EUROPEAN AND NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Wanganui Herald, Volume III, Issue 640, 31 August 1869, Page 2

EUROPEAN AND NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

One of the most important and interesting of debates has taken place in the House of Representatives on the subject of flax. Mr Creighton, who understands the preparation of Irish flax, made the following speech on the subject:—

The reason why flax could be pi*ofitably grown and manufactured in Belgium, Ireland, and. Russia, was the cheapnesss of labor. The existence of water power was also import ant; and without cheap labor and water power, as it existed in the countries he had named, it was impossible to produce European flax at a profit. He had taken the opinion of a gentleman in Auckland, who had done a great deal to promote the agricultural and pastoral prosperity of that Province, and who had also made experiments with European flax. That gentleman found that the flax came to maturity every month for ten consecutive months, during which his experiments were. continued; but cheap labor, in pulling the flax, and in other operations, could not be obtained, and without cheap labor no good could be done. As to New Zealand flax, however, there was the material ready grown, and all that was necessary in order to pi-oduce a very valuable article of export, was to cut the flax, and to prepare it by one of the new machines for that purpose. There were many different machines now in Auckland ; and one of them, especially, he looked upon as a perfect blessing to New Zealand. After paying men and boys employed, at the ordinary rates of wages, that machine would, on an average, leave a clear margin of profit of .£lO a ton. An honorable member asked, " What more do you want V He would tell the Plouse. The honorable member for Christchurch agreed that patentees, who had patented machines that would not give anything like such a result, should have a sort of right secured them to send out what he (Mr Croighton) must call imperfect machinery. The honorable member said, " No •" but his remarks amounted to

that or to nothing. There were some machines that- could rfot be made to turn out flak that would be worth more, than £10 or1 £12 a ton; but there were other machines which, with no greater cost for labor, gave a return of £25 a ton. The honorable member for Heathcote had stated to the House that two ships with NewZealand flax on board, one from Auckland and the other from Canterbury, had lain alongside each other in the London DockSy and that the best flax from Canterbury was no better than the worst from Auckland. He saw that Auckland flax when it was being sent away. The ship was the SianJ commanded by Captain. Ashby. He was able to state that before Captain Ashby sailed, he left an order for 1,200 tons of flax, according to the best of samples; that that order was now in course of execxition; the flax, as bought, being stored in Mr Cruickshank's large warehouse in Auckland. When the "Siani" arrived out again, there would be 1,200 or 1,500 tons of flax waiting for her, all of it being purchased at £25 a ton, cash on delivery in. Auckland. Those were facts that1 blight to be known to the House and the country. Two machines driven by water power, would turn out two tons of prepared flax a week, and would have a clear profit of from £12 to £20 a week, according to ! the skill brought to bear. There ought to be no feeling shown by the House or the country in favor of gentlemen who had patented, machines that would not turn out a a good article. As. to European flax, we might be able to grow it profitably by adopting the system of thick sowing practised in the East Indies, and exporting flax-seed; but until we had cheap labour, we could never possibly utilize the fibre of. European flax. As to that flax, there was no need whatever for enquiry by a commission. He had, and he should be happy to send to the honorable member for Clutha, all the reports connected with the experiments carried on in Ireland, prepared by Mr Me-j Adam, Secretary to the Royal Flax Committee of Ireland. The Superintendent i; imported a quantity of European flax seed, and distributed it in small parcels throughout the Province. Reports were obtained from the settlers who sowed the seed, so as to test the best soils in the Province for the purpose, and the best season for planting. Those reports had been printed, and the Provincial j Government, of Auckland would be j glad to supply copies to any member of the House, and also to send copies to any gentleman, in any part of Colony, who was interested in the question. As to the New Zealand flax, it was being cultivated in Auckland, and was yielding large returns. Wa-ter-power was being utilised, and they had hit upon a machine that preserved the fibre, thoroughly removed tlie gum, and left a very large margin of profit—on the average £10 a ton on the price paid on delivery in Auckland. One gentlemen of his acquaintance, who lived south of Auckland and who had a grass farm, had gone into flax-cleaning, and that gentleman had told him that one acre of flax land was worth ten acres of his best grass land. , :•