THE GLOBE. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1880. OUR LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2093, 8 November 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1880. OUR LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Yakious articles hare appeared from time to time on Harvesters and Binders, and their probable effect on the prosperity of this colony, and now a new question has arisen, viz,, the substitution of twine for bands in place of wire, which has hitherto been used. Mr. M. Murphy, the able secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, has contributed some most useful papers to the " Country Journal" on the present phase of the question. His first papers seem to have been written on European Flax before he fully grasped the idea which has latterly come to him, viz., than an enormous quantity of twine will be required to harvest the grain crops in New Zealand, which quantity he estimates at 562 tons per annum, which alone would take all the flax our farmers are likely to produce for some years. The value of this twine he estimates at Is per lb., but we hardly consider this price can be maintained, for while it is true that twine imported will, the coming season, cost more than this per lb., New Zealand flax twine can be produced at a much lower rate, and American manufacturers have already turned their attention to the fact that, if they wish their machines to be successful, they will have to construct them to bind with the cheapest suitable material obtainable in the country in which the binders are to be used, and at least one firm have turned out a binder especially adapted for the use of phormium twine. Last season some of the twine binders operating in Canterbury tried phormium twine, and were partially unsuccessful in its use, finding that made of European flax much preferable. The cheap rate, however, at which the phormium twine could be produced against flax twine caused, at least, some of the Americans who were here to write home to their principals and urge upon them the necessity of furnishing a machine specially adapted to tying with phormium twine. With regard to the price of twine—both European and phormium—European flax twine of the best quality and size suitable for binding cannot be purchased in London under about lOd. per pound, and the various twines experimented on in the United States for grain binding purposes range from lOd. to Is, per pound, under which the qualities required, combining strength with a moderate price, cannot be obtained. Of course there are a large number of fibres suitable for making string, but when made up to the thickness required for binding they lack the necessary strength. Last season, we believe, the best twine obtainable was that made from sisal, an American fibre produced in Mexico, and the price was, we believe, 14 cents per lb in New York without the expense of making into twine, so it would cost here, wholesale, at least lOd per lb. The present price in New York for flax or hemp twine, suitable and strong enough for binding sheaves of grain, is 20 cents to 24 cents per lb. Now, twine made in Christchurch from phormium fibre can be produced by hand at Sd to BJd per lb, and its adoption would save the country from sending abroad about £60,000 for twine capable of being produced in the colony, and we have no doubt that by the introduction of machinery for the special manufacture of this twine, the cost could be considerably reduced. Besides the saving to the country at large by keeping £60,000 in the place, we have the following advantages. The institution of a manufactory employing a large number of hands, the saving to the farmer of at least Is per acre in the cost of his harvesting, and the circulation of at least £40,000 among our working population, as it is a well known fact that nearly the whole of the cost of phormium twine would bo paid for labor in preparing the fibre and manufacturing. We consider the question of twine for binding, as fully calls for the attention of the Local Industries Committees throughout the colony, as anything yet brought before them. Not only will, as we have shown, a large field be provided for surplus labor, but the raw material which has for many years seemingly defied the attempts made to bring it into commercial use, would be utilised. That our American cousins are keenly alive to tho importance of taking advantage of the flax twine for use in their binders is proved by the fact that the agent for one of the reaping and binding machines took home with him from horo last year an idea for an attachment specially constructed to work it, and tho idea has now been carried out. The development of a new industry such as this is of great importance to us, and therefore, we hope the Industrial Association will tako steps to see how it can best be fostered.