NEW DOMINION INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 21630, 27 January 1934, Page 10

NEW DOMINION INDUSTRY

WOOLPAGKS FROM FLAX A bright future for the new flaxweaving industry being introduced by the erection of a factory at Foxton is anticipated by Mr R. Semple, M.P., who ■ recently visited the factory, which is expected to be in operation early in March. Mr Semple said recently that construction of the building had been completed and the machinery'would be installed by the end of this month. , The progre?s which made the industry possible was discovered by Mr Robert Coghill, of Dunedin. It enabled the flax fibre to be softened, thus 'making it suitable for material -for woolpacks and sacks of various sorts. “ At present no woolpacks or other types of sacking are manufactured in Australia or New Zealand,” said Mr Semple. “The. dominion spends £500,000 or £600,000 a year on imported jute goods, the figure for Australia being £5,000,000.” The New Zealand market was .assured, and if

the Australian trade could also be captured over 20,000 people would be employed in the industry in the next few years. The first factory at Foxton would concentrate on woolpacks, although the company would ultimately produce all types of sacking. Later it was proposed to erect another factory at Tauranga and one in Southland. The machinery was the very latest of its kind, and Was specially designed for the treatment of hard fibre. The company also possessed an unusual processing plant for the treatment of the article when in the cloth state.

‘‘After a thorough inspection of the machinery to bo employed I am convinced tlicre is a great future in store for this flax-weaving industry,” Mr Semple added.