The Flax Trade.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 8 December 1891, Page 2

The Flax Trade.

* #1 The following 1 letter has been handed to us for publication : — To the Hon the Premier, Wellington-: Dear Sib, — I have the honour to bring: under your notice that the Flax trade is itt a very languishing condition. The late Government promised a bonus for the better production of Hemp some eighteen months a^.c The Minister of Londs, when asked in the House last sessfon, if he would assist^ the trade by a bonus, for better machinery, said he would consider the matter. 1 beg to point out that the Flax trade is of the utmost importance to the Colony, an enormous sum of money being spent in wages (in the production of fibre nearly the whole cost goes as Wages). If this trade stops (as there seems every prospect of it doing al present), a very large number of hands would be thrown out of employment, and some of them would no doubt go to swell the ranks of the unemployed. I would therefore ask you now would you, in the interest of such a large trade, (1) renew the offier of a bonus for a process, by which fibre might be produced at a cheaper rate ? (2) and send Home somei agent, skilled in the production of fibre here, to make exhaustive enquiries into everything in connection with the trade in Great _Brita : n, and the various processes by which other fibres are produced. The present machinery is admitted to be crude and many claim to have improved processes by which fibre could be turned out cheaper and better. They will not disclose these until they know whether Government is going to offer a bonus br not, and many have been induced by the offer of the late Government to spend a considerable sum in experiments which the public will not gain any benefit from. In the case of flax machinery, the patenting of any process, would not bring in a very large sum, as the number of mills in the colony ia always limited by the quantity of green flax. It would therefore seem to me a case where a bonus might fairly be offered, or the process might be purchased and a royalty charged to recoup the Government expense. In either case unless there was an approved process it would cost Government nothing. I might mention that the French Government got what is considered a perfect machine for the dressing of jute by offering a bonus of £2000. A Flax^ expert sent Home might be of great service to the trade if he went into the business can amore, for there is no donbt much to learn from observing other P'ocesses for somewhat similar fibres. I would instance the expert in Dairy matters lately sent Home from the South Island being of great service to the trade. I observe a report that it is the Government's intention next session to assist local industr es by a revision of the tariff. Here is one of the largest industries in the. colony j languishing, which might ba "boomed" again by a little activity and expenditure on the part of the Government. I hope that yon will give the questions favourable consideration. I would l-efer you to the report of a committee on Native Industries which sat a. few sessions ago, and gave a very exhaustive report on the question of distribution of the proposed bonus. I would also refer you to a report of the Public Petition Committee on the petition of Mr Haycock, of Nelson, who has invented a most useful prooess of working up the waste products of the trade. The report was to the effect that his claim for a bonus should ba favorabfy considered by Government. I have the honour to be, Your obedient servant, James G. Wilsok,