Report on the Flax Trade.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5578, 25 September 1889, Page 2

Report on the Flax Trade.

Wellington, to-day. b The (ioverniuent liave received a re--1 port from the Agent-< ieneral of the Max : s industry. It came too late for presentat tion to Parliament. The document contains some very interesting and valuable information, and fully bears out the statement of the harm done to the export - trade by the careless and hasty way in I which the fibre is prepared for the market. - Sir F. Dillon Bell lays great stress on this point, and says as much as L(5 or L 7is 3 knocked off the price by the bad condition 3 in which the flax comes to hand, and he f has known instances where consignees have absolutely refused to take delivery. 1 He considers the recent rise in value is due z to speculation in the United States, consei quent on the demand for binder twine, - and, as showing what an important factor the American demand is, he points out that from 55,000 to (JO, OCX) tons of twine i will be required this year in that country I alone. Sir F. Dillon Bell proceeds to say the dealers know they will always get , Manilla hemp up to expectations, and can '. depend on the quality, and to put our I product on a good footing, .shipments must \ be regular and of uniform quality. He comes to two conclusions: — (1.) That high prices will depend entirely on supplies of Manila and Sisal remaining low. ('2.) That jute may, to a large extent, take the place of flax, and experiments are now being made in America with machinery to ■ turn it to account for binder twine. In face of these two contingencies, unless the method of preparing flax is brought to a high standard, prices will fall to nothing, except for very best qualities.