EGYPTIAN AFFAIRS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1001, 7 September 1882, Page 2

EGYPTIAN AFFAIRS.

: u ' 1 AikxyijrnniA,!^e|j4\^.,,,(* British-engineers are engaged in cutting a passage for the sea into /Lika Mareotis. This step, is beipgj tak|T| im/ order to flood the dry bed ‘of the’ lakw and the Inarslles 1 t-hif of the city, “af.d thus prevent a flank attack by the enemy. - Later. ,- f I r The of cutting a channel to ad- * - rait the sea into thebed of Lake Mareotis is now actively proceeding. ■- > 7 ■ * ' 1 • •■■■ -; t ' ;; 8^,47 H.M.S. Minotaur, flagship, pt > Channel Squadron, is now daily engaged in abelling the enemy’s 'lines at , Aboukir., ; . , : */. London; Sept; 1 4^,,* , . A further number of regitinentt Ire now under orders for service-in Egypt, and will be despatched at an ear|j[flftflL* Tt has transpired that this force, which consists of abdut 5000 men, is intendejl, 0 to .occupy positions nowf held in, ; tpft w neighborhood of Alexandria ihy’^r^ 1 Evelyn Wood’s brigade to enable ths J i Iv* Ji ratlatter force to. join the maja, the Briti h array under Sir Gar.net Wolielef in the* 1 rejected operations epeaiy. ___ k\ti

An Armed force of 80,000 Tripoli*!.* 1$ stated to bare left on the way to Egypt to reinforce Arab’. The Turkish forces will endeavor to intercept thoir advance. ' TTieAommanders of Arabi's forces at Gelftftir are meditating desertion. Sir Garnet Wolselcy is taking srery precaution to, guard against the effects of sunstroke, which have heretofore ■sriously interfered with the efficiency of (he transport- service. 7 6.50 p.m. Sfr Gariael Wolseloy’s supplies at the fronUnjHho meins ef transport are Bosr officially announced to bo ample. A forcO of the enemy is advancing on l^pAaaain.. fI.M.S. Minotaur is engaged in shelling the position. Tho bealthof the troops at Kassae•opnia.improved. tw*rr II 7.5 p.m. regulations between Suez and Bombay have been relaxed in register British' troops. Tlie quarantine regulations at Suez have bsen” relaxed in consequence of protests boade by the British Government. / ' Sept. 5. A portion of the Turkish troops hare arrived at Port. Said and disembarked there.■ ■ . It is reported that a plot against th« liV|SjOf the Europeans has been discovered in Alexandria, and information has led to the finding of a stock of tblee thousand rifles and six thousand bludgeons conceal* 1 in a mosque. Some Greek spies have been arrested. EUROPEAN FLAX CULTIVATION. A- meeting waa held last Tuesday evening in the Wallingford, Family and Commercial Hotel, to consider the advisability of floating a company for the manufacture of European flax into fibre, oil, aiid'eaka. There were about 40 farmers, and others present, and great interest appeared to be taken in the project. On the*motion of Mr Twomey, Mr John Talbot was voted to the chair. The Chairman explained the object of the meeting. They had been called toy gether to meet Mr Pilbrowland Mr Pearce, - who would give them information with regard to the development ef the linseed industry. The idea waatofloata company,and

ha was.glad ao many wore present. He beUeved it would be a very goad thing for the district. The samples produced

showed that the linseed could be manufactured to »uik their requirements, aad he had no doubt such information would ke given as would show that the project had elements ef success in it. He would now- call upon Mr Pearce to give them information; regarding it. fMr Pearce-said that with regard to the growth of the flax he know nothing. He could only give them information as regarded the manufacture of straw into lilliieV ‘-ate.' Mr Pearce then produced samples-af the flax grown by Mr Pilbrow, in ! Various stages of preparation, and described the preparation which it underwent. One fact he proved conclusively, which must bo regarded of considerable Importance : that was that the , fibre will suffer nothing by being cut in. steal! of nulled out of the ground, as the roots are 'quite useless. The amount which the machinery would cost was £l6Bl 7s. , Mr Twomey thought the first thing they ought to find out was whether it would pay the farmers to grow it at the pVleO the ’ company would give for the straw. It would be useless to go any farther with it unless it -was shown it would pay farmers to grow it, as -if it did not they coaid not get them to do so. Mr Talbot thought the capital the com. pany would require would be about >£sooo. Mr Pilbrow would, no deuht, give some information as to the growth of the flax. Mr Pilbrow then gave an account of his experience of the growth of flax for the last 18 years ; how Mr Wakefield obtained a bonus of £BOO for the first 800 gallons of linseed oil produced ; how the flax could be grown on any kind of land. The land In this district was very suitable, ' and the water excellent for retting it. He escalated there would be 4C bushels seed to the acre. He had bought seed at the rate of £l per bushel, Mr Watkins would guarantee 13s 4d per bushel for it to ship it home, and at the lowest they could get 6s for it in Dunedin. la England it was sold at 8s per bushel for oil, and the straw was sold at £4 JOs per ton. '•Mr Talbot thought iftat what they required to know was whether it would pay tIU farmer to grow it. Ha then read an extract from the pamphlet written by Mr Myrphy, Secretary to the Christchurch A. and P., Association, oe the subject, from which it appeared that the farmer would haves a clear profit of £8 10s per acre after paying all expenses. He continued to say that it would undoubtedly be a profitable thing for the farmer, and the next thing to consider was whether they were in time enough this Tear. There was another company started iu Christchurch, aud perhaps that would be sufficient to •upply the requirements. Mr Pearce said it would not pay to aend t* Christchurch. The Christchurch people would not like <o see a cm-pany in

Some desultory discussion then took place, without the necessary irfformation being obtained, and the Chairman suggested the appointment of a Committee to get more information.

Mr Twomey said that according to Mr Talbot’s readingof Mr Murphy’a pamphlet tlia cultivation of linseed would give the farmer £8 XOs per acre clear profit. What they wanted to know now was' what profit would a company have out of converting the straw into fibre. Mr Twomey questioned Mr Pearce on this subject, and elicited the followingfacts :—The Company weuld buy the straw from the farmer at £3 per ton. Every ton of atraw would yield 2J per cent of twine, which would be Worth £lO 10s. The labor employed in manufacturing the ton of atraw into twine would coat £2 10s, which would give the Company » net profit of £5 a« every ton , of straw they manufactured into twine. , - Mr Twomey thought that as the farmer would get £8 10s per acre out of growing flax, and the Company would got £5 per ton eut of manufacturing the straw into twine, it wa» sufficient to ' show that it would pay well, and suggested that a Company should be at onceformad. Mr Talbot pointed out that according to Mr Murphy’s pamphlet one Company would be sufficient for Canterbury. Mr Mendolson did not think that the Christchurch Company need be taken into consideration. The local requirements of the district of ■ South Canterbury Would bo about thirty tons of twine a year; that would be the product of 120 acres of land, and on the manufacture of these 30 tons alone, 25 per cent would be gained by the Company on their capital of £6OOO. Mr Twomey pointed out that they would not be restricted to South Canterbury. They would have a better chance than Christchurch of supplying all the districts from here to Southland, which at that rate would require at least 100 tons of twine.

A voice : That would give cent per cen on the capital. On the motion of Mr Twomey, seconded by Mr Pilbrow, it was resolved unanimously—“ That this meeting considers that it is desirable to float a Company with a nominal capital of £6OOO, for the manufacture of European flax into fibre, oil and cake.” It waa decided to write ta the following gentlemen, asking them to act as Provisional Directors : —Messrs J .Guild, J Talbot, R A Barker, S D Barker, K F Gray, BK Parkinson, G Wood head, D Maclean, J Mendelson, W Postlethwaite, F W Stubbs, W H Murray, D L Inwood, Trsziss, Pilbrow, A Grant, EWakefield, C Orbell, J Paterson, W Wright, W Lyle, D Leach, and Dr Hayes. • Mr Barker moved a vote of thanks to Mr Paarce for the information he had given the meeting. Mr Pearce, in thanking them for the vote of thanks, said ha had no idea he would have been so minutely questioned as ha lted bean, or ha would have obtaiaed more information. For the last 13 years ha had advocated the growth of, linaeed, believing it to be % vary profitable industry, bat it was only lately that any interest had been taken in it. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting.