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Evening Star, Issue 14535, 10 December 1910, Page 5

There is on tho Supplementary Estimates an item of £1,300, refund of duty on flax-dressing machines. The Hon. T. Mackenzio obligingly answers our question as to what this means. The Minister says: Mr Sandlett, of Napier, an enterprising man, pointed out that there was a machine which he thought would help very much just now to meet tho keen competition from Manila and Saison, which was really making the manufacture of New Zealand flax unprofitable. His firm intended to import £6,000 or £7,000 worth of new machinery in the form of a plant that would not only dress the fibre better, but also handle the tow and make use of the green pulp that comes from the leaf, (his being made into a food for cattle. Mr Sandlett said that his people were prepared to venture money in this experiment, but they thought the Government should concede the duty as a help. The machinery has been imported, and the duty had* to be paid, but wo revoted the £1,300 to assist what we hope will be a valuable experiment. Under the new arrangements on the Midlard Railway since the extension of the terminus to Cass, passengers for the West Coast will leavei Christchirrch at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, instead of 7 a.m., and reach Greymouth at 8.7 p.m. On Thursdays, passengers leaving Christchurch at 8.30" a.m. roach Reefton at 10.15 p.m., and passengers for Hokitika leaving Christchurch at 8.50 a.m. on Saturdays may also get to their destination at 10.15 p.m. Easy: " Look here, Jane," said the mistress "reprovingly, "this chair is covered with dust." " Yecsum," answered tho imperturbable Jane. " I reckon nobody sat in J