THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10598, 16 September 1896, Page 3

THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

TO THR KDIIUS Sir,—ln your Saturday'd issue, " J.D.," in replying to my own of the Bth inst., says " R. E." must be wanting a jcb when he offers to assist the Government or anybody to develop the flax industry by producing a better fibre. In aiwwer I have to say that I do want a job, and that badly, or I would make no sach liberal offunj. Ifc is, I think, paying pretty dear to «et leaTe to toil. But "J. D." may ba consoled with the fact that I could not do all the work myself. To deyelop the industry means work for hundreds besides myself. " -T. D." uext s»ys that I seem surprised that the Government are not going to spend gone of the borrowed million on the development of the fl&x industry. Sir, lam not surprised at that. Governments, as we all know, have nob got all the sense in the world, and unfortunately for the oolony ours happen to know nothing about flax-dressing, although they seem to be surrounded by sxperts. If they did knew how to dress our flux properly I have no doubt but it would ba the first thing that they would fly to, like the dcvii with the whisky. "J. D." uext «»ys tha industry is a good one, but he cannot see where the Government shoaM find monay to develop the same. Perhaps they should not. But why should they think of spending so much on the Rotorua Springs and on the goldSelds, and on instructing how to make cheese aud batter, wad wine and whisky at one time, and jam, and a host of other things that I could mention ? Ifc has always been my experience, s»y» " <J. D.,"when an indnstry has been successfully started and pays well that we do not require to wait long for capitalists to carry the thing through. Sir, I quite agree there, but what i» wanted is a littla assistance in the meantime, and our Goveruj ment must have been at a loss for a policy when I it struck them to thiuk of spending so much borrowed capital at the Springs, whioh would only enrich a few, whou, by spending a trifle of the sum on the flax indnstry work could be proj vided for some hundreds, besides establishing I one of the best industries that the colony could j possess.—I am, &c, * JHornrogton, September It, B, B.