The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBEE 1, 1869. TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 205, 1 September 1869, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBEE 1, 1869. TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE.

DEFEAT OF TE KOOTI. TE KOOTI ATTACKED FRIENDLIES. REPULSED, WITH LOSS OF 30 KILLED. Wellington, Sept. 1. 2.1 0 p.m. Intelligence has been received in Auckland, from reliable authority, of important information having been received through Native sources, to the effect that a Native had come into one of the Frontier Stations and reported that Te Kooti had attacked a Friendly Native Settlement situate near the head of the Whanganui River. The assailed party made a most determined resistance, repulsing Te Kooti's forces, and inflicting upon him a loss of thirty killed. Report states that Te Kooti retreated after this repulse, and ascribed defeat to the anger of his Atua (Hau-hau God), which he alleged he had drawn upon himself by attempting to deceive the Waikatos.

Some three weeks ago a debate took place ! in the House of Representatives on Mr Hall's resolution, " That a respectful address be presented to the Governor, praying that his Excellency will be pleased to appoint a Commission to enquire into and report upon the machinery employed in different portions of the colony for the pre- • paratiou of New Zealand flax, as well as upon the varieties of such flax which it may be most desirable to cultivate ; upon the best method of cultivation, and the probable result of the same ; and also to make recommendations as to any steps that might with advantage be taken to promote and encourage the cultivation and preparation of flax within the colony, and its use for manufacturing purposes within and without the colony." This resolution was agreed to without a division, although there were some of the members who considered that a Commissionjwas unnecessary because those who were engaged in the trade would naturally make enquiries as to the working of different machinery, and would take care to supply themselves with the best description ; the same argument would apply to the cultivation of flax, as cultivators would obtain for themselves all the necessary information without the aid of a Commission. Many arguments were brought forward on. both sides, and we are rather disposed to think with those who opposed the appointment of a Commission, but our object to-day is, not to discuss this question, but to lay before our readers in a condensed form the information which, in the course of the debate, was supplied to the House by certain of its members, who evidently had great practical knowledge of the subject on which they spoke. Nelson, we believe, is the only province which has not commenced to make use of its flax; it may be that the reason of this is that we have not here the large quantities of the plant that exist in ;pther parts of Nje'w

Zealand; or it may be that we have not yet, like some other provinces, been driven to this branch of industry as a last resource, although we confess that the general state of affairs does not seem to wear that aspect of prosperity which can afford to ignore a trade of such great importance, and which must ere long prove a prominent feature in the industrial occupations of the colony. In Auckland the manufacture of flax has been carried on to a greater extent and with a larger amount of success than in any other province, although it seems to be admitted that the flax in the North is inferior to that of the South Island. It appears, however, that the machines used in the North are of a better class, and that greater care is taken in the manufacture, the result of which is thus told 'by MiHall : " He had seen a letter from the captain of a vessel in which flax was sent home from Auckland, which stated that in the London Docks his ship lay alongside one which had brought manufactured flax from Canterbury, and that the worst sample from Auckland was better than the best from Canterbury." We are told afterwards that this ship was the Siam, the captain of which vessel had left an order for 1 200 tons of flax according to the best samples, all of which would be purchased at £25 a ton, cash on delivery in Auckland. In Wellington we have been told that the manufacture is conducted in the same slovenly manner as seems to be the case in Canterbury ; a gentleman who has recently arrived from that province having informed us that a few days ago he saw a number of bales on the wharf, which had just been brought in from Manawatu, one of the largest flax-producing countries in New Zealand, which showed of having been prepared in the most careless way, a great portion of it being quite green, and therefore not fit to be used for rope-making ; in addition to which objection there was the still further, and more important one, of its being a most dangerous cargo. Water-power is used for working the machines, wherever it can be obtained, as being preferable to horse-power, on account of its great steadiness; a great desideratum as unsteadiness is apt to affect the fibre unevenly. Still, horse-power will produce a very good article for certain purposes. " If a man could procure water-power," (we quote from the speech of Mr Macfarlane, who has had a large amount of Jexperience in the trade) " he would only have to make a proper fit for the wheel; and then two of the machines manufactured by Mr Price, of Onehunga, with wheel, shafts, pulleys, and everything else necessary for starting to work, could be put on the ground for £140. With two such machines, at least two tons of prepared flax could be produced weekly; and if proper care and skill were devoted to the work, the producer would clear at least £10 a ton. A great deal depends upon neat, tidy packing; for the experience of those who have engaged in the trade shows that if it is packed in a slovenly way, buyers are apt to think that there has also been slovenliness in the manufacture, and the price is affected accordingly." As an illustration of the comparative strength of Manilla and New Zealand rope, it was stated in the House that, at the Thames, where a large machine was being dragged up a hill by some 200 men and 30 horses, a 4-inch Manilla rope snapped, but that when a 2|-inch New Zealand flax rope was substituted, the machine was taken up without the rope being broken. A great deal of valuable information was afforded on the subject of cultivating the plant; our space prevents our noticing this in the present issue, but we shall take an early opportunity of returning to a subject, the importance of which is by no means ; sufficiently appreciated in our Province. '

English Mail. — The English Mail, by the Lord Ashley, will close to-morrow afternoon at 3 o'clock. Scientific Association. — A [meeting of this Association is to be held at the Government Buildings this evening, when Dr. Williams will read a paper on the manufacture of flax. H Street Gambling on Sundays. — Several complaints have reached our ears of the nuisance created by a gang of boys who are in the habit of meeting on Sundays in Toi-Toi Valley, where pitch-and-toss, and other games of a similar nature, are carried on from an early hour in the raoruing until evening. We should be glad to hear that the police had succeeded in capturing some of these youthful offenders. Our Wanganui contemporaries are having a "shy" at each other. The Times, in observing a quotation made from the Evening Herald by the Wellington JPost, say-3 : — " If the Post and other respectable journals will not cease to quote from the canards of the Wanganui Evening Herald, they must stand the consequences." The Herald, on the other hand, has an article on its contemporary the Times, headed "The Last Kick buT One," with the following concluding sentence : — "We now promise, that when the last final kick is delivered, we shall write the funeral dirge, and perform the last sad obsequies of our contemporary." The Wanganui Times give the following as the number of cattle, &c, shipped from that port from Ist January, 1869, to 12th August 1869 : — Cattle to various ports 1,758 Sheep ditto 14,936 Pigs ditto 1,050 During the first four months of the year, says the Tim.es, sheep were selling at such ridiculously low figures as from Is. to ss. each. Boiling down was carried on with a profit, and sheep-farmers were all but ruined. Now prices rule pretty high, boiling down has ceased, and shipping off has rapidly increased during the last two months.