£100,000 IN WAGES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 147, 23 June 1915, Page 13

£100,000 IN WAGES

THE FLAX INDUSTRY

IMPORTANT FACTOR' IN PROSPERITY

a. the last few years a coiaplete change faaa corns pvor tho face of the fiax-mill-Sag industry in the lower Manawatu, iwhere it figuros so largely in the affairs of the community. When tho industry ■waa in its infancy it was unstable, and tlie mills ran intermittently according to tha way the 6bVe boomed or receded on the H«me or American msdeets, and employment was aiwartaki. This resulted in the MigagwHeni of men, looked upon usually as casuals; aod a "flasie" came to bo regarded in the early days of the district not altogether as a desirable clae3 oi individual to have about Mix p3acd. Now, however, the industry bern risen to an established ' basis, much capital has been devoted to manufactoro oi tho fibre, and though tis. market, nirich ia now fairly stable, rise or fail, production must go cm. The "casual" employee docs not nowadays suit the miller : lie requires steady men who Lovo learned fcbeir work ; and to secure them

only, quite recently that the millers realised that tho growth was" so , extensive. Evidently there were one or two patches about on the higher lands in the sw'ainps which Were not kept in check, and Beedfl.have been carried about, either by floods or by the birds ; and the small plant* have not been noticed. It is oniy since the swamps liave been drained, and the loose, sodgy vegetable surface between the fiax bushes has settled down into harder earth substance^ that .the blackberry lias been able to take, root. At the present time several of the mills have « nnrabar of men employed^ trying to gei rid of tho intruder As in most sew industries, the millers are learning that such stage of improvement of the fl*x brings its special set of problems. A PERIODIC PLAGUE. A little while, ago there was the grub question. A peculiar, hungry grub settled on tho tail of" the leaf, and caused damage, to the quality. Assistance was' sought by millers from the Government Botanist, who. said, after investigation, that he could not account for it.' This year.

trict is £10,000^ per annum. The prosperity of the industry means a very considerable thing, therefore, to the inhabitants of the district and to the largo centres of population which are drawn upon for supplies.