THE IRISH LINEN TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 88, 15 April 1887, Page 7

THE IRISH LINEN TRADE.

Ireland just now is occupying a very large share of the attention, nob only of the British Parliament, but of English-speaking people throughout the world.

It is pleasant to remember, among all the doleful accounts of evictions and agrarian outrages which unfortunately figure so prominently in paragrnphs relating to Ireland, that " the most distressful country " is celebrated in other and more praiseworthy respects. Many of her industries havo attained a position highly .creditable to a people handicapped, as most now admit the Irish to have Ijeen, by centuries of misrule. In the production of linen goods especially the Emerald Isle has for a long period held a position of proud pre-eminence, the large proportion of Hnena used the world over coming from Irish looms. She sends her productions to all quarters of the globe to bo used by nil classes of society. It is to the persecution of the Huguenots in France that this industry owes its origin. These men and women, "of whom the world was not worthy," driven from their homes on account of their religious belief, enriched the countries which gave them shelter with their skill ahd enterprise. France never made a greater blunder than when .she exiled these pious people to start silk-weaving in Spitaltields and lay the foundations of the Irish linen trade.

Some of these Huguenot* settled at Lisburn, near Belfast, and began not only to cultivate the ilax plant and manufacture it into linen, but to instruct their neighbours in the art. They succeeded so well that in process of time the industry spread over the country, especially in the province of Ulster, till it was an almost universal practice for the North of Ireland farmer to grow his field of ilax in the intervals of farm work, dress it, by tho aid of his wife or daughters make it into linen and bleach it for household use, or sell it to the linen merchant, who shipped it to the markets then open. Tho invention of the spinning jenny proving a success in the cotton trade, it was soon adapted to the ilax fibre, and tho American civil war breaking out, milking cotton dear, resulted in numerous mills springing up over the North of Ireland, and a few in tho South, giving an immense impetus to the trade. The hand-spinning wheel was completely " bowled out," and i.s now preserved merely as a relic of bygone days. The steam power loom was soon introduced, and side by side with tho spinning mills linen-weaving factories wore erected, giving employment to great numbers of people. At tirat only coarsest varieties could bo produced by tho power loom, the finer makes of Frontings, Damask, etc., being still mado by tho ola hand-loom, but tho maohinery has boon brought to such a stage of perfection that tho linen for the best dreas shirt can bo woven by steam power, and it is only a question of timo when the hand loom shall take its plaoe in tho museum beside the spinning wheel. All these improvements in the process of manufacture meant the larger production of goods, and at such a lowering of tho cost that linen, from being the luxury of the few as formerly, is now becoming the necessity of tho many. The damp climate of Ireland is certainly a drawback to her agricultural prosperity, but it is well suited for the manufacture uf linen yarn, which in most cases* required an atmosphore saturated with moisture; whilo in ncr verdure-clad fields she possesses a spread ground for bleaching which renders her unapproachable in this department. It is an acknowledged fact that nowhero is linen bleached to such a snowy whiteness as in tho little island " where the grass grows green." Belfast,the commercial capital of Ireland, is the principal seat of the industry, and owes nearly all its prosperity to what is locally known as the staple trade of Ulster. Some idea of the importance and growth of tho manufacture may be gatherod from the fact that sixty years ago Belfast was an insignificant town, and is now a tine city with nearly a quarter of a million inhabitants, while in tho surrounding districts numerous smaller towns owe their existence to linen in some of it 3 numerous varieties.

Of late years the Continental nations have been developing this as well as other branches of industry, and instead of being large buyers as in the past thoy are now rivals of Belfast in some departments of the trade.. Tho result is that profits have been greatly reduced, and in some cases mills Forced to close up. This is not surprising when we remember that Continental employers can work their hands for any hours and at almost what pay they like, while Factory Acts and Trades Unions tie the Irish manufacturer hand and foot. Another item which handicaps the Belfast mills, is the fact that the greater part of the flax used is grown on tho Continent and shipped to Belfast, tho Irish farmers {supplying only a small proportion of the annual consumption. This opene up a question interesting to New Zealand. Can we not grow fchi.s ilax as well as Russia or Belgium, and send it Home as we do wheat or wool ?

The Continental countries impose high protective duties on linen imports, which in the Case of Russia, especially, are almost prohibitory. Wo on the other hand admit linen goods with a small duty, and some varieties free. New Zealand - crown flax would thus bo entitled to, and woiild receive, a preference from the Home manufacturer, which would bo greatly in its favour. Our climate is as well adapted to flax culture as that of Belgium or Russia, and the question of suitability of soil is easily settled by experiments in different localities.

In the United States, the flax plant is ' cultivated in some places for the seed alone, which makes a most fattening food for cattle, and is also used in medicine Our hot summer would ripen tho seed, so that it would be available for feeding purposes or to send Home. At present, the Irish farmer imports his flax-seed at a high price from Belgium and Russia, the Irish summer, as a rule, not being dry enough for the saving of the seed. So that if both the fibre nnd the seed wcro marketable there seems little doubt but that in suitable soil tho European flax plant would prove a welcome addition to our crops, and do something to remove the agricultural depression. Messrs Smith and Caughcy, Queen-street, have at present in their window an interesting exhibit of Irish flax in all stages of its manufacture, from the flax in the straw to tho finest fabric that is woven—bleached and ready for use. One specimen of linen yarn, from the mill of Messrs J. T. and M. Grooves and Co., Belfast, i.? worthy of notice. This yarn, spun by steam power, is so fine that four miles in length of it weighs a. little over a quarter of a pound. In the olden days of the spinning-wheel it was the boast of many an Irish farmer's wife that she could spin a hank of yarn so fine that it would pass through her wedding ring. This feat, difficult for human fingers, has been all but accomplished by the spinning frames of the Belfast firm just mentioned. Messrs Smith and Caughey are also exhibiting a fine collection ot linen fabrics, all of Irish manufacture, some of them of a most artistic description, and very creditable to the skill and taste of the Irisli artisan. This firm has for some years imported all their linen.? direct from the Belfast factories, and will be glad to give any information to those interested in the question of flax culture, which we think deserving of consideration by agriculturists and by everyone interested in the prosperity of oar colony.