Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, AUG. 14, 1900. Flax.

Manawatu Herald, 14 August 1900, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, AUG. 14, 1900. Flax.

Every day the outlook for our N.Z. fibre appears more hopeful, as the further the Americans civilise the Philippine Islands, the more likely is the prospect of Manilla hemp becoming dearer, as by the means at present used in its growth and dressing will show. The soil on which the " musa textilis " grows to best advantage is on dry volcanic soil with plenty of moisture overhead. The growth of the plant is very similar to that of the banana which is also a " musa edibilis," and did the hemp tree grow to a full age it would also produce a fruit. ' When it is three years old is the time that it is cut down, and a cutting immediately planted alongside to keep up the crop. Directly the tree, which runs about ten feet in height, is cut down and the leaves are stripped off; the outer skin is easily removed but the removal of the alternate layers of fibre from the pith and vegetable matter takes much time. The fibre must be at once removed owing to the danger of the sap rotting it if left. This fibre is left to dry in the sun whilst the laborer cuts down more. The labour of stripping is no sinecure, and a native can only clean about 50 pounds weight in a week. Each tree yields about a pound of fibre. According to the principle of working profits, the owner receives one half the produce. It is evident that cheap labour is the first necessary to produce Manilla hemp, as taking the fibre to realise JG4O a ton at the port, the labourer hardly gets the value of his time, taking his weekly average output at 60 pounds at fourpence a pound ; of this he has to give half to the proprietor, so that the fibre producer gets eight shillings and fourpence a week. The advance of the Americans must, as it has elsewhere, be to the increase of wages, and thus the time is not distant when the market price of Manila hemp must be £80 a ton, and with that as the ruling price our New Zealand product will be ruling at correspondingly high rates. These are matters the Association's delegate has gone to the Philippines to ascertain, which, as we have so frequently asserted the Government oould b*ve obtained, months' ago,

but the very valuable flax industry has had so little attention paid to it. It is clear to anyone who considers the subject, that no American is going to tackle dressing Manila fibre by hand at the quantity he can turn out for the prices ruling, and no white labour could produce Manila by hand, even at five shillings a day wago under £120 a ton, and it is evident that the native has but little encouragement at £40 a ton to produce much, and that the slightest rise in wage* beyond eight shillings and fourpence a week would beguile him to other tasks, when he needs money. The Americans do not like Chinamen and are not likely to encourage them in numbers in the Philippines, indeed it was stated at the commencement of the war that a 'arge number were turned out of the islands, and as they have done most of the labour, so it is said, in the fibre production, the natives being very indolent, makc> another reason to expect that a very large export of Manila hemp is not to be looked for as has been in the past. All this looks well for the Phormium Tenax, and should encourage owners of flaxfields to preserve them, and it would well repay them to spend some little money in assisting the millers in acquiring reliable information as to the outlook at the Philippines. We have received from Messrs Barnett and Grant their handy book on " Form at a Glance " which they are prepared to post free on applica- " tion. Placards have been posted at Antwerp announcing the early resumption of Anarchist violence. The pastoral properties in the estate 1 of the late Hon. James Tyson, the Queensland millionaire, were offered at auction, but were not sold. In most cases they were passed in without a bid. 1 Mr R. C. Bruce has decided not to f stand for the Patea seat. Just what , we expected. , The Invercargill Grainbrokers' Association reports that the market is a ' shade firmer owing to a rather better enquiry from Australia, presumably I for shipment to China, but quotations remain unchanged, viz : — A grade, is 5d to is s^d ; B grade, is 4^d to is 5d ; • C grade, is 4d to is 4^d, at country stations. ; On Saturday we had the pleasure of viewing a handsome wedding cake, the - work of Mr Wunsch. The icing was ' a capital piece of work showing much artictic skill and patient handling, and , no doubt the cake inside is as good as the outside. The cake was made to . grace the marriage feast of a daughter ' of an old resident ot this town. b , The first ball of the Palmerston Quadrille Assemblies was held in Palmerston, at the Lyceum theatre on 5 Friday night, and was a very enjoyable 1 affair. There were guests from all the > surrounding districts, and nearly everyone danced every number on the pro- . gramme. The music was excellent, the floor good, the hall tastefully decorated, and there was an excellent sit-down supper. When in Palmerston last week we were permitted to view the portrait ! gallery of the present and past Mayors that adorn the walls of the Council Chamber. We are not in accord with i the donors, as some of the likenesses need the addition of the name before even " old hands " would quickly pronounce who they were. Though knowing Messrs Fitz Jenssen and James • Linton well, we did not recognise their s portraits t We have received from the Zeas landia Syndicate, Limited, Dunedin, a ' neat pamphlet on " Gold Dredging on > the West Coast." The pamphlet deals • largely with the companies floated by t this Syndicate, but the information ; will be found of general interest to all i who care to peruse the pamphlet, besides being valuable for reference. ' We have a few copies ot the pamphlet ' on hand, and shall be pleased to hand 1 one to any of our readers if they call i at our office. i Mr and Mrs W. Dudson insert a notice of thanks to-day. 1 Mr W. Jupp, the owner of the steamers Florence and Planet has a notice i relating to the steam service between Foxton and Shannon.