A FLAX ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 2004, 21 June 1870, Page 3

A FLAX ASSOCIATION.

Is il not rather a singular circumstance l hilt although the province «>r .\ ui-klaiul has been tin , pioneer in llnx-dressing enterprise, and at the present (lit.-, turns out n prepared article, superior as a cla<s to any other ilistri.-t of the colony, there exists no Flax Dressing Association r . We notice in looking over our Southern files, that in the other provinces when- Hax is attracting a great deal of attcr.tion, associations have been formed, at whose periodical meetings jmjmts are read, and conversations are induced respecting its growth, and manufacture. The natural result ol tin- s..rt of thing must of course be increased knowledge, nml consequent improvement in culture arc! manufacturing machin?ry. In Auckland, ilax-nmsters ure working to !i considerable extent in the dark. Kieh manufacturer goes to work in the manner that seems to him best, irrespective ol results of which he is inevitably to a large extent ignorant. I'hese. disadvantages would be removed by tlie establishment of mi association, whose records would prove a valuable guide to the tvro. nor less t" the mist.T of old standing. 1-acli member would be in a |)i»i tinn to "relate experience," which would prove of incalculable value to others, ami an interchange of inlorinati.n would be followed by a mutual saving of money. [t is perfectly plain that the Knglish tUx market is just u ,w on the improving tack ; latest advices tind to an improver.ient in price for good >ainp!es, but still ', we must reiterate the cry of the home buyers—"send us better dressed libre " To'export an inferior quality is a suicidal ! policy t«n our part, ai,d those who persist in such a foolUli pr.-n-tiee niv not only positively I'uemies to the trade, but to J themselves. "When Kng'ish ropeni;d;ers and manufacturers of flax fabrics have i discovered that souio dependence can be j I had that they will receive a continuous , J supply of n" really g'f'i article, >fw • i Zealand flix wili take a foremost j place in the Knglish markets. in' ' spite of the machinations of the -Manilla: I and Russian hemp merchants. China ! grass, which now ranks so high, whs a ' very l°ng time in the market before its ; ! intrinsic value was fairly acknowledged, j j Alpaca wool wavered fora length of time. I ' mad Sir Titus Silt, ol' Saltaire. taking ' ■ the material in lia'irt. manufactured not I only the beautiful chilli in such universal use. but an immense fortune, Thrre must nlways be a struggle <luring the process of iutroiluetioii of a novel article, but we have g.>t i:i the thin end of I lie wedge, and j it will lie our fault it' our Ilax dos.-s mil ; succeed. To ensure succe.-5. we must have more care in the dressinir. and it is i.i orih r th-il a combina'ion of ideas may lie brought to bear upon the siibjc-i I hat we upon flax-maslers the necessity i of an As-ociation. We hope to hear of' ;.• meeting on this tpiestion shortly. In the leader ol" yesterday the words '•a-vear' - should be omittetl after -or within .1 iV.iction of .CJi H >.0i H> ;" and IMnii.iiiHi should read fl'muim. The contevt shows :i■ i error u.i.; nia.le. Tins evening an e-say will be read beI", .re the liieliilieis t.f (he - -1 evftoll Atlii'iiteum. by .Mr. .1. i . i kes. Sub ject :—•' Man, the Wor.d nker." At a teinperiinee meet in, recently held at Queensland, the Kev. Mr. C'oll'ey is reported to have spoken as follows : — lie regretted the too prevalent abuse ol drink, and he said ho had been so much impressed with the evil that he had (for the sake of example.) given up, since he came to Queenstown, a practice of several years' duration, and had abstained for three months from drinking any wine or beer, and he found he had lost not only fourteen pounds in weight, but intellectual power as well. I [chad, therefore, to resume taking his glass of beer at dinner. '!e did not be'.ioe in those who profe-sed tot il abstinence ami yet took it. on the sly. Ills idea was that a society of abstainers from spirits, such as brandy, whisky, or the compromises called liqueurs, would be found most useful. It will be seen from our Thames correspondent's letter tlinltlie Gulden Crown and Imperial Crown claims have .struck immensely rich stone. The former claim has got a reef three feet in thickness in which the cold is seen in masses. The appearance ol this reef has been described to us l>3 - an eyewitness as something almost incredible. .News of this kind is cheering, coming as it docs in the midst of the present dull times. ' Wk have received a copy of resolutions t passr-d at the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, embodying some proposed amend- ' ments to the present bankruptcy laws i We shall notice these resolutions at some t 1 length shortly. The Wairoa settlers have formed .1 0 company, with a view of testing the place where the qunrlz wiw found, on the h property of Mr. F. 11. Urowne. A qiinnv tity of likely-looking slone has been t'ikeii j- out. i| A man named IVbv Brady died some- <• what suddenly in Chancery-street oi Sunday morning last. As the deceased * however, had been ailing, on and off, foi v some little time past, an inquest will no •t be held upon the remains.

Tn>: Volunteer Band. —We obserre I that on Thursday evening next an enter- I tiiimnrnt is to bo given in aid of the Volun- ' teer B.md Fund. An excellent opportunity is now aflbrded of getting up a good local b'ind. We hope this project will meet with encouragement. The present hand, under Mr. \1 cComish, bids fair to become really eilicient. We know of no more delightful recreation than a good band playing in fine weather in some public place. I'aknkll Hai.l.— Mr. Barry O'Neil will give one of his elegant " seances" on Thursday evening, at the Parnell Hall, aided by Mr. Singer (an accomplished pianist).*and Mr. Harry Morgan (a «eriocoiuic singer of high repute). Mr. O'Xeil anil Mr. Morgan have achieved welldeserved reputation in their respective '■ lines" of business. Then , is nothing in tli.Mr representations to which the most fastidious could object. This Voixxthkks.—A dinner was given last evening at the Star Hotel. lbert-street. to the successful competitors at the recent villi- contest al the Thames. A report of tin-proceedings will be found in another column. I'iciiviNi-iAii Hospital.—Keturn of .sick liv::li'd < 1 iiriii_j the wi'i'k ending Saturday, J,,,,,, is :— Remained last return, US; admitted since, 15; disehaiged, lt>; dird. ;'. ; remaining, 7"> —males, 112 ; ftimales, S. .Arrangementof diseases : — Fever 2; ci-i>ipela<.' 1 ; sy)>l.ilis, 1; scurvy, 1; eanrer 1 ; rheumatism, '.I ; phthisis. !• ; epilcp>\ , I ; chorea, 1 ; paralysis. S ; delirium tremens. 1; pleurisy and pneumonia, "2; bronchitis, :{; heart disease, 1 ; dyspepsia, I ; b\er ilisia.-e, '! ; iilbiiminaria, 2; arIliriiis, 1; striclur.-, 1; fracture, .'{; abscess and ulcer. 5 ; wounils and contusion*. :5: necrosis, ;i ; debility, .1. Three men died during ihe week, one of apoplexy, one ■ from pulmonary consumption, and one of BrigUt's disease of the kidneys. A MKiMixo of the creditors of William Wilfrid Wilson will be held on the iSth ins'aut. Tr.Ni>i.i:s are called for certain repairs to the High t-"cliuol in .Synionds-streot. In our notice of Mrs. Lewis' annual entertainment, i-i connection with her school, we referred to the excellence ot .\j aster Klkin's musictd performnnce ; we are informed that this youii" gentleman is l>lll ten years of age, not thirteen as staled on the notice referred to. Tiik highest score obtained by the Wai roil Kitle Volunteers for the Provincial prizes was HI points. Our corres- ]> indent says poor firing is due to want of practice, not a single shot having been tired at the target till the day of the prize tiling. Tiir: funeral of the laU' Mr. Peter Grace tonic place yesterday afternoon. The attendance W;i-. one of the largest we have s-c'i l'.>v a long time. Wyndliiim-street wv.s crowded for some time previous to tin- departure of the sid procession, and amongst those who followed tlie re-in-;iiis were representatives of nearly all the le.dii g firms of the city. l>rceased was interred in the Koraa.i Catholic eemeti ry. The. fiiiierul service was read in a most impressive manner by t'io Rer. Father-. O'llar.i and (i range, in l'»e preseuee of a very large assemblage of people. JJv a passenger who arrived in Auckland by \Uz cutter K"b Hoy, from Kennedy's I , ay, we are informed that on ' atiirday hM a water-worn specimen of gold, weighing live o\inces, was taken out [ot one ot tin- creeks. The same iufor- | mant states that about thirty men are at I work, and making good wages. ' An •iccident occurred on Friday last <o ; a shareholder of the Lord Nelson claim. 1 Kurilk i, named .1. S. Craig, while nil- ! ployed ill chopping a stump of a tree, when it slipped over and broke his leg, pi.-t above tho, ankle Xo medical assis- . ■'.:\nc. , being available bis mates bound up ; the leg in the best way they could, and i conveyed him to the hospital on Saturi day for proper medical attendance. — 1 A'lrrrtiscr. Tiik A'frcr/i.irr says :—We nre glad to final t bat the Volunteer movement is at lust atmirtiug some notice at the hands of the fair sex. The latest example of this brought under our notice is an inti- ! malioi. tliM Miss Sheppnrde has given a : cup t > be tired lor by the members of tin- corps at the 'I liaim'<. 'I he flip will be >hot for on a day to be fixed this week. It is proposed to call it the Micpparde Challenge Cup, and to lire for ! it periodically until it becomes the proI perly of the" Volunteer who makes the highest score on live occasions. One of the Highway Boards has been getting into a mess. In the Police Court I yesteidiiy the Pedwood Beard sued Mr. I Shove for CI IDs. od.. rates duo on his I property lor lSli'.i. It would appear that ! by the Act a rate struck is retrospective, j aiid that when defendant paid his rates 1 .r ISIiS the receipt was dated lSli'.l, through inadvertence. Moreover, a letter from The Chairman, asking for the amount sued for, stated the rates to be for 1870. I 11 was acknowledged that the mistake occurred through a blunder on the part of tin . Boar I. '"it the Bench dismissed the case. If the same blunder has been made in many cases, things will look rather blue for the Board'u works this year. We yesterday inspected a very oxecl--1 lent pen-and-ink sketch, at the shop of Mr. Wayte, on a large scale, reprcsonta- ' tive of a dying drummer-boy stretched 1 upon a pallet, and attended to by a hospi'al nurse. The sketch is the production of .M r. Wi k'•:. jii'i.. and it certainly does ■ much en-.' . • I ><■ artist. 1 Vi:sTi:itinV being the thirty first anniversary of the accession oi her most gra- ' cious ' M.-ije-ity Queen Victoria to the Knglish Throne, many of llie vessels in • harbour, including the men-of-war, were 1 gaily decorated with bunting ; but tho : decoration among the shipping was by no 1 means general. ' A MEBTisr. of tho shareholders of the > New murk ct. GAd Mining Company was held yesterday afternoon, at the store of ; . Messrs T. anil S. Morrin. The following I gentlemen were appointed directors for the ensuing year : — Messrs. W. Morrin, \V. Diilhie, and —. Angus. Mr. Macs ilonald was appointed legal manager. It - was resolvid to make a call suilicient to • pay of!'the present liabilities of the com--1 pan y. 0 \ niAKci: "as brought yesterday, at tli.- Police Curt, by J. 11. Grevillc ■i against tie.'!_e I [nil, of fraudulently con- •" ve'ting to ;.i< own use two bills of exc <-liani;e, an ii'.iing to i:l3is. From the - evidence it ■•. ;i|>i ared thst jirosecntor owe.l n (lieaeeused 117. :i:id that the latter held the bills for i'.e purpose of gelling them .. discounted. T e Hench evidently ren garded the pi-..-e Mitioa as vexatious anil 1 dismissed the e.-r. A charge of inde>r cency against .J..:.-i Kee^anwasadjourned >l until to-day, in o ' rlo procure witnesses for the defence.

The following capital anecdote is from " Sidney Bellcw. " a sporting novel :— The next day being Sunday, they started early to get to the- kirk and ministering of the Eev. Jabez Mucklcthwaekit. Mr. Bellew thought the service tedious, and the style of preaching a trifle irreverent. iS T or could lie help smiling at one attempt on the part of Mucklethwackit to render himself intelligible to his congregation. H e was spraking of the parable that " it is easier for a camel to go through theeyoofa needle than fora rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven ; " and he thus strove to explain it to the more ignorant of his hearers: " Noo, my friens, ye dinna ken what a cawmil's like, an' hoo suld ye ? seein its no' a beastie o' these piirts ; ablains, it's a great big yallow brazil l , wi' a hoomp on his back three times bigger than Tumniie's (Tnmmie was a very humpbacked tailor who was present); and thairforje canna conceive its ganging thro' the ee o' a needle at ony gate. But I'll e'u niak' a simeelitude an' explain 't. JSoo ye a' ken what Maggie Macleuclian's coo's like, an ye a' ken that she's no' the gift o' speeSin', whilk is no' an attribute o' horned cattle. Wi'i-I, ye see the big pine tive ootside the kirk wundy. Weel, now, T tell ye (and this was said with immense energy), it's aisier tor Maggie lUneleuehan's coo to speel up the big pine tree ootside the kirk wundy, and to l'ustlc * cock a bendie' at the tapo'l, than it is for a rich man, "&c. t'iiKDiroiis in the estate of J. C I). Bowden are requested to prove their cliiiins oL or before the 12th July. Tkxhehs for the erection of a Courthouse at Wangarei are called for. A w.j.MAN named Sarah an inmate of the Lunatic Asylum, died somewhat .suddenly on Sunday last An inquest will be held upon the remains by Or. Gohlsboro' at 2 o'clock to-day, at the Asylum. A sitting of the Eevision Court was held yesterday before Laughlin O'Brien, Esq., for the revision of the electoral rolls of City West, City Ka-t, Newton. Parnell, Northern .Division, Franklin, Marsdeu. Raglan, and Mongonui. The sitting was an extra one, the i ourt having previously sat for the. revision of the rolls of each district separately. Nothing of public importance was done. Is the irorticultur.il Society in existence or not r , —Doubts have arisen in our mind on the question, since, although at intervnls we hear of meetings being called or postponed, nothing seems to come of it after all. Will somebody state how the thing really stands. We make the inquiry particularly nt this time, because if there is a society, and its members are desirous of doing anything in the way of an exhibition of flowers and fruit next spring and smnmer, it is high time that some public intimation was given. People cannot produce show flowers and fruit at a week's notice, and exhibitors of flowers, fruit, and vegetables would take immediate steps, were there any chftuco of a public display of their efForts.