THE FLAX TRADE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 427, 11 December 1889, Page 8

THE FLAX TRADE.

A Cfmv.KsroxpEXT who takes a lively jntetest in iho flax trade, although not now engaged in it, informs us (South land Times; that intelligence has reached him that seveial capitalists in Milboi.rne are turning their attention to the manufacture oF corn sacks ami wool packs in ihls colony from the tow of New Zealand Jiemp ; also the com ser kinds of twine, *o largely used horn the piepared fibie. It is said that the data collected are highly encouraging, and the piojectors only awnil Fuither advices from Calcutta and Dundee, when mutters may be expected to tal.e a practical turn. This (our corespondent soy?) uonkl prove a gieat loon to the flax dresser*, ps t hey could theifby get ncj of their tow off band, end a loige quantity of the piepaied fibie v-ould also be used in the colony. The Lcnch'ts aeciuini; from opening up an industry like this cannot he ovn estimated, as the nu^uey \a!neel the biloroivieniioned ai lidos use.! in the Ansti.ilian coljuifs is enoimous and ahv.ns increasing. Loise capital i» n< ces-saiy to cany on the business, and en-ployment would he <ji\on 10 a gie.it number of ],pople, jiihl it would be well it the Government jvoulu foster industiics of this kind by giviisg a substantial bonus to those who aie entei prising enough to first pioduce «i reasonable quantify, Theie must uacpssaiily be in an un iertaking of this kind many cost- to the pioneeis that Jtouid not fall upon thosrf who mi«ht stait afterwards ; and expeit laU-ur would have to be impoited until people in the colony are 'aught the work. A colonial demand for tow and fibre would be a good piop to the flax industry that is now raj. idly establishing itself, and which the colony could ill afford to lose.