THE POSSIBILITIES OF NEW ZEALAND HEMP.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 9185, Issue 9185, 8 April 1910, Page 6

THE POSSIBILITIES OF NEW ZEALAND HEMP.

INTERESTING ADDRESS BY MR AKERS.

THE RIVALRY OF MANILA.

NEW PROCESSES OF MANUFACTURE. -\ most interesting address was delivered by Mr W. Akcrs before a number of fiaxmillers at the Grand Hotel yesterday afternoon. Mr Alters has recently been on a tour of the world, and he made a special study of all the rivals, of New Zealand hemp, especially Manila, and at the same time paid* special attention to the possibilities of the use of hemp in manufactures other than those in. which it is at present used. The speaker said that reason why ho went away' was to find out the possibilities of the industry and the competition to bo expected from other, parts of the world. He first made for Manila, having received information from Mr Cohen and Messrs Austin Bros. Labour conditions there struck him forcibly before .anything else. No 011 c who had not been there could understand the value of cheap labour to the industry. Philippines were only four days' sale by scow from the mainland of Canton, and the natives went across in thousands. They were quite satisfied if they could earn £4 or £5 in a season. In the Philippines they practically had tw'6 springs—the autumn being just like our spring, so that therewere two crone a season in some parts Mr Akers went all round the Archipaelago. and eaw the Manila in every island. The climate was sub-tropical, and would grow almost anything. The population was about eix millions. He was quite sure they would be,able to double their output if the markeft demanded it. "What is its minimum cost'/" asked Mr Bell. Mr Akers replied that it was a very difficult thing to gauge, as the money standard was always fluctuating in the Philippines. The planters were paid in silver, and the half-dollar which was valued at 2s Id was only nominally worth Is Bd. while the gold standard also fluctuated. The cost of production of hemp was between £8 and £10 per ton in our gold. But the traders made money by buying in silver and selling in gold. America purchased all the fine Manila, and only the lowest grade—and there were about sixteen separate grades—went to London. It was about equal to our tow, but nevertheless New Zealand's best grade was bought and so mixed with it as to cover its inferiority, and it was thus made to sell. "Then our hemp is merely making clean aprons for other people's dirty clothes.' , suggested Mr Grcig. Continuing, Mr Akcrs said that when in London he came across Dr. Naumann, a, leading German fabrics and dyes simthority. who .was now in the South Kensington School in London. He had made experiments with flax to see what could be done with it. He had found that it could be broken up and could be made into a texture that would take dyes more brilliantly even than silk. Mr Akers got some samples and showed them to the Agent-General, but the matter no further in that direction, and Dr. Naumann had asked Mr Akers to endeavour to get the New Zealand Government's. bonus of £2000 reinstated. The bonus, it will be remembered, was offered for anyone who could invent a process to utilise hemp in other ways. In Italy, continued Mr Akers, New Zealand flax was gradually finding its way into various articles of commerce. There they made a material that could hardly be distinguished from silk, while many other things also were made from it. In the Agricultural. Exhibition at Paris the speaker saw a very large number of different fibres, one of which struck him being made from a species of aloes. It was cheaply produced and appeared to be good for spinning. There was no doubt that New Zealand flax was going to take a great part in future in the manufacturing world, because of the way it took the dyes. When dyed the fibre was more brilliant even tlian the colour itself. Mr Akers told of an experience that the Australian customs authorities had with a material which they declared was silk, but which was proved afterwards to have been made from New Zealand hemp. This tallied with Dr. Naurnaim's experiments. Mr Akers considered the Flaxrnillcrs' Association should go to the Government and ask them to reinstate the £2000 already mentioned for a bonus to the man who could invent new processes for using the flax. In reply to Mr Bell, Mr Akers said Dr. Naumann used both the dressed fibre and the raw material. Further, Mr Akors said he was preparing a quantity of fibre and raw material to send Home to Dr. Naumann. He was also sending Home large samples of all the waste products of the mills, and even the vegetation to some of tho leading paper millers, who were certain they could make paper from the by-products. In reply to Mr Greig, Mr Akers said there were no big planters in Manila. The whole of the growing was done by the Filipinos, who bartered the hemp for goods. Thus if the price fell by £12 a ton they would still grow it, for it was their "tucker." The method of preparing the fibre was delightfully simplo. ,All the machinery the "scutcher" had was a piece of old iron, on which the hemp was scraped. That was the only process it went through. The cultivation of the hemp was more costly, it having to be hood twice a year.

To Mr Bell, Mr Akcrs said his reason for agitating for a reliable agent in London was that the commodity was boing abused, and was only competing with poor Manila, which regulated our prices. The hemp was badly marketed, and he was quite sure if if. went through one channel only it would bring £25 per ton. Some idea oi the extent of tho fibre industry could be obtained • from tho fact that he had seen no less than 13 acres covered with sheds which? all contained Manila.

Dr. Naumann, said Mr Akers again, would not toll him what his process was, but said it was a- chemical action' which extracted an acid from the flax. That acid at present broke up the fibre by crystallising, and when extracted the flax became silky. Mr Broad thought well of Mr Akcrs' suggestion to ask tho Government to reinstate the £2000 on the estimates. ■

Mr Cohen pointed out that the cyanide process in gold mining was a precedent for flaxmillers to follow. The Government had bought that process and then sold it to the mine-owners,, and if a process was discovered for assisting flax treatment then the Government might be induced to do with milling as they had done with mining.

Mr Bell thanked Mr Akers for his teresting address, and stated he would have an opportunity of addressing a full meeting of millers later on.