject, and who has done, perhaps, as much as anyone to establish New Zealand flax as an article of commerce, that it is certainly and surely working its way into favor with our ropemakers, who seem to have overcome the prejudices they at first exhibited against the use of this valuable fibre. This may to some extent be attributed to the improvement which has been effected in its cleansing ; and if only the white, wellsoftened parcels are shipped to this market, present prices are likely to be fully maintained. and even to be advanced upon ; but anything of inferior quality should be kept back. I bear from good sources that New Zealand rope is going into favor with the owners of fishing smacks in the neighborhood of Yarmouth, because, for running gear, it stands the work on board smacks nearly as Wflll as Manila, whilst it can be obtained at a much lower price. Some two years back attempts were made to adulterate Manila rope with New Zealand hemp ; hut, as the strain borne by these fibres was dissimilar, it resulted in depreciating the value of the Manila, and now it is shown that New Zealand hemp is so good that it can fairly stand upon its own merits. I watch with considerable interest the efforts being made to introduce the “Phormiura Fibre” to the notice of manufacturers of textile fabrics. The various proofs of its usefulness have been most fully shown by Mr A. W. Forbes, of Arbroath, who has spun and woven fabrics from the native-drpssed fibre, and also from fibre prepared by Mr 0. Thorne of 16 Mark Lane. From some ©f the latter, prepared for roping purposes, the tow was found so soft that it spun with ease, and has been manufactured into a very strong sacking, well fitted for colonial use, such as woolpacks, corn sacks, &c. I learn that samples of these cloths were sent out by the p. & 0. steamer of June 8, so that the gplonists have bad an opportunity of examining them and judging of their usefulness. I have applied to Mr C. Thorne for information on this head. He thinks it is impossible to give more reliable particulars than those contained in Mr. A. K. Forbes’s letters to him, and he favors me with the following extracts, and they are worthy of consideration, as they are the opinions of a gentleman who has gained his knowledge of the fibre from practically working it. ‘ ‘ The sacking is all quite easy to weave, aud requires no more work than ordinary yarn.” “ A loss will have to be submitted to before it is decidedly introduced into this country for textile fabrics. As to its adaptability for such, I have no hesitation in saying that I have proved its usefulness for that purpose. I cap givp the pest certificate to the quality out of which the sacking has been made, as these have required no extra work ; and this I think important, as being the article of cloth which the Colony is most anxious to introduce. I therefore hold that the Colonists can make all their own packs from the New Zealand fibre.” “I have no doubt there will be a great difficulty to get the fibre introduced here, but I put most value on it from the fact of its easy and large production in the Colony, and the ease with which it can be put into fabrics (sacking); that it is of the utmost importance to a colony requiring such large supplies of sackings ; that the colonists have now been shown they have a fibre growing in their colony quite adapted for these packs, wanting only the enterprise id put up a mill and factory for the purpose hi making them. ... I should imagine

that, once the colonists have a first-rate process, they can send tlv ir lines (Ion" hemp) here to sell at a high figure for roping, and retain‘.the tows to make into woolpacks and sacking, which will be a means of realising a handsome profit to the growers.” I commend Mr Forbes’s remarks to the especial attention pf rpy New Zealand friends, and trust the day is not far distant when the colony will possess its own factory for the manufacture of native fibre.