THE FIBRE INDUSTRY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 44, 23 August 1907, Page 3

THE FIBRE INDUSTRY.

THE POSSIBLE COMPETITOR. Mr L. Seifert and Mr Smith returned to Palmerston North recently from Queensland, where they have been enquiring into the sisal fibre industry and the possibility of its becoming a competitor with New Zealand hemp. They stated that they visited practically all the plantations which are in Queensland at the present time, consisting of some 700 or 800 acres. After going carefully into the matter, they were convinced that, though there was a big future in front of sisal fibre, the New Zealand growers had nothing to fear owing to the greater cost of production of the sisal. This was due to the fact that it took practically four years after the sisal had been planted before it reached maturity, and during that time it had to be weeded continually and the numerous suckers which the plants send out cut. This entailed a great deal of labour, and while the conditions were practically the same as in Mexico, where the sisal was largely cultivated, the labour in Queensland was much dearer, which meant that they could not compete in the fibre markets in the matter of low prices, Nevertheless there was a great thing in it for the Queensland people, as it would grow on barren, rocky ground, which was otherwise useless, and providing that the prices did not go below £25 per ton. Only one machine is used for getting the fibre from the sisal in Queensland, whereas here we have to put the flax through three processes before it is ready for the market. Messrs Seifert and Smith watched some sisal being stripped at one mill, and two hours after the green leaf had been brought in the fibre was ready for the market. Against this saving it must be remembered that the stripping machine costs about £450, whereas the New Zealand stripper costs only about £3O, and while the Queenslanders have to treat about 25 tons of green sisal in order to get a ton of fibre, in New Zealand it is only necessary to treat nine tons, and further, the sisal plant only lasts seven years, after which it dies out. Great care must also be taken to cut the leaves very carefully, for if they are cut before they begin to droop from their natural upright position, the chances are that the plant will die in one year. An instance of this was given of a syndicate in Honolulu who started operations in the fibre industry and during the first year made remarkable profit, but, unfortunately, they had cut the leaves too close, with the result that next year all their plants died and the syndicate was bankrupt. The New Zealanders were convinced that while there was plenty of room for the sisal fibre on the market we had nothing to fear from our Queensland competitors. The Government, they stated, had given them every assistance and helped them in every way possible to get all the information they required. —Farmers' Union Advocate.