Flax the Salvation of the Dominion

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7473, 25 May 1934, Page 6

Flax the Salvation of the Dominion

(To the Editor.) Sir,—The general topics of conversation to-day are unemployment, depression, plight of the farmer, quotas, Royal Commissions, monetary systems ami such like. And a great number of people arc inclined to expect tho Government to keep paying out by way of grants, bonuses, and subsidies, who do not realise as they should that whatever the Government pays to them they take it out of one of their pockets and put it in another. We all know the depression is world-wide and the best brains have been strained trying to find a way out, but we are still as wo w-erc with no better outlook ahead, so it means now that every country must do the best it can for itself. The question then arises what is tho best to do for our own count rv ?

There is an open road for new industries and to further develop those already in operation. The best outlook is from the flax for which there are enormous possibilities. The dairying industry is overdone and should be curtailed. Wool, mutton and beef arc established and can be left alone. No immediate improvement can be made in the timber industry'. The same applies to coal as far as coal itself goes, but through research it has been proved that other important industries could be established from the use of coal.

Seeing that the above mentioned are the main industries in New Zealand the flax industry is the only- one where there is much scope for expansion. That, of course, does not include manyminor industries and others that could, and should be established, perhaps of less importance; nevertheless if done it would be the end of the unemployed. An old saying is every man to his trade, so I will concentrate on the flax industry, with which I am most conversant. When too much of one commodity' is produced our thoughts should be directed to other channels. Supply and demand has always ruled prices (especially on perishable goods) and it always will despite all efforts to fix prices.

New’ Zealand has now an over-pro-duction in dairy produce, it is a matter now for every dairy farmer to put on his thinking cap and divert a portion of his farm to some other enterprise that would bring him a better return than from dairying. This probably is ns far as the farmer could go, but there is a great deal more that could be done by largo corporations opening up new industries and further developing existing ones.

The flax industry is one that deserves the greatest attention at the present time, and one wonders why the most valuable hemp producing plant in the world is so much neglected. The plant being indigenous to New Zealand the climate naturally' suits it, ami we have large areas of waste swamp land of the best quality most suitable for flax growing when brought in. There are also thousands of acres now being used for dairying which should bo converted into flax land, thus every acre of dairy land put into flax would correspondingly' lessen the production of dairy produce.

At present flaxmillers have to depend upon the overseas market for their raw hemp and find that the sisal hemp is their greatest competitor, but as this hemp is of little value for rope making (except for small sizes) anil inferior to our hemp for any other purpose there is nothing to fear from that quarter provided. New Zealand could put- on the market a regular supply and quantity. In this connection New Zealand has failed in tho past.

Then again it is a positive fact that

there will be a shortage in the world production of sisal hemp within the next few years, as'the big sisal com panics have ceased to renew their plantations owing to the low price that has been ruling for a number of years, and as the life of the sisal plant is only 7 years the supply of sisal hemp will automatically’ fall with the shortage of leaf. Through the Scientific Research Department and the Massey Agricultural College a good deal has been achieved in furtherance to advancement in the hemp industry’ both in the breeding of better varieties of flax and in tending a wider scope for the utilisation of hemp produced from our native flax. Furthermore, the Admiralty have completed a. three years’ test with rope made from New Zealand hemp, ami have declared it suitable for their purpose, and that they would only use New Zealand rope provided they could secure sufficient and at a price to com pete with Manila rope. The rope tested by the Admiralty was made from fair and high fair grades of hemp. There never was. in the history of the flax industry, a better opportunity than the present time to build it up, so it will rank as one of the best in the Dominion.

The facts are plainly put. before us, so it remains to be seen whether we, ns New Zealanders, are going to remain drones and let Japan or any other foreign country step in and take our birthright from us, and supply' the Admiralty with all the rope they require, or are we going to wake up and do it ourselves 7 Tf so, do it quickly and it will not only mean supplying the Admiralty, but it will eventually result, in supplying all shipping and railways with rope, not taking into consideration what else we could supply in other manufactured materials made from our own native flax.

Research has done its part, by di

covering many new uses for our flax fibre. Thbs together with new discoveries by way of improved flax dressing machinery and methods of treatment there is a new era in sight tor the flax industry. With hemp produced by- Urn new methods there is a saving of 5 per cent, in cost of production, and yet the hemp is of excellent quality, much superior to that produced by the old method and the strength is very much greater, and us strength is what me Admiralty requires above anything else, our trade would be assured, and it would be the bc-st advertisement for our hemp that wc could possibly get. It may not be generally known that every 300 acres of flax in full bearing will produce annually 200 tons of hemp, all (l if manufactured iuto rope and cordage tho value would be £IO,OOO or if made specially for the Admiralty it would probably be worth double that figure. There would be constant employment for 14 or 15 men per every 100 acres in flax. With 300 acres used for dairying, the turnover would bo approximately £SOO and would give employment for only two men, so it will be seen at a glance that if flax was developed, as it should be, it would reduce the unemployed to a minimum, and would bring in a revenue to th? country twenty times greater than if used for dairying. A golden opportunity is staring New Zealand in ihe face. Is she going to take it ?—I am, etc., G. CRAW. Linton, 23/5/34.