THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, 26 March 1889, Page 2

THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

« (Canterbury Tim^s) Now, again, the price of New Zealand fibre bas risen to a point at which its manufacture is a most profitable industry. And again it is impossible to ascertain with any degree of certainty what is the cause lof the rise. This time the advance has been more gradual, and therefore perhaps more hopeful of continuance. Buc the cnuse of the a ivauce is shrouded in mystery. . .... On the whole we are inclined to favour the idea that the cause of the rise is the demand for binder twine In the first place some of the other rasous are not altogether likely. In these days of Trade Eeviews, where every branch of trade has its special organ, it soon becomes known i* any combined effort at raising the price of a particular article is being made. A wheat, a suit, a copper or a tin " ring " is hardly arranged before it is cabled all over the wor d,and if a hemp " i ing " had existed we should have ' heard of it long before this. The 1 same argument applies to the failure 'of crops. If the sisal hemp crop i had failed, some notice of it would ' have found its way into the Home ' papers and thence to those of New ! Zealand. In defau't of these causes we fall back on whal seems to afford I several sound reasons foe the rise iv i the price of our flax fibre — the manufacture of bin<Jfr twine. The cousumption of this article must be , very large and rapidly increasing. The use of binder twine had hardiy commenced five years ago, whereas at the present time the annual consumption has pr bably reached somei thing like 100,000 tons. And it must be remembered that whatever quantity is annually required is altogether used up and totally destroyed in the use. A fresh and increasing supply, in proportion to the increased use of the binder machine throughout the world, is required year by year. Any calcula tion, however carefully made, as to the probable present consumption of twine must be more or less problematical, because the correct data upon which to form such calculation aye not to be obtained. "We have endeavoured to ma'"c an approximate calculation. Taking the world's crop of wheat, barley, rye, and oats from the best sources at our disposal, and estimating the average yield per acre of each at a very low figure, we arrive at the conclusion that there are at least 250,000,000 acres of land used in the cultivation of these crops. Making due allowance for the fact that the reaper and binder machine, though marvellously per^ feet and economical in its use, is comparatively unknown in many parts of th« world, and is not used in other large parts where the climate admits of the '' stripper," we think it unlikely that the binder would be used to reap more than 60,000,000 acres of crop. If it is used to that extent, and, taking into account that there are 60,000,000 acres in wheat, barley and oats in the United States a' one, where it is very largely used, and that every year sees its increased use in Eng^ land, Europe and the Colonies, we hardly think this an over estimate, we can thus arrive at some idea of the quantity of twine, required for the season. A moderate crop of ; grain takes 3lb of twine to the acre. Sixty million of acres would then require about 90,000 tons of twine, or say 100,00$ tons qf .fibre for its manufacture. If these figures are anything like a correct estimate it need create no surprise that all fibres fitted for the manufacture , of such twine should have lately risen in Value, for it must be borne in mind that this demand is practically for a novel purpose whicTrhad do existence a few years ago. A new demand, growing year by year till at the end of five years 100,000 tons of fibre are annually required to satisfy it, would exercise a potential effect upon the market price of any raw material. In this par. ticular case there are, we believe, only two or three classes of fibre fitted for the manufacture. If our flux is one of these, and if this is the pui*pose for which it is required, theu the future prospects of. the flax industry are of a most promising character ; for it is tolerably certain that the use of reaper and binder machines will increase largely and rapidly as their advantages become better known in the o d world. But there is no r ason why there should be so many " ifs "in the case. We ought to have known all about the •ause of the demand for New Zealand flax long ago. It is a matter of the greatest importance to the colony to be accurately informed upon this point with the least possible delay. If our flax is suitable to the manufacture of this twine, and if the are buying it for that purpose, then the manufacture of the fibre promises to ta c j a leading position as a permanent ! and promising industry. Before I

long, if this he the case, the cultivation of the plant trill follow, and we know nothing more likely to bring about an improvemf nt in the value of land in the colony than the addition of this to the list of the farmers'* crops. But before all, we require fall and reliable information. We would suggest, therefore, that the Government request the AgentGeneral to make the necessary enquiries as speedily as possiblo. These should take this form : Is the riso in the value of our fibre due (1) to any speculative attempt to raise the price of hemp? (2) To any exceptional cause, such as the failure of the crop of one or other of the hemps in use ? (8) Ta . a legitimate demand for manufacture into binder twine or other marketable use? With full and satisfactory information on these points, the public would be able to decide whether to invest their capital in the industry or to leave it alone, and thus escape the trap into which so many unfortunates fell some fifteen years ago.