FLAX ASSOCIATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 705, 26 August 1870, Page 2

FLAX ASSOCIATION.

♦ The Sub-Committee met at their office, Cashel street, yesterday afternoon ; Mr K Richardeon presiding, and Messrs F. H. M. Walker, Johnston, Loughnan, Sheath, Pavitt, and J. A. Bird, hon. sec, present The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, Mr Johnston moved, Mr Walker seconded, and it was resolved, " that the Secretary be requested to write to the member for Christchurch in the House of Representatives, t'> enquire if it is possible to get an increased duty put on rope and cordage imported int New Zealand; such duty to be a rising of 3> per cwt for the next four years; also to forward a oopy of Mr Benn'i letter, in reference

to the rope used by the ship England on her last voyage home." Mr Walker submitted for inspection a door mat made by his workmen out of the refuse flax. Its size was three feet by two feet six inches, and he stated that others like it could be sold for 7s 6d each. He also added that some had been in U3e at Pagat's Hotel, Leithfield for upwards of twelve months, and exhibited but little signs of wear. The mat shown appeared very strong and well adapted to the purpose for which it was made. The Committee then adjourned.

A special general meeting of members of the Association was next held, Messrs Hassal, Robiaon, Booth, A. Duncan, and J. Anderson being present, in addition to the members of sub-committee enumerated abore. In the absence of the President, Mr A. Duncan, Vice-Pre3ident, occupied the chair. The minutes of the previous general meeting were read and confirmed. Mr Hassal, Chairman of tho General Committee of the Association, explained that he had convened the meeting in response to a requisition from several members who were desirous of " considering the expediency of memorialising the General Government with the view of inducing them to offer a liberal bonus to English and other manufacturers in Europe or elsewhere for the production from Pkormium Tenax of fine or coarse fabrics." Since acting upon this requisition, however, he found that action had been taken in the House of Representatives to carry out to a certain extent the views of the gentlemen, signing it. He found, by telegram, that Mr Macandrew had asked the Government to offer a bonus of £5000 for competition all over the world for the discovery of a process for separating the gum from flax, and that this had been approved by members on all sides of the House. The resolution it was originally intended to submit at that meeting was— "That the General Government be memorialised to offer a bonus of £5000 for the best 5000 yards of fabric suitable for shirtings, manufactured from New Zealand flax, either in Europe or America." This, it might now be thought, had been anticipated by Mr Macandrew, and he (Mr Hassal) thought it would be better to await the result of this, or, obtain more details than contained in the telegram, before the Association proceeded further in the matter. That the Government were taking interest in the subject was a source of congratulation to all, and it was to be hoped that it would be maintained. The Queensland Government had offered a large bonus for sugar manufactured from cane grown in that colony, and all other colonial Governments were following suit in promoting industries for consuming productions indigenous to their respective colonies. Returning to the matter immediately under consideration, he thought perhaps it would he unnecessary to move the resolution he bad read. He could not call the meeting for considering it earlier, but he thought its object would be very well promoted by the action, already taken in the General Assembly. The Chairman remarked that it might strengthen Mr Macandrew if the meeting were to telegraph to him their opinions upon the subject. Mr Hassal would willingly support such a proceeding. Mr Sheath thought the suggestion made by Mr Macandrew was too general in its character. What they wanted was goods manufactured from the flax, and he therefore considered their resolution would behest. It would be come guide to the Government how to expend any funds they might have to devote to the promotion of the flax industry, and he would prefer it being put to the meeting. Mr Robiaon was of a contrary opinion. What they required was the fibre properly prepared, when there would soon be plenty of manufactures from it. After a desultory discussion, the chairman said the action of the Government and Mr Macandrew was not fully understood, and an explanation might facilitate the decision of the meeting. So far as he understood from the telegrams, the Government proposed to appoint a Commission to enquire folly into the growth, preparation, uses, and manufacture of flax; to hold an exhibition next year of flax fibre and articles manufactured from it, when £500 should be given in prizes, and that in 1872 another exhibition should be held, at which £2000 Bhould bo given. After the announcement of this in the House, Mr Macandrew had suggested that £5000 should be given for some process whereby flax could be completely denuded of its gum. He (the chairman) thought these measures would be carrying out the views of the Association. Therefore,' he considered, they could not do better than pasa some resolution simply approving of them. Mr Hassal said he thought this would be the best, and moved " That this meeting highly approves of the action taken by tho House of Representatives with regard to offering £5000 for the complete separation of gum from flax." Mr Richardson seconded the motion, which was carried without dissent. Mr Hassal then read the following extracts from a letter received from Mr G; A. Anstey, now in England: — ~ " I have taken every trouble about .New Zealand Flax, and the result of my labours and enquiries is to shew me the profound ignorance generally prevailing respecting every detail about it. An old New Zealand colonist assured me there was not a plant of flax in the southern island capable of producing marketable fibre ; at that very moment the Helen, with a full cargo of Canterbury flax, was within a few days' sail of England. Another gentleman, the patentee of a cleaning machine in Auckland, assured me that it was impossible to extract fibre from the dry leaf. I sent him samples of your dry leaves from LrptteUoa, sold in London at £7 per ton, and the fibre therefrom was cleaned and sold at £23. Then,

.again, few know the strange. mass, of fibn existing even in the coarsest leaves, as prove by a sample prepared by an old machinist fo Devitt, the broker. This sample wa> given to me, and I have sent half of it to M' Walmsley, of Bradford, and the other half t< you t! is day, via Marseilles. This process i§ pronounced as slow and inefficient, and I send it merely that you may see the strange volume of fibre issuing out of the uncleaned end of the leaf, the fibre apparently larger in bulk and weight than the leaf containrng it. lam told that it takes six tons of green leaves to -produce one ton of fibre. With the little 'sample before you, you may see how large a , portion of fibre must be wasted by the many fcther processes hitherto pretending to clean the' green leaf. I must ask you to show the specimen aforesaid to Mr Hartland, that he may see that every flax leaf at Mount Parnassus, if dry, holds within it over 90 per cent 'of fibre. I won't let this drop. Mr Edward 'Miles and Mr Aynsley have offered to put at ~my disposal 1 cwt of fine straight dry leaves recently arrived. I have written to Mr Walmsley thereon, and be agrees to take them, and subject them to numerous experiments and trials for cleaning. I shall pay the freight by rail of these leaves to Bradford, and I have great hopes of the result, and that Walmsley will give us the flax cleaner of the future, and I trust by the dry method, as I saw proved in 1862. I was shewn a sample cleaned at Oamaru in Otago, which the broker values at £34 per ton. I have enclosed it to you. The broker says he believes there will be a rush for such fibre at his price named (£34) whenever offered here, and in any quantities, but that the Helen's cargo was generally not good. It sold from £15 to £23 per ton, he said, but some 40 bales marked E F as high as £31." Mr Richardson informed the members of the resolution passed by the sub-committee previous to the general meeting. Mr Booth took objection to the resolution on the ground that it involved the question of protection against free trade. He thought such a determination of the committee should, not be acted upon until very fully considered by the whole association. Mr Robieon was of the same opinion. ' - Mr Hassal thought the resolution was in excess of the powers delegated to the subcommittee, and that it trenched upon politics, which he considered they should avoid. Mr Kobison said it appeared to him that the resolution referred to a matter belonging more to the Chamber of Commerce than to them. After some further discussion, Mr Richardson, as chairman of the sub-committee, said : he would hold the resolution over for the present. No action should be taken upon it until the opinion of a general meeting of the association bad been convened. The meeting then terminated.