CANTERBUBY FLAX ASSOCIATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 699, 19 August 1870, Page 2

CANTERBUBY FLAX ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the sub-committee was held at 2 p.m. yesterday. Present— Messrs B. Richardson (chairman), Pavitt, Johnson, Loughnan, and Bird (hon. sec). A letter was read from Dr Fiorance, stating that he had no time outside bis professional pursuits to devote for the preparation of flax fibre. The following correspondence was read : — " Christchuroh, August 3rd, 1870. "Mr J. A. Bird, hon. see. Canterbury Flax Association. " Dear Sir, — I have »een a letter in the Star paper of the 20th July, signed Robert Scott, respecting the manufacture of flax. I think he made some sad mistakes. He said the first was a stationary engine and boiler, but to save and use economy, there is a good water-power just below Madras bridge, and with very little expense you might get a good under-race wheel that would turn all the machinery that would be required for making bagging for wool bags and sacking for corn sacks. A better thing would be to get about five acres of land on the Heathcote river about four chains wide and twelve chains long, and sink about twelve artesian wells, and hare large pipes to take all the water down, and have a twelve-feet over-shot wheel (you could get that, I think), and then you could have a rope walk, and you would be able to supply all New Zealand shipping with all sorts, from the bucket line to the four-inch cable. That would pay better ; for you see you would have no rates to pay to the City Council for all this. You have to get a hackling machine, and then the carding machine, and then the roving machine to make it into spools for the spinning machine or frame as it is called, and then you would have to get a warping machine to make it ready for the looms, and I would advise you to get the belt and strongest looms, for there is a deal of wear and tear, and you could' get all the gear and stays with the looms. I should not have sent you this, but I thought Mr Scott did not know anything about i% but I hope he will forgive me for saying so, for I don't like to see a pooopany led astray. In the flax trade they don't use the spinning jenny, nor have not done so in Leeds for the last fifty years to my knowledge, but they use them in the woolen and cotton trade ; and for flax they don't use the brushing mill nor the steaming mill, nor they don't use the hydraulic press, excepting for packing to send abroad. But you would have to have a callendering machine with two very heavy rollers heated with steam for the sacking and bagging, to put the gloss on them. You could get all the flax machines in Leeds, for I come from there, and I have worked in the flax trade, but a long time ago. There are some of the largest mills in England there. If you send to Samuel Lawson and Son, Rope Foundry, Margate, Leeds, or to Sir Andrew Fairbairn, Wellington street, or to Taylor and Wadsworth, Warten Lane, or half a dozen more if }-ou like, for tluy have mule flix ma

chinery thirty or forty years (that I know) ; and by sending, you get all the current rates of the machines sent out, and I think if you send an advertisement to the Leeds Mercury you could get a man who would do for gaffer for all the branches — that is, look over the cording, and the spinning and weaving ; for you must have no hangers on or else it will not pay. You must excuse me for sending this scrawl, for I am a poor man, and one who never went to school, but I don't like to see companies led astray that want to do something to develope the resources of the country. " I remain yours, " Abraham J. Anson, " At Kankin'B Post-office, Lincoln Boad."