New Zealand Hemp.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 3 June 1890, Page 2

New Zealand Hemp.

Ma T. McKenzie, M.H.E. for Cutlm, on hia return from England, v>a Sim Fraucisco, gave some hr tere-ting- information to the Auckland Herald, from which we make the fo lowing extracts : — Til-; HEMP TRADE. On getting to London I found that although flax had fallen it had only done so iv proportion to other pro 1 duce. I culled on a number of firms and the general opinion was that New Zeilnndflax had a firm posi* tioii in the London marku', and that a though a fall had then occurred it would be very unwise to discontinue the export of it, now that it had Won thcough'y introduced and estab Uhed ; if other fibres rose in price, New Zealand flax would also rise proportionately. In fact some brokers thought that if the flax was well prepared it would if anything approach slightly nearer to th^ value of Manila If flax fll out of the London market, the brokers said there would be great difficulty in re establishing it. I wag glad lo learn from some of them that the get up of some of the shipments of New Zen 'and flax was improving. Undoubtedly sisal is a formidable rival, mid I hive brought back to the colony with me specimens oi' the plant and of the prop-i red ftb'e. On going to America I looked into that matter and consulted a number of

the broki-rs. They thought tha thottgh the cultivation of sisal was indre'fteirtg the demand mare than kept pace with ihe' production, 'lo show the progress of the sisal industry, they gave me a few n'gm'es. In 1868 there \ver<> 9000 ba'es, in 1878 it had jumped to 50,900 and by 1888 had in reased to 206,000 bales. It was he d in LoiiuvH hf soro«i authorities that sisal conld not be <?rWu « » price which would block New Zealaiia nflx out of both the London and American markets. I pressed the American brokers closely upon this point and they stated that sisal could not be grown at the price qaoted in London namely £12 per ton. They said that although there had been a greatly increased area of land put into sisal during the past year* it would take three years to be i'6ady for cutting, and as the crop had been recklessly cut down for the fancy prices ruhng a few months ago it was improbable that the immediate supply would ba quite so heavy. New Zealand*rs will have to bear in mind that flax was cut out of the American market about twenty years ago, and such a contingency is still possible.