"COMMERCIAL INSANITY”

Evening Star, Issue 21633, 31 January 1934, Page 2

" COMMERCIAL INSANITY”

EXPORT OF FLAX PLANTS TO JAPAN [Per' United Press ' . WELLINGTON, Jaiiuary 30. ■ Mr R. Semple, M.P., stated to-day that ever since the, report was, published that a firm of' nurserymen had received an order for New Zealand flax; plants for Japan,' and that arrangements had been made to supply them, he had received ; communications from interested peoplfe all over New Zealand protesting, against what he believed to be a very univise, if not a, disastrous proposal. , Thousands of pounds had been recently spent in New Zealand in research work arid the general 'development of flax. The experiments so far had been very successful, and it was known that a mill would be in operation next month in Foxton with the latest machinery at a cost of over £IOO,OOO. for the purpose of manufacturing wool packs alone. He had been given to understand, he added, that another group was at work in Auckland establishing a factory at Mercer, designed to turn out paper pulp. It seemed an act of commercial and industrial insanity to export flax plants to Japan, giving that country a weapon which it could and uridoubterll.y would use against New Zealand.