THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9238, 28 June 1893, Page 3

THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

TO THE EDITOR. - Sir,— has been evident to us for some twelve months past that our flax industry was in danger, and through our own careless* ness and greed. Some years ago, fair Auckland was classed as good as fine Wellington in London and New York ; at the present "time it is almost reversed. Our local fibre works manager will tell you that even our best and oldest brands are not worth within two or three pounds per ton compared to three years ago ; and what our Melbourne and Sydney buyers think is shown in the extracts from their letters which we enclose and ask you to copy at the foot of this letter. This is a most deplorable state of thingsfand unless our millers take the warning to heart, their occupation will soon be a thing of the past. —We are, etc., 0 une 27. ' Hesketh and Aitken,

Extract from Melbourne advices :—" Auckland flax has gone back so much in quality, and Wellington has advanced bo much, that we are reluctantly obliged to withdraw all our orders from Auckland." - Extract from Sydney advices :— The bales marked — are of fair quality, but nothing like what this brand used to be. Don't send us anything but of the very best quality, and very little of that, as it seems to us that the flux millers in the Auckland district have ceased to care for their old reputation. We are getting nearly all our flax from Wellington, it being so much better, and less in price." ■ ;