FLAX INDUSTRY DOOMED

Shannon News, 23 February 1923, Page 3

FLAX INDUSTRY DOOMED

RESEARCH WORK ABANDONED. ■h ' .... -- - • *-: ■ ' (

A Maim watu Times representative was, yesterday, informed by- the president of the New Zealand Flaxmillers’ Association, Mi- A'. Seifert,,.that theItaxmillers have been compelled !<> give up research work "in . connection with their attempt lo produce diseaseresisting flax, and a plant (hat will grow a higher percentage and yield abetter quality of fibre. This course must be taken becausemoney cannot be' found to continue the work,' which was ol' a most valuable nature, and if continued, would probably-have led to a revival of this most . important industry. '

Lately the flaxmillers in the ManaAvatii district .have been hard hit by the. “yellow legf” disease destroying most of the flax. The price for hemp has also been low and taxation has been a riieavy ' burden. At present, two-thirds of the mills in the Manawatu are closed down. This has rendered idle 600 men, who received in wages -£120,000 annually. There was no hope of the mills agin opening, said our informant, unless a fresh supply of raw material could be grown from disease-resist-ing flax, and as the money could not be found to produce such flax, plant, it looked'as if the industry was doomed. '