THE LINEN INDUSTRY.

Taihape Daily Times, 27 June 1919, Page 2

THE LINEN INDUSTRY.

Speaking at the Royal Saeciety of Arts, on the cultivation, preparation, spinning and weaving of flax, Mr. W_ Norman Bovase,‘chai.l'mall of the Flax Committee for Scotland, said that the experience of the War had shown the vital necessity of linen goodsfer the army,‘ navy, and air service, twobirds at least of the total quantity of flax worked in "the country haviing been used to produce goods for 3 these services. The Flax Control Board with sub-committees in Belfast. and 7Dundee, -had not only stimulated the normal sources of flax supply in Ireland, but .al'l'a.nged for the Government joining with the trade in guaranteeing £BOO,OOO for cultivating an additional acreage in Ireland, and t'ul'tller_. as the supply of fibre seed usually obtained from Russia and Holland was not only scarce, but likely to be unobtainablc, the Flex Control Board persuaded the Treasuryto agree to sowing 30,000 acres in Canada for the production or seed only. The Empire Flax Grrowing Committee of the Board of Trade had been for the last 15 months taking: evidence as to where flax could best; be grown in the Empire. There] were many places Where it was 1305- ‘ sible notably British East. Africa, where considerable quainity of land‘ was under flax cultivation .Now that, war demands had ceased, the present ‘ position of the linen industry was’ lamentable. Nobody appeared to require flax goods of any kind. Doubtless the high prices of the raw material, about five times the pre-war value, decreased the volume of business. p