The Manawatu Daily Times Possibilities in Flax

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 98, 29 April 1935, Page 6

The Manawatu Daily Times Possibilities in Flax

OX recent years New Zealand’s oldest primary industry lias been in the doldrums. For about sixty years flaxmilling was an important factor in our prosperity and. for a considerable period of the present century some 60,000 acres were utilised for flaxmilling, employment was given to a thousand to twelve hundred men and the fibres ■exported were, worth about £700,000 per annum. The industry is of particular interest to Palmerston North as the Manawatu was the leading production area. As recently as nine years ago the mills of the Manawatu were giving employment to about 750 men and paying out around £IBO,OOO per annum in wages. Then came the calamity of the yellow leaf disease, which attacked the roots of flax plants and destroyed thousands of acres of flax. Following this there came a disastrous drop in the value of fibres on the overseas markets and prices oversea still remain at a low level—about one-half those ruling prior to the depression. The first promise of revival came with the establishment of the factory in Foxton to make wool-packs from our own flax fibre. This enterprise has greatly assisted the industry over the twelve months, purchasing its supplies from local mills at above world parity. The factory is now to be extended and thus will require greater supplies of fibre in the future. . These will be drawn from this district and will further assist the revival of flaxmilling locally with a consequent improvement in our employment statistics and an increase in trade generally. Now comes definite advice from Australia that has a bearing upon the future of the flax industry and may become of very great importance within the next few years. A powerful group of Australian companies is reported to be commencing the manufacture in Tasmania of line printing, writing and typewriting papers, ft is said that the first section of the industry will involve an expenditure of £1,000,000. No direct linanciai assistance is being asked of the otate or Federal Governments, the whole of the required capital being provided by private enterprise. The' eventual capital, it is said, will amount to several millions.

'iiie raw material for this new Australian industry will be provided by eucalyptus forests. The wood of the eucalyptus has one serious fault from the paper-maker’s viewpoint—the fibres arc very short. To make good papers a proportion of long-fibred material must be mixed with the eucalyptus pulp base. The technical advisers of the Australian concern have recommended New Zealand fibre as being a most suitable strengtliencr and the one that appears most available for their purpose. A large modern paper mill costs a great deal of money for both erection and running. Such a plant as is now proposed might very probably require several thousand tons a year of our fibre. Should the venture succeed, as may well be anticipated from the reputation of the great firms backing it, then there are very considerable possibilities ahead for our flax industry. Here is an illustration of the value of scientific research to industry. It is very unlikely that our fibre would have been recommended but for tests carried out ten years ago, the results of which are now doubtless known to paper-making authorities the world over. In an interview with one of the leaders of the flax industry, published in this issue, mention is made of the tests undertaken with New Zealand fibre as a paper-making material. Reference lias already been made to the yellow leaf disease and the areas of flax destroyed by it. In view of the possible future requirements of our flax industry, it is good to know that there are now available certain strains of flax that are immune to the disease. This may yet prove a very important factor in the future of flax-making. Should a considerable increase in output be required, then flax plantations will have to be established, for unless the disease-resistant strains referred to are available, the establishment of flax plantations would not be economically sound. Happily, there are now available both the types of flax and the knowledge to enable flax plantations to be established, should the outlook again warrant expansion-