THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2293, 23 June 1921, Page 3

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

THE YELLOW LEAP MENACE,

MILLERS DEPUTATIONISE

MINISTER.

A deputation of flaxmillers waited upon the lion. W. Nosworthy, Minister of Agriculture, at the Palmerston Showgrounds yesterday, to bring under his notice the damage caused to flax throughout the district by the yellow leaf disease, and to ask for the assistance of the Government in finding means to combat the spread of the disease. The deputation was introduced by Mr J. A. Nash, M.P., who spoke of the fine industry that flax had been to this district, employing a large number of men, but many of these men had had to be put off owing to the ravages of the yellow leaf disease. At the present time it was a question of whether the industry was going to die out altogether, for already large areas previously in flax had been turned over to dairying Mr 11. T. Bell, President of the Flaxmillers’ Association, said that if something was not done to eradicate the yellow leaf disease the present area in flax would have t<> go into pasture. He pointed out that within the last few years very valuable flaxmills had been erected in this district, but in some cases they had been compelled to close down after twelve months or so and practically scrapped, and that showed the pace at which the disease had grown in some districts. He pointed out that the Iliverdale estate, owned by Mr Akers, had been forced to turn over from flax to pasture, but there was still quite a considerable area in the district under flax. At the Moutoa estate, near Poxton, there had, up to the present, been no sign of the disease, and if that area could be saved it would be a great achievement,

Continuing, Mr Bell spoke of the land that had been reclaimed by the operations of flaxmillers, pointing out that at Makerua 23,000 acres that were previously useless, being under water for most of the year, had been made profitable for flaxgrowing through the enterprise of Mr A. Seifert by a proper system of drainage and the erection of modern mills. They desired to retain the areas that had been put under flax because they were in a position lo show that a better profit could be made out of flax-growing than from dairying or fattening, while for sentimental reasons they also wished to retain the flax industry, with which many of them had been associated for a long time. If the Department of Agriculture could And a cure for ijie yellow leaf disease it would go a long way towards assisting the industry. Some little time ago at the Science Congress held in Palmerston North a committee of flaxmillers had been set up, and they had decided that it was essential for the llax industry to And a plant that was immune from or resistent to the yellow leaf disease, and that to do this an experimental plant should be erected.

Mr A. Seifert said lie felt confident that there were kinds of the Jlax that were resistent to the disease, as he had found in affected areas some plants that' were quite healthy. If flaxmilling was going to be retained in New Zealand it would be necessary to cultivate plants that would resist the disease. It had been debated by those engaged in the industry as to whether they should stand all the cost of finding disease-resisting plants, but he thought that the Government should pay a large share of the cost, as the results obtained would be of benefit to those who later on would take up the industry. He had no hesitation in saying that if they could find a plant that would resist the yellow leaf disease the growing of flax would pay 40 per cent, better than dairying. Against that there was the fact that it took longer to grow flax, but if they could get hold of plants that were immune from disease it would pay even small farmers to grow small areas of flax and sell the leaf to the mills. He hoped the Minister would do his best for the industry, as at present not less than 8,000 acres of flax had been totally or partially destroyed by the disease. In the Manawatu district there used to be 22,000 stores under llax, but ns 8,000 acres had already been destroyed by the disease they could see how serious a matter it was. More than half the hemp that had left New Zealand had been taken off this land in the Manawatu, the value of the crop from this 22,000 acres having been £500,000 in one year. The millers were prepared to stand a good deal of the expense in experimenting to find a solution of (he trouble, but on the other hand they realised that the country would gain generally if a plant was found that would resist the disease, and for that reason they thought the Government should also assist, The Minister, in reply, said that he had listened with great interest , ty the remarks made by Mr Bell and Mr Seifert, and lie regretted that one of the principal industries of

New Zealand had received such a set-back with the advent of the yellow- leaf disease. He was aware of the scientific investigations that .had been carried out as regards this xlisease, but up to now no solution had been found. He w r oukl be pleased when he returned to Wellington to look into the matter from the point of view placed before him by the deputation, and see to what extent it would be possible to meet them in regard to the proposition they had put before him. They had the sympathy of himself and of his department in trying to find a solution for the disease, but how far he would go to find the money to assist them was another question. It was very hard to get any money just now, as the Government found, as well as private individuals. It, would, said Mr Nosworthy, be a pity if their oldest industry was to be lost, and he recognised that so far as Palmerston North and surrounding districts were concerned the loss of the industry would be a heavy one. He also sympathised with them in the proposal for the erection of an experimental plant. So far as the department could help scientifically, and also outside the department, every effort would be made to see if the 'disease could be overcome.