THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 959, 25 February 1911, Page 4

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

ANOTHER LABOUR-SAVING DEVICE. AN AUTOMATIC SCUTCHER. The Automatic Scutcher Company had a final trial run of its improved automatic scutcher at the Miranui mill on Friday last, says the New Zealand Times. The machine is now considered to be perfect, and has been fully covered by patents. The scutching was excellent, the “ tails ” —that great weakness under the present method —being combed out absolutely clean and free. The holders acted splendidly and there were no loose hemp fibres whatever in the tow. The tow spinners may not like to get tow tor their money instead of free fibre and scutcher slips. To the miller, however, the new process means less tow and more hemp. Even at present prices it goes without saying that than for tow. The machine requires two men, who can put through upwards of three tons of fibre daily. Any ordinary mill-hand can do the work entailed in spreading the hanks on the chain and taking off the fibre when scutched. In fact these men will have a soft job, and probably the wages wilt be at the same rate as for mill-hands. The entire machine is composed of two scutchers of a smaller size than the manual scutcher and a smaller special scutcher and hackler for the tails. The fibre, after being placed on the travelling chain, is scutched on the butts being held in the meantime by a special holder, which holds the fibre in such manner as to permit the fibre travelling freely, but no loose fibre can escape into the tow after the butts are scutched. The fibre is passed over an ingenious appliance for shifting the fibre on the chain, so that the part previously held by the holder is now free to be scutched with the tail end in the second scutcher. The tails are further scutched and

hackled, if necessary, in the small tail scutcher, and the process is complete. The machine can be so regulated as to only brush the fibre or severely scutch it, as may be necessary according to the conditions of the fibre. The special shifting appliance may also be regulated so as to work long or short fibre. The present machine, which has been built at much cost, caused by the changes required from time to time to make the machine perfect, has been sold to Mr Walter Seifert, who is building a new mill near Oroua Bridge. A special building will be used from the commencement of operations at the new mill. Mill owners generally are keenly watching for the practical results, especially as to the points to be awarded the fibre for scutching, the uniformity of the scutching and the quantity scutched per day. Should millers be satisfied as to these points the larger mills will certainly instal the new machine probably during the winter slack season.

The Automatic Scutching Company is composed of millers at Tokomaru and Makerua, who are the owners of seventeen strippers, and a fund was raised at so much per stripper to build the scutcher and to pay all contingent expenses. They are to be congratulated on further perfecting the milling process and in bringing out a machine which will still further reduce the cost of production.