LINEN FLAX IN SOUTH ISLAND

Southland Times, Issue 24154, 17 June 1940, Page 6

LINEN FLAX IN SOUTH ISLAND

Britain’s Urgent Requirements PREVIOUS SURVEY IN NEW ZEALAND (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 16. Investigations made earlier in the development of the linen flax industry in New Zealand, which will stand the country in good stead in view of arrangements now made to plant between 14,000 and 15,000 acres in the South Island in linen flax to make vital supplies available to Britain, were reviewed today by the Minister of Supply (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan). The Minister said that the Research Department would be valuable in the present time of crisis and the Government was prepared to go ahead with confidence to undertake a task that otherwise would have presented the utmost difficulty. Mr Sullivan recalled that when in 1938 Russia, the world’s largest grower, placed an embargo on the export of fibre, it became necessary for Britain, the largest exporter of finished linen goods, to consider alternative sources of supply. The Minister/ therefore, instructed officers of his department to investigate the possibility of producing linen flax fibre in New Zealand and with the co-operation of the Department of Agriculture field trials were arranged throughout the South Island and preliminary investigations begun at the Agronomy Division into the processing of straw into fibre.

CONDITIONS SUITABLE “It was amply proved that good crops could be grown in New Zealand and fibre experts in Ireland pronounced New Zealand products to be satisfactory,” Mr Sullivan continued. “Linen flax is an essential war commodity. Not only must Great Britain attempt to continue the production. and sale of linen goods to her best customer, the United States, in . exchange for war material, but in war time the consumption of fibre is very greatly increased, war purposes alone necessitating the growing of 150,000 acres. “In view of the success of the New Zealand attempts at production and the increased tension in European relations, it was anticipated that the time might arrive when New Zealand would be called upon to play a part in helping Great Britain to procure her requirements of fibre. An officer of my department was sent overseas to study linen flax problems and at the same time steps were taken to establish one unit in New Zealand, as a preliminary to commercial development. The necessary machinery was ptirchased and shipped to New Zealand during the early months of the war. We had, therefore, not only first-hand information in processing, but also machinery for one unit. . .. BRITAIN’S REQUIREMENTS “The wisdom of this step can now be appreciated,” Mr Sullivan continued. He said that Britain was now dependent on Empire resources for fibre and her call for help in this direction would meet with a ready response from the New Zealand Government and farmers. The way was prepared for the establishment of industry on a substantial scale. Planting would be done in specified areas and processing machinery would be established at various centres.

He said it was proposed to have machinery units at Waikuku, Cust, Leeston, Balclutha, Tapanui, Winton and Blenheim, and probably one in Ashburton County and two in South Canterbury. At present farmers were being asked to arrange their cropping round these units and everything would be done systematically. “The requirements of the British Government are urgent and every means of saving time and effort is essential,” Mr Sullivan said. “Hence, in order to do everything systematically and save high costs of transport a sound policy is to group the growing crops as much as possible round definite centres where suitable growing conditions exist. The machinery requirements will be large, but not complicated. We already

possess in New Zealand one complete set of all the harvesting and processing machinery required, which can be readily copied. Canterbury will figure substantially in the enterprise and practically the whole of the machinery will be made in New Zealand.”