NEW ZEALAND FLAX AND THE BINDER TWINE TRUST.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 421, 20 November 1889, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FLAX AND THE BINDER TWINE TRUST.

A recent ruling of the Treasury Department of the United States, providing for the entr^ of New Zenland flax at the same rate of duty collected on sisa! grass is worthy of note as marking the revival of a trade that can with due caro be turned to very provable account. During the fiscal 3'ear ending 1888, the Isnited States imported for the manufacture of cordage, binder twine, etc., the following quantities of fibre :—: —

In addition to this raw material, we imported manufactured burlaps, bags, bagging, linen fabrics of all kinds, cordage, twine, yarns, etc., to the value of 23,782,171 dollars. Of the manufactured Roods, Great Britain and Germany furnished by far the largest proportion ; the raw material came very largely from Great Britain and her East Indian possessions, from Mexico and some of the South and Central American countries. The consumption of raw fibre for the manufacture of bagging, burlaps and binder twine is of immense proportions, upward of 30,000 tons of the twine being often called for a single harvest. The manufacturers of this artiole largely control imports of the fibre best suited to their produrtion, and a combination has recently been affected among them by which prices have been materially enhanced * manufacturers outside of the ring are often unable to maintain material from the former sources of snpply. In their emergenoy they recalled the fact that the fibre of *♦ phormiuin," or New Zealand flax, was admirably suited to their demands, and their large i urchases ia tht

Colony have stimulated its production in a remarkable degree, They have been paying as much ns £9 per ton freight on their orders in order to obtain the fibre by fast steamer in shorter time than was possible by any other means. It is not the first time that New Zealand flax has found a market in the United Stages. Only a few years ago, unr^er some^ what similar 'circumstances, American manufacturers ' sought to use phoiminm fibre, \Vludh is an excellent substitute for either'manilla or sisal, id the production of cordage, but they were compelled, b^the carelessness and even dishonesty displayed by the growers in its preparation, to abandon the attempt- It was no uncommon thing for buyers to find that the cleanly picked appenrance of the flax they had purchased was confined entirely to the outside of the bales, tha inner portion of which consisted of hnlf-picked fibre, sometimes mixed wjth worthless trash and even stones to make weight. They soon became disgusted with such practices, and almost dropped New Zealand flax from their list of smuMable materials. A good m.arket for tho flax, which grows in some parts of New Zealand in such abundance and at present brings such an excellent price that the crop is often worth more than the land that bears it, would prove particularly valuable to New Z inland, and might be the turning point of her financial prosperity. The fact 'hat it appears from a1!a 1 ! accounts to grow best on marshy lands that are of little use for any other crop, adds to the value of phormium as a product. All that is necessarj', in order to create and permanently secure a large market for the fibre in the United States is that it shall be carefully prepared; otheiwise it will soon fall again into bad odour, and will be abandoned just ns soon as the present emergency that has caused its use has passed away. We hope that for thuirown sakes, as well as on behalf of the encouragement of trade with the United States, New Zealand flax-growers will study the American market, and send us what our manufacturers are perfrct^ willing to pay for in quantity, an honest oarefully prepared and strictly firat-elasa aiticle. — Australasian and South American.

i'lax rlemp and substitutes. . ute Jisal and otljer vegetable substances . . . . Tons. 5,691 47,947 115,163 36,401 Valuo dols. 1,802,08! 6,934,83' 3,377,36! 5,430,89' Total 205 102 1' ,545,18'