A Trip to Manila.

Manawatu Herald, 30 August 1900, Page 2

A Trip to Manila.

Yesterday we had the, pleasure of a long conversation with Mr Herbert Austin, who, three months ago left the colony on a visit to the Phillipine Is- <* lands on behalt of his firm (the Austin Brothers) and the Flaxmillers' Association. It is unnecessary to say the trip was not taken from philanthropic motives and the result of his inquiries into the business point of view as regards Manila fibre, will not be made public, liut a report will be made by him to a meeting of the Association next Wed- * i ne«day, and will be looked forward to With ; "forest by all concerned in the f|ax business. \Tne trip was a most interesting one, arid barring the great heat, was much enjioyed by Mr Austin. The evidence of (the heat is given in his own person as pc arrived back two stone lighter thaa when he left. He first went to Syduiey, then overland to Brisbane, thencje by one of the Japanese line of stearnWs, of which he speaks most favounably, to Townsville and Thursday Island and thence to Manila. At Manila! having had letters ot introduction, he) was most hospitably received, many business people going out a good bit of tlie usual way, to forward his busines:Aand pleasure. Having stayed nearly A fortnight there he took steamer to Hongkong, and would have gone onlto Canton, but owing to the disturbedWate of the country he learnt passenger* would not be allowed to land so hex ancelled his passage. From Hongkong he returned home the same route he ha d previously travelled. At Mani *'- circumstances point to there beinj [ an unsteady supply of fibre owing : irstly, to the unsettled state of the cou itry, and the Information gathered th ere coincides with the information vVe published a week ago. The Manila »ibre is grown on volcanic soil at spots V'here plenty of moisture can be secured, an-j the trees are planted abouV eight feet apart. The trees when t ire? years old and ten feet high are <J at down and their leaves stripped irtttijediately, otherwise the sap rots thi : fibre. Cuttings are . planted wher i a tree is felled. 'The* quantity of fibre obtainable by hand., labour varies from 50 to 70 pounds weight a dayjl halt of which goes to the o'wnerts of the plantation. This is a satisfa Ctory corroboration of the informatioi > we were enabled to place before ot r readers. The labour employed are tl ie natives, who are not energetic, and |bey are only likely to produce as necessity prompts them, but just at pre^etat, being very hard up, that necessity is Ithe spur to their produring. \ There are bal&s of Manila in store at the port, but np «-»re can say when or what quantity/ is likely to be produced. New Zebland fibre is low in price, but oddlw enough Mr Austin states Manila rosW £s a ton whilst he was there and w»s surprised to learn no similar rise hap been made public as to our fibre. * Mr Austin agr^ps tc the advantages that a government grader will be, feeling confident that from that cause ilone a rise of c/ne pound a ton may be expected. Ir conversation with a ! large firm of ropJ smakers in Sydney he \ was informed tt at if an even grade could be relicd /on. their firm could jse double the ouantity of our fibre, and so in this vase, there must be others similarly seated, which should go much to shdw how grading will improve the outlook for the millers. We hope the government will subsidise the cost ipf Mr Austin's visit, which has been} over £130 for out of pocket expenses] and aganist which he has received abS'Ut one-third from the Association. If,' the Govrnment subsidise the amount by £50 as they have been asked l^y the deputation of millers, they nVight clai m the right of publication' off Mr Austin's report, which we ihinkwo # uld be cheap at the price. It was aVpi"ted action on the part of Messrs Austin Brothers to send a representative dffhe firm in queft of special knowledge, arid their advancement must be. to the benefit of the

district, and they wisely aimed at the spot to which we have all along advised being visited. W : cvuuot helremarking that our r ~ ;, lo ay .^.^a.d not have been so neglected, by which a private firm had to go in search of information that the Government might have acquired. As a private I person went the next best thing for j the Government to do is to contribute ; a share of the cost, and publish (he results.