BRITISH FLAX PRODUCTION

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23916, 7 April 1943, Page 3

BRITISH FLAX PRODUCTION

RECOMMENDATIONS OF SELECT COMMITTEE (Special Australian Corresp.. N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON. April 5. The House of Commons Select Committee on national expenditure, after a survey of difficulties facing British flax production, recommends the reorganisation of the Home Flax Production Department of the Ministry of Supply. The committee’s report recalls that it was essential at the outbreak of the war to develop on a large scale home flax production, which was normally a peasant industry. It had to be built up into a centrally directed factory industry on mass production lines. Yet there were very few people in Britain with much knowledge oi experience of flax. The total area under flax cultivation in 1939 was only 3500 acres. Since then the area has enormously increased and is still increasing. Seventeen factories are now operating. Capital expended on the purchaseTapd extension of existing factories and on building new ones totals nearly £1,250,000. Current expenditure last year was £1.840,000, almost evenly distributed between growers and processors, but more than £500,000 was realised by the sale of, by-products. Cabinet in 1939 ratified a Government scheme for the production of "green” flax, which was then generally agreed to be right because of the difficulties of producing retted flax. However, considerable criticism has since developed against the green flax policy, especially among Scottish spinners who contend that retting should have been originally adopted. The Select Committee, after an examination of the arguments on this point, recommends that retting should be adopted without delay wherever it is practicable and calculated to fulfil requirements.

The committee adds that much ot the trade’s understandable resentment arose from the fact that tin* Home Flax Production Department until recently did not possess anybody with technical knowledge at headquarters. The Select Committee recommends that the department should be placed under the ultimate control of the Flax Controller, who should appoint a director with business experience and knowledge of flax. He should be assisted by a small production board consisting of a scientific member and representatives ot spinners and processors. The committee also recommends early inspection of the factories, the condition of which should be reported to the Ministry of Supply, and that trained fieldsmen supervising flax-growing should at a certain age be granted indefinite deferment of military service.