The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, May 18, 1909. HEMP INDUSTRY—THEN AND NOW.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 458, 18 May 1909, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, May 18, 1909. HEMP INDUSTRY —THEN AND NOW.

WK have befine us (me ot I lie 01 iginal copies of the Taranaki Herald, the fust paper printed in Taranaki. It bears the date August 4th, 1852 — 57 years ago. It is a modest sheet and possesses many interesting items which we may refer to in a subsequent issue. One article, however, should interest those engaged in the hemp industry which we publish in full. Remember, this article was published 57 years ago - “ We print an interesting letter on the subject of New Zealand Flax by Mr Trent, a thoroughly practical man, who not only knows how to work the hemp, but construct the machinery also, several very ingenious improvements having been invented by him. The principal difficulty is the dependence upon native labour. We are by no means so sanguine as Mr Trent is upon that point; but we strongly advise the colonists of New Zealand to give more attention to flax than they have yet done. The case of sample ropes shown by'Mr Trent in the Great Exhibition last year, attracted general attention, and, as we mentioned at the time, received honourable mention from the Commissioners. “To the Editor of the New Zealand Journal. Sir The New Zealand flax sold at public auction by Messrs Ellis and Hale, noticed in the last number of the New Zealand Journal, consisted of two kinds; one portion prepared by the natives, and the other prepared from the whole leaf of the plant by what has been generally styled the ; new process.’ “This long talked of ‘ new process ’ that was to convert New Zealand into a second California, has, at last, made its debut in the Eondon market, with what success the price it realised will tell —viz.,

£n per ton, while that prepared by the natives fetched more than three times that amount, viz.,

“The portion prepared by the natives would have readily fetched per ton had it been packed like other flax from flax-growing countries. The shippers have a bad method of putting this fine sort of New Zealand flax in small parcels, about the thickness of a man’s finger, and twisting it like the strand of a rope, to which the flax hacklers have given the name of ‘ rats’ tails this twist it is impossible, to get out out properly, making it very costly to hackle ; the average of dressing Russia hemp for rope making being less than per cwt, while twisted New Zealand flax costs, in most cases 8s per cwt, besides causing great wear and tear to the tools; and when twisted in this way it is next to impossible to spin it by machinery from its twisting in the hackle pins ol the preparing machines, and from its great strength pulling the pins out of the stocks. “All these defects may be easily remedied, so that the hackling would be no more expense than Russian hemp, and be spun by machinery as easily. “It is surprising from the length of time the colony has been established, and several persons having been sent out professing to understand hemp and flax, that this simple but decided deterioration of their otherwise valuable staple commodity should be allowed to exist.

“ The ‘new process’ preparation from the whole leaf —I cannot call it hemp or flax—is a disgrace to the colony ; whoever sent it must have been profoundly ignorant of what hemp or flax ought to be—to suppose that it could be used either for one or the other. “The gentleman who purchased it is not a manufacturer. I think he will hold it a long time before he will be able to get rid of it. The only thing I can compare it to is a quantity of finely split up canes, or veiy coarse, rough, dry, rushy grass—so totally different to that beautiful silk-like fibre prepared by the natives. “I have always had an idea that it is a perfectly mistaken notion to suppose that the whole of the leaf contains fibre of equal value, but am now convinced that the native method of scraping the leaf is the only one adapted to that singular and valuable plant; and whatever improvements take place that method must be the foundation of all other operations. “No doubt every scheme was exhausted before that peculiar, and I may say astonishing, plan was discovered, simple as it may appear.

“Suppose some of our talent inventors landed in New Zealand, and no aborigines there, I am sure that they would puzzle a long time over the growing plant before they discovered that it was only the thin skin of the leaf that contained the valuable and silklike fibre. “From these reflections I am led to believe that machinery, however ingeniously contrived, to cleanse the whole leaf at one time, will result in an utter failure ; not that I think that the portion thrown away by the natives contained no fibre, but that it is of a harsh, brittle nature, bearing no more comparison to the portion they retain than the refined ore does to the dross thrown away after smelting. “ Any machinery used to clean the whole leaf would get rid of the fleshy vegetable matter, leaving all the fibrous parts ; this I think, as I have before proved, would be like making use of the pure metal and dross together, producing, of course a worthless article.

“The natives appear to adopt two modes of preparing their flax; one consists in scraping or peeling the leaf, steeping it in water, and then beating it on stones till it comes to that beautiful fineness peculiar to their best productions. This beating process, I am informed, is very tedious. Machinery might be used for this purpose, I think, very advantageously. 'The other mode is simply to scrape the.leaf and dry it, leaving a gum like bark adhering to it; in this state it is most frequently brought to the English market, and is worth about per ton less than that prepared in the manner first mentioned. When manufactured into rope the gum or bark adheres to a great extent, even after the hackling, so that in a rope of, say three inches, nearly ioo per cent of space is occupied in useless matter; but if the flax were properly cleansed, as it can be by a machine which I invented for this purpose some years ago, it would not make much more than rope, losing little in weight. “ When the flax is not cleansed, the rope has a rush-like appearance, very spongy and open, the bark-like appearance gradually wearing out; and, as there is no vacuum in nature, the fibres soon loose and open, water and dirt filling up the vacancies, and as a natural consequence, the rope soon wears out; but, let the flax be properly cleansed, and I pledge myself that no other rope in the world shall equal it. “ A line a quarter inch in diameter made from the tow or waste of the New Zealand flax, cleansed by my machine, was tested at Park Hemp Works in the presence of some gentlemen interested in New Zealand matters. , It was suspended from, the roof of the factory ; a scale board was attached and loaded with weights ; it broke at the extraordinary strain of 356 lbs, a piece of rope-yarn was tested in the same manner, which broke at the strain of 257 lbs, being three times the legal strength required of rope-yarn. “ There never was a period when the New Zealand flax could be in*

troduced to better advantage than at the present time. Manila hemp almost at a prohibitory price, ranging from to /70 per ton. No doubt if the New Zealand flax were introduced in a cleansed state, it would soon range side by side with Manila, with this difference, that after the New Zealand rope was worn out it would fetch /10 per ton for making, while the Manila is worthless.

“ Many persons will say we can never depend on native labour. I have heard from good authority that give the natives a fair price for their labour and any quantity can be obtained. “ What is wanted is this:—Establish machinery in the colony for cleansing the flax, to work in connection with the native process, overlooked by a person well versed in the English market to instruct them in sorting and packing the flax, and branding it according to quality ; in this way the article would soon have a name in the market, and I have no hesitation in saying that 10,000 bales annually would meet with cash purchasers.

“ From the great demand in neighbouring colonies tor rope etc. a spinning establishment by machinery might be introduced to great advantage, realising large profits at no very great outlay of capital. “If any of your readers desire further details or information on this subject I shall be very happy to render them all in our power. Your obedient servant, Edward Ward Trent, manager of Park Hemp Works, Old Ford, and comanager of East Greenwich Ropery (late Messrs Enderbyle), Old Ford Villa, Old Ford. February 4th, 1852.”