Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1932, Page 4

The Government's bonus of £IO,OOO for a commercially practicable method or process of affecting major improvein the preparation and manufacture of New Zealand hemp is unlikely to be awarded in view cf the f.<ct that no process giving promise of being accepted has been submitted. Entries w*ere, originally to have been submitted to the Government not later than November 30 of last year, but the closing date was postponed for six months. In spite of this, it is stated that it has been impossible to find a process that complies with the specifications laid down when the bonus was offered in February, 1930. It was stipulated in the conditions that the machine or process in regard to which the whole or any part of the bonne was to be paid, should be recommended by a committee set up by the Government. The £IO,OOO was to have been paid wholly or in part for a commercially practicable process of extracting and dressing the fibre of New Zealand hemp (phormium tenax), whether by machinery or otherwise. There was to he obtainable a greatly improved quality of fibre, marketable at a higher price, a considerably greater quantity of strong white fibre per ton of green leaf, or a substantial reduction in the cost of producing the fibre. Various other eondit-onfc were attached to the award of the, bonus, but it is '.dated, that The , condition concerning th e extraction,of fibre from not less than 500 tons of green leaf unde- test requirements ha« not- been fulfilled to t:h 0 satisfaction of the Government.