THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 858, 28 June 1910, Page 3

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

FLAX MILLERS WAIT ON MINISTER. At Palmerston last week the Hon. Thos. Mackenzie (Minister for Agriculture) was waited on by a deputation representing the Flaxmillers’ Association, regarding some matters which had been placed before the Minister on a previous occasion. The deputation, which was introduced by Mr D. Buick, M.P., consisted of Messrs Liggius (vice-president), R. M’Nab, M. Cohen, E. L. Broad, R- S. Abraham, H. F. Liggins, H. F. Gibbons, P. Sim, G. Seilert, and Spencer (secretary).

Mr Cohen stated that the full value of the phormium tenax fibre was not obtained under present manufacturing conditions. Manila millers were about to employ new machinery, which would greatly increase their output and also improve the productions, and he thought that New Zealand should prepare to meet the fillip which would be given to its competitor’s trade. There were possibilities of new processes being evolved — processes of a kind which would enable the industry to be run profitably without any alteration iu the rates of wages, or the royalty charges on the market prices. There was hope, too, of some new process making the waste of the by-products avoidable. Therefore the association asked the Minister to make provisions on the Estimates for a sum of money which would be offered as a bonus to inventors to encourage inventive people to turn their attention to devising of better flaxmilling machinery. The bonus should be sufficiently large to ensure the inventor an independence for life. They assumed that if a bonus was offered a committee of practical men would be appointed to investigate the inventions, and he thought that the Government might advertise the offer through the High Commissioner. A representative could be sent to Canada in the interests of the industry. Mr R. S. Abraham said that when Mr W. Akers was in England he inspected an invention by Dr. Naumann, a German, a scientist, and was convinced that by it hemp could be converted into a fabric almost as fine as silk. Mr Abraham himself, while at Home, inquired about another process, and was assured by the Inventors that they would compete for any substantial bonus which the New Zealand Government might offer, and they had since written on several occasions with a view to ascertaining if any such inducement had been given. The speaker was not in favour of allowing the whole of the bonus for any one invention. Certain areas of New Zealand land were of little use for anything but growing flax, and if the industry was driven ahead, the value of those lands would be enhanced. Mr Robert M’Nab was of opinion that the Government should advertise abroad that they wanted something peculiar to New Zealand. What the deputation was asking was that the Government should exercise the principle which they applied to the goldmining industry to assist which they had introduced the cyanide process. Respecting other industries New Zealand was able to turn to account the experience of other countries, but flax had to be treated according to the experiences of New Zealand alone. New Zealand flax had to compete against the fibres of the world, and while at Home he had heard that, iu Central Africa, a plant had been discovered which was likely to make that country a rival. In the past in such matters the monetary inducement had been too small. A couple of thousand pounds might seem adequate here, but it looked small at the other end.

The Minister, replying, said that he realised the great importance of the industry, and that much of our laud was well suited to the growing of flax. He agreed that the probable reason why there was no response to previous bonus inducements was that the figure stated was not large enough. By a proper allocation of money primal industries might be assisted, and the proposal that the money voted should be recouped by levying a tax on the exports was businesslike. He would confer with his colleagues in the matter.