Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1896. Binder Twine.

Manawatu Herald, 9 May 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1896. Binder Twine.

What to do with our flax is of nearly as much anxiety to us all as what to do with our boys, indeed the success of the fibre would tend to the success of the lads. Thus any suggestion on I this matter is worthy of very serious consideration, and a correspondent of Mr Thomas Westwood points out [ that possibly if the flax industry was I given some practical attention to by

the Government, better results might follow. This correepondent though looking to the Government for help wants no bonus, but simply their backing up a representative of the industry in the Home market. Flax ha?, we should ir.aginej touched bottom prices* and it certainly has gained a fair name for itself, its low pricey however* being caused by the output of bonus-assisted eieal, and the quantities of manila imported. Our flax, however, l<» qnnfcod at an Wjuttl |)UCH mi lllitljliu Him eiaiil. It i.S ■Miggetu-i-ii thai. pOrtsib'y the largv twine manufacturers have not had their attention drawn to our flax, they may have rested content to take what their brokers have sent them* for^ and this is likely indis putable, for manufacturers in the Old Country get into grooves out of which it is most difficult to lift thpin, aa witness our butter and timber industries The Government very rightly have helped the butter market, why will they not help the flaxmillera ? A scheme to send a competent expert to England and America to push the sale of our flax would seem both practicable and a wise one for the Government to adopt, the cost would not be heavy, and if the selection of an expert is judicious, good must result. We advertise our Ministers, our scenery, our butter, our frozen meats, why not our flax? The question is one upon which much might be written, but we will confine ourselves, in this article, to pointing a way which we hope will be trod.