FLAX ROYALTIES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9391, 10 March 1909, Page 6

FLAX ROYALTIES.

A correspondent of the Dominion writing on the subject of flax royalties, says ;-A point I wish to bring out clearly is the different position of the green flax and royalties now as compared to the old days when flax was about £ll per ton. Several years ago green tiny was a waste product growing upon waste lands. Millers were praoti oally given the flax if they would out it and clear the land. With the advance of the Dominion, and the increased value of land generally these lands have come into oulfciva* tion, and flax is no longer growing on them in any quantities, and so nearly all the original flax landshave disappeared as snob. Bat. on the other hand, new lands have been brought into use for flax at very great expeflse for draining, , and, speaking generally, mills now draw their supplies from such areas, iliesn lands, or swamp lands, are some of the richest in the Dominion,, and on them flax has become practically a cultivated crop, requiring cleaning from ether growths, draining, protection from fire, and all the time paying heavy- rates—local and general the taxes alone amounting to more than was earned for royalties when flax was £ll per tom If such lands are to earn nothing by way of royalties in fntnre, they certainly will not be kept for flax-growing, but will be used for cattle and sheep where possible, and, where impossible, the swamp laud will revere back to its old useless ooadltion. The royalties are now getting. fi ui °y *-t it is becoming unprofitable for landholders to keep for flax lands useful for other purposes, and u now f f om personal knowledge that several holders are putting in cattle. If this is so, it is an end to the flax. No royalties, or very low royalties, must mean in a short time* no flax lands, and no flax lands means extinction of the industry.