NEW ZEALAND ROPE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2056, 24 July 1867, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND ROPE.

TO TUE EDITOR OF TIIE LYTTELTON TIMES. Sir,—Your article on, the manufacture of rope from New Zealand flax, in yesterday's; issue, would no.doubt be perused with much satisfaction :by. many of your readers; I would certainly have beeu much gratified myself at the realisation of a satisfactory, result from the oft attempted' utilisation of our native flax.; But, unfortunately for the colony, this desirable result has not yet been; attained, except in .a partial degree. I speak from personal knowledge, and;;! think-.the writer of the article iu question, must have . procured his information from second-hand, or have written from a very cursory inspection. I have seen several samples of the rope manufactured at Eaiapoi, and I think I do it full justice when I say it is a. favourable sample of what .has been manufactured in the northern part of New Zealand for many years past. The main difficulty—to turn the flax into a good marketable commodity by the separation of the cuticle from the fibre—- ; has not yet been overcome. I found it impossible to take a single inch of the rope in which there were not several patchy pieces of the cuticle adhering to it. And it is known that wherever any of this glutinous < substance remains it will soon rot through the : entire thickness of the rope. It is, however, gratifying to know that the embryo is formed of what we all hope may one day turn out one. of our staples of commerce; and it is to be hoped the enterprising proprietors will be ultimately well repaid for theirpresent outlay. At first, on hearing that at Kaiapoi a successful manufactory of thi3 article had; been started, I was prepared to discontinue the importation of Manilla rope; but. afterwards, : having seen the Kaiapoi rope,. I altered my mind, as it was plain the New Zealand rope could not supply the place of the Manilla, It.is hard, indeed, for me to imagine how the erroneous conclusion was arrived at, that the New. ZeaUud rope is stronger than, the. Manilla/, However, pleasing to /our fancy it , maybe to uphold "the" native production " there is no necessity to do so at the expense of veracity. If trouble had been taken to test the relative strength of the two kinds of rope it would have been found that the Manilla exceeds that of the New Zealand by thirty per cent. As I am agent for the sale of Forsyth's patent'steam-laid Manilla rope anyone interested in the subject can judge for themselves by calling at my office, where both kinds of the rope can be seen, and between which there is as much difference as between silk and cotton texture. If the New Zealand manufacturers persevere, and endeavour to attain for their rope the : excellence of the Manilla there is no doubt that in time the importation of the Manilla : will be entirely discontinued. ; - Your obedient servant, URQUHART MACPHERSON. Cathedral square, Christchurch.