FLAX PREPARATION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2807, 25 July 1866, Page 6

FLAX PREPARATION.

To tli« Editor of the Dxn/r Southjern Cross. Bnt,--Having noticed in your paper of tile 16fch inatant aa article on the New Zealand flux, I think it is my duty to deny some statements made by you in that article, and defend my fellow-workmen from those accusations cast upon them. Tn the first place, you tell the public that machines were sent to Tuakau, and allowed to get dirty and rusty for want of use. This I positively deny. When the boiler and the first machine were sent up, a few men started working at it ;' and fhese men worked hard, for the machine was found to work very heavy. Since that again three more machines were sent, aid these were a great improvement on the last, they having a fly-wheel to each of them. Of course the first machine was then abandoned,- and is still not used, because they cannot turn, out half as much, flax as they can with either of the last machines. I beg also to aay that the three machines are kept constantly at work from morning until dark — nine men are constantly at work with them, and they find that the boiler is not large enough to ■apply them with as much flax as they can turn out through the machine. Secondly, you ask, where u the flax! Well, sir, some of ths men who first worked at the machine got the fibre out in a very excellent manner— in fact, it is like silk ; and when they sold it they could only get '2id. perlb. for it— surely,- sir, this id along way off £40 per ton— and most of the men whe are "now working at the flax are obliged -to sell ifcat this loir figure,' to enable ' them to r 'get I provisions, while the, remainder of them iyho have a little to support - themielve* with are storing up their flax until they can get a better price than 2£d. per lb. for it. I may mention that the flax is being sold to a storekeeper here, who told me he was buying it for Mr. Simpion. Thirdly, you say

article th»t all these immigrants do is to growl. Now, I must tell you,, sir, that if there is any growling it is because all the men who wish to work at the flaxcannot get to do it,for want of machinery and boilers ; and »a they cannot get more than 2Jd. for the fibre, it is quite impossible for them to save money enough to buy more machinery, or to purchase a horse to work the machiues for them. But, sir, you will yet see (when money enough can be raised to purchase more boilers) that the Tunkau flax will become more prominent iv the market. And now, sir, as yon -have led the public to believe that the immigrants of Tu,akau are too lazy or too well off to use these machines after they were so kindly sent to us, I thiuk it will be nothing but justice to us to lay before your readers our true state of affairs. And lastly, I may mention that the only machine unused is the first that was sent up, which only requires a fly-wheel to be fixed to it, and it will soon be seized by some of the men, who are eager to earn their living by the preparation of flax. I must now conclude by informing you that 3cwt. or 4cwt. of flax was taken from here in the ' Maori Chief last Saturday ; and if, sir, you can publish the names of those parties who are offering such high prices for the flax, you will be conferring a great boon on the immigrants at Tuakau. — I have, &c , Joseph Harrison, Immigrant at Tuakau. Tuakau, July 14, 1866.