THE FLAX INDUSTRY.
FARMER'S GLOOMY VIEW. EXTINCTION PREDICTED. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] PALMERSTON NORTH, Friday. The opinion that the flax industry of New Zealand was doomed to extinction was advanced by Mr. Donald Grant, a prominent Bay of Plenty fanner, to-day. In support of his contention he stated, that in his own district hundreds of acres of good flax were being burned off in order to convert the swamps into farming land. On account of the ruinously hich freights the millers were not able to offer land owners more than 2s a ton for green flax. With such a small return offering farmers were not going to keep good swamp land for the purpose of growing fibre.
In order to get heavy fibre the flax must bo allowed to attain four to five years' growth. Flax was being cut in the Manawatu in about three years, but this did not return heavy weight fibre. In short there was not enough money in the industry. On this account some mills in the Bay of Plenty were closing down and many of the' flax swamps were being burned off. The same conditions, as far as could be gathered, prevailed throughout the wholo Dominion.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18101, 27 May 1922, Page 8
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200THE FLAX INDUSTRY. New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18101, 27 May 1922, Page 8
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