FLAX INDUSTRY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21066, 10 April 1943, Page 4

FLAX INDUSTRY

WARTIME EXPANSION CHANGES IN CONTROL PROPOSALS IN BRITAIN (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Correspondent. > LONDON. April 8. The House of Commons’ select committee on national expenditure, after •a critical survey of the difficulties in British flax- production, recommends the reorganisation of the home flax production department of the Ministry of Supply. The report recalls that , it was essential at the outbreak of war to develop ou a large scale home flax production, which is normally a peasant industry. It had to be built up into a centrally directed factory industry on mass production lines. Yet there are ■■ very few people in Britain with much knowledge and exDerience of flax. The i totaL area under flax cultivation in 1939 was only 3500 acres. Since then the area has been enormously increased and is still increasing. Seventeen factories are now operating.- The capital expended on the .purchase and extension of existing factories, and building new ones totalled nearly £1,250,000. The current expenditure last year was £1.840,000, which, was about , evenly distributed between the growers and processers,- but over £500,000 was realised by the sale; of by-products. Necessity for Retting

The Cabinet ,in 1939 ratified' a GfYr ernm.ent scheme for the, production of “green” flax, which was • then generally agreed to be right because of the difficulties of-producing retted flax. However, considerable (criticism has since developed against the policy of producing green flax, especially among Scottish spinners, who contend that retting should originally have been) adopted. : The select -committee,' after examination of the arguments,' recommends that jretting should be adopted without delay, wherever practicable, and calculated that it will fulfil requirements. It adds v that t much of the trade’s resentment, which is .understandable, arose---from- the- -fact -that the home flax- prhduction department, until recently, did not pOsse'sk anybody) with- -a technical knowledge at headquarters.- - r -ALL tA-T----.The - selectcommittee 'recommends that, the department should- be placed under the ultimate' control of . the flax controlled, ’ who - should, appoint .--a director/;with business experience and -knowledge of flax. He should -be assisted by .: a- small--production board consisting •of a scientific member and representatives, of. the spinners and processors.' . The committee also recopimends ,an .early inspection, of .factories, the con-dition-.'of' which should be reported to th'e Ministry of Supply, and trained fieldsmen', supervising, .flax-growing Should', at k certain age, be granted indefinite . deferment' .from military service. :