NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 69, 29 April 1881, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

"Anglo-Australian; 1 i&the !EtuV pean Mail, writea^iTtqr >■-■ At on^>tinWii^e^B*o^^w Unax of New Zedtm&proimseA to become a profitable aiidw pajfing industry, but of late years'l have, heard very little about it; with the aid of suitable machinery this, flax. . might be turned to profitable account. If I mistake, uot -there was shown at the Melbourne r Exhibition •* a riiflfer hackle,'*, wnwli wjoild ruffle the tenax down to a teiikture almost as fine as the human hair. If this can be done then I feel certain that the flax under notice might be exported with considerable profit to those who care to engage in the trade. I notice that ai Fhorminm Tenax Company has just been announced. The Board consists of two English jgent'emen and two Portuguese.Vrid one of the latteu is stated to Jbe the, holder of a concession froni his Government of a mon . opoly for the .manufacture of thitarticle throughout Portugal and all Portuguese pbsse&ionsi which concession "the company are to buy of him for £15,0001 in shares, being one-half of 1 the nSininal capital oi the company; the' vendor agreeing not to receive any dividend until the other 15,000 shares shall have received 6 per cent. The plant is said to grow luxuriously and spontaneously in the whole of the Azores Group of islands, and an almost unlimited quantity, can, always be obtained, the long thin part of the leaf being used for the manufacture of cordage, and the thicker portions or the stalk being converted into pulp for papermaking; <and it is ostimated that the fibre, which is worth £25 per ton in London, and the pulp £20, can be manufactured and delivered here free of all charges at a mean price ojf-,£17 per ton. It is suggested that the supply of esparto grass is gradually being exhausted, and that by-and-by this will become an important branch of trade, situate as the scene oi production is, within five days' steam of England. Fifteen I thousand, however, seems a very small amount to come to the London money market for, especially as we are told that " a large proportion" of the amount will be taken up in Portugal. There is one important fact that we are not told anything about, and that is whether this concession is terminable, at, any particular period or is held in perpetuity, and with or without royalties or other drawbacks. Now, as the phormmm tenax is more prolific in Ne«r Zealand than in Portugal, I should like tohaar of some English capitalist paying a visit to New Zealand wiih a view to turning that industry to profitable account. " ' '--