FLAX INDUSTRY

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 July 1927, Page 5

FLAX INDUSTRY

SEASON'S WORK REVIEWED.(Per Press Association.) PALMERSTON NORTH, July 22. The annual meeting of the N.Z. Flaxmillers’ Association was. held today, Mr H. A. Seifert, Vice-President presiding. The annual report states: The quality of this year’s production was graded a little below the average of previous years. Most millers are of the opinion that, this was due to the hardening of the grading standard, and not to any extent due to carelessness in handling, or the poorer quality of the leaf. The small premium offered for better grades, during the latter half of the year especially, did not encourage millers to go to much expense in pursuit of the extra quality. Prices throughout the, year have been steady but not so high as in 1926. The winter price was the best received during the winter for several years past. This was rather strange, for one expected the great coal strike to have lowered the market. The summer price last season was not. as good as usual. During the past year, further flax planting companies have been formed, mainly in Auckland province. Never before has the industry been so much in the public eyes. Methods have also undergone some change. Perhaps one of great importance is the abandonment of side leaf cutting, and reversion to hook cutting by three of the largest firms that had adapted side leaf cutting. Many experiments have been carried out with washing fibre, also with artificial bleaching and air drying. The scutching process received some attention. Another movement of considerable importance is the effort that has been manifested at several mills to class fibre before baling as regards the future of the industry, prices cannot be expected to lie greatly improved. The output will probably be a. little lower than at last year, owing to the abandonment of side leaf cutting, and the closure of marginal mills. These are mills which run upon scattered areas of.flax, when conditions are favourable to the industry. About 16,500 tons will probably be the output for the coining year, and the quality should be about equal to that of last year’s. Flax planting is expected to exceed all previous records, as probably from 500 to 1000 acres will be planted in the coming year. At the same time, for the next five, six or eight years, natural flax will supply almost the whole of the output. Two of the problems outstanding are important and worthy of investigation. Firstly, artificial bleaching and drying. This is the miller’s greatest opportunity to cheapen production, with probably an improvement in quality. Second, the development of additional uses for fibre textile and paper manufacture offer splendid possibilities, in view of increasing production. If able to develop these satisfactorily then the industry should develop beyond anything visualised at present.