The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1916. PHORMIUM TENAX.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 January 1917, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1916. PHORMIUM TENAX.

An industry from which New Zealand derives great financial advantage is the growing and milling of native flax It is fill industry beset' with many disadvantages, but tliese are outweighed by the aggreate gains in any period ol" years during the last two decades. iSume twenty-live years ago, there •we're- a dozen unsuccessful flaxinillers to every prosperous one, for in these days the average price-.per ton was not one quarter the sum now realized, and the green leaf was not the cultivated article that it is to-day. Oil the other hand, however, labor wan cheaper, and royalties' almost unknown; whereas to-day every time the i pi-ice of dressed flax rises to an appre- • eiable extent the royally payable to j flax-landowners rises automatically, j Hut these conditions do not hamper | the development of the industry 10 any great extent; that fact is shown by the latest grading returns issued by , the Government department in- whose charge such matters are placed. The returns show that during Dee-ember last J the fetal number of bales of hemp i grade ! by the Government experts at | variou- ports was 15.343, as compared i with 1-1,129 tor the corresponding per- | ir.d of Last year, an increase of 1,214 ! bales. Fort-lie twelve months ended j Hist December, '1916, the number of bales graded was 150,841, as compar- (';! with 121,215 for the previous year, (an increase oi' 29.626 bales. During i the month 3,528 bales of tow were , dealt with, us compared with 4440 for ; the corresponding month of last year, j a decrease of 912 bales. . For the | two-ire months ended 31st December, the number of ba'es graded was ! 10,3-16, ars comxiared with 32.961 for i the previous twelve months, an in- | (.Tease of 7.385 bales. Of s'trippeij slips. 461 bales dlining r the month, as compared with 756 for t the corresponding month of last year, ' a dcereafie of 205 bales. For tlio | twelve months ended 3'lst December, j 1916, the number of bales graded was G.'183, as compared with 4,047 for the previous twelve months, an increase 1 of 2.136 bales. • !