LINEN FLAX

Otago Daily Times, Volume 25193, Issue 25193, 6 April 1943, Page 3

LINEN FLAX

DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY ; VALUABLE BY-PRODUCTS “The development of the linen flax • industry has been one of the out- ~. standing achievements of the war effort • of New Zealand,” said the Minister * of Industries and Commerce, Mr D. G. , Sullivan, before leaving Dunedin for Christchurch. He added that the various factories employed 824 male operatives and 281 women and girls. Sales of fibre totalled 1886 tons, valued at £404,032 10s, and £67,585 had been realised from the sale of tow. The , sale of 566 tons of chaff had realised - £776 10s 6d. ‘ Another by-product was meal, the Minister said, and to date more than ; 570 tons had been sold, the value being t £2207. From 46 tons of pluckings there had been a return of £4898. and •: the sale of 4200 tons of seed, which represented an important phase of the ’> industry, had realised over £IIO,OOO. ■’ Fifty-two tons of rug tow, of a value , of £1713, had been sold, and upholsterers’ tow brought £836 for 42 tons. The total proceeds from the sale of the products which were mentioned \ by the Minister and of other by-pro- - ducts reached £594,562 to the end of ” February. These figures, the Minister said, should give an idea of the value of the industry and the extent to which it had been developed.