PRODUCTION OF LINEN FLAX

Southland Times, Issue 24565, 14 October 1941, Page 8

PRODUCTION OF LINEN FLAX

Sir, —I see that the area offered for the production of linen flax fibre in Southland is still a long way short of requirements. I think a large number of farmers in the southern portion of New Zealand have not emerged from the chrysalis stage and deserve pity rather than censure. It is no wonder that the farmers in the north leave them far behind and that their land is

of much more value. One reason for this is that there are far more industries in the north. But when the chance comes to get a valuable farm industry established in the south the . farmers are somnolent. One thing they do not seem to realize is that the war is their wax’ just as much as it is the soldiers’ war, the only difference being that the soldiers are doing the suffering and dying while the farmers are at home increasing their bank balances and enjoying the comfort and security which is so dearly bought for them by the fighting forces. Hitler, as we all know, has vast supplies of men and materials, and it will take more than a year of hard work before we can catch up with him. We can only hope to conquer when we can surpass his vast supplies of war materials, so the farmers’ duty is plain. The British Government has asked for linen flax fibre, not fat lambs. The farmers seem to require all their land for growing feed for their lambs. They might be brought to their senses if the freezing works ?-efused to accept fat lambs during the coming season. In some cases a political issue seems to have developed; but politics do not count. The issue lies with the men of the Navy and the Royal Air Force, as their lives stand between a ruthless foe and the farmers who are here living in contentment and freedom. There are plenty of well-to-do farmers in Southland who could sell off their stock and grow the flax which is so urgently needed. Anything that will lessen the duration of the war by even one single day is worth any sacrifice the farmers can make.

I like to send papers overseas but lately I have been too ashamed to do so, as there has been so much about the poor response of the farmers when they are asked to provide the most needed of all war materials. If the men of the R.A.F. received our local papers their feelings would be mixed and they would start to wonder and ask themselves what kind of people they were fighting for. It will be an easy matter to scrap all the linen flax factories after the war is over if the farmers don t want them, but at present costs of production don’t count. The fibre is urgently needed and no excuses are ac“ptaUc' WINGS.