TEMUKA LINSEED FACTORY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1184, 29 May 1884, Page 2

TEMUKA LINSEED FACTORY.

This industry is now fairly started, and under the careful and intelligent management of Mr Davis is likely to prove a great success. The site is a paddock on the road between Temuka and Winchester, where buildings and machinery have already been erected. There it nothing very imposing about the building. It is a simple framework of wood, with corrugated iron roofing and walls. It is 40ft long by 30ft wide, substantially but plainly put together. The machinery consists of a crushing and scutching mill, the makers being Messrs Booth, Macdonald and Co., of Christchurch, who have executed their work in a manner that has given entire satisfaction to the the Directors, and it is a credit to themselves. The crushing machine consist! of ten rollers—five abore and five below —and are adjustable by the very simple process of moving a weight, much in the same way that weights are shifted on the arm of a weighing machine. By this means any amount of pressure can be put on, and the flax can be crushed to any desirable degree. There is no doubt as to this machine. It works admirably, and no great skill is required in its manipulation. It can crush enough flax to keep a 12 stock mill going—that is, twice as much as is required of it at present. The scutching mill consists of a wall of cast iron, something about 9ft or 10ft high, in which there are six openings. Behind this is along shaft of iron about 4 inches in diameter, with five arms fixed on to it exactly opposite each opening in the wall, much like the arms of a windmill. This shaft is revolved at the rate of between 180 and 200 revolutions per minute, and the arms of it, which are of wood, protrude through the openings in the wall to the other side, where the men stand. At each of the openings stands a man holding a quantity of flax on the edge of a piece of iron which projects a little out from the wall. The arms when revolving round strike the bundels of flax thus placed, and clean them splendidly, as might be seen by the result produced. Outside the wall is the American machine, which is pronounced useless for the purpose of dressing European flax. It may, however, be utilised with advantage in dressing native flax. This machine can do the crushing and scutching all at once, but the European flax is too short fo* it to operate upon, and hence the reason it cannot be utilised. The Native flax being so much longer it cannot work well. The machine is at present set in motion by Messrs Lyon and Talbot's traction engine, the owners having kindly lent it until such time as the company can get an engine of their own. Outside the building are two retting pits 33ft x 14ft and 4ft in depth, where the retting process takes place. There is on the ground a large quantity of flax at present belonging to various owners, some of it retted, some of it is going through the process, and more of it is yet untouched. Mr Davis, the manager, who hat had considerable experience asserts that the water cannot be surpassed for retting purposes, in confirmation of which he produced the flax he had retted in it, which was almost as white as linen, and would without doubt if properly dressed be prized at Home as a first-class article. The official opening of the factory took place yesterday. There were- between 60 atid 80 persons present, some of whom came from Timarii, Pleasant Point, and Geraldine, and the affair was a great success. The whole process of dressing the flax was gone through, and watched wi*h great interest by these presi-nt. Those who understood it admitted that it was a thorough success, and that the future of the factory was secured. After half -an hour had been spent in this way those present assembled in the refreshment tenf, erected in the vicinity of the building by Mr Peter Coira, who catered for the occasion. About 60 sat down to an excellent repast, which did much credit to the caterer. After the good tilings had been disposed of, the Chairman, Mr John Talbot, proposed ' The Queen,' which was duly honored. The Chairman then said he was glad to see so many present. He would briefly state the position of the company. They had 764 shares taken up, representing a capital of £3-20. Of this £1146 had been paid, and £9OO of that spent. The expenditure was on machinery and the building. The" land they had pnid very little for so far. The American machine cost £125, the other machines £ll4, the building and tanks £IBO, and the site £4OO Their liabilities amounted to about £I2OO or £I3OO. The work of this year will consist in preparing the fibre of about 20 I acres of land, together with the produce of 30 acres from last year, from which about 10 tons of fibre expected to be produced. They had plenty of capital, sufficient to make binding twine for next season. They would go on developing the industry, which was capuble of great expansion, and he hoped to see far more pretensioui works on the site than there was at present. What waß wanted was that the farmers should take an interest in the matter, aod grow the flax. Unless that was done it would not go on. He thought the time was rery opportune, when wheat was so cheap, and he believed it would yet be cheaper, perhaps from 2s 6d to 3s perbubhel. He hoped they would be ranking linseed oil and all kinds of rope and twine there. The machines —with the exception of the American—were locally made, and that was so ruething to boast of.

Mr Wakefield »aid he had listened with great interest to the modest statement of the Chairman. He had heard a great deal about local industries but it all came to nothing but talk. A good example was set by the district. The flax industry wai. an enormous one on the Continent and in England and Ireland, and it employed a large amount of labor. Of course there was a distant market to contend against

here, but they bad cheap lands, a splendid climate, and other advantages which ought to counter balance the distance. The Company had done well, and if the farmers would * row the flax he felt sure it would be a thorough succeaa. He felt a personal interest in industries because he had a great deal to do with them. He had been Chairman of a Commission on Local Industries, and in that way had the flax industry brought under his notice. Ha hoped their Chairman was in error in thinking that the price of grain would never go up again, but at the ■ame time he thought that farmers ought to supplement it by other things, and nothing, he believed, was better than flax. What was wanted was to fix the population instead of having them roaming about the country, and this might be done by establishing industries. After a few more remarks he proposed prosperity to the •Temuka .Flax Industry,' coupled with the names of Messrs Hayhurst and Pilbrow. The Chairman apologised for Mr Postlethwaite, who was piesent at the early part of the proceedings, and had to go away owing to having to attend a meeting of Natives in Temuka in conjunction with Mr Mackay, Native Commissioner. Mr Hayhurst thanked Mr Wakefield for coupling his name with the toast. He bad grown some flax last year, but he was sorry he had no land available this year. He would be most willing to assist in any way he could and hoped the farmers would grow flax. Mr Pilbrow felt great pleasure in seeing so many present. He was glad to see the industry so far developed, as he had taken a great deal of interest in it and was one of the first to grow it. He hoped the farmers would grow it. If they put in 6 or 6 acres each thsy would never regret

it. Mr J. Pago proposed sucess to ' Local Industrie!,' coupled with the name of Mr E. A. Barker. He referred to the success of the Butter and Cheese Factory, and urged that the way to foster local industries was to b»nd together. MrR. A. Barker in response said the Cheese Factory wap a success. Ihey had a large stock of cheese on hand but it was going off Tery well—and they were now opening up a good market for it in Queensland. He was glad to say also that farmers had supplied the milk Tery wall. He also referred jj to the linseed industry and said the great difficulty was in threshing the grain out, but he hoped that would be overcome. Mr Page proposed ' The health of the Chairman,' which was duly honored and responded to, after which the proceedings came to a close. It ought to be stated that the machines worked first-class, with the exception of the American on*, which is almost useless. Th»y have all been erected under the supervision of Mr Davis, the company's manager, who appears to be thoroughly acquainted with the work, and who ia a great believer in the ultimate success of the industry. The company are very fortunate in htving the services of bo experienced and able a man. The macbiners reflect great credit on their makers, Messrs Booth, Macdonald sad Co., of Christchurcb. It is something to feel proud of that they are useful while the imported one from America is of no use at all.