The Evening Herald. MONDAY MARCH 6, 1871.

Wanganui Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1109, 6 March 1871, Page 2

The Evening Herald. MONDAY MARCH 6, 1871.

A now discovery has been made in the dressing and preparation of flax for the market, which, from all accounts will solve the problem of how to thoroughly separate the gum from the fibre. Tho Various chemicals which up to the present have l*een tried have been found wanting in some one or more important elements. One,substance destroys the color, anotheTTcduces the strength of the fibre, another does both, and there is none but what leaves behind some of the gummy matter. The hand or shell dressing of the natives has been superior to any other process, the prices realised by Maori-dressed flax being more than £10 per ton above the best machine or chemically prepared. The discovery made by Messrs Ollivier and Blake has been brought to the notice of the Go- ' rorument by the Auckland Chamber of Commence. Tho Committee of this body had fk special meeting to consider the question, at which the following resolution Was passed:—" Eesolved, that having taard the explanation given by Mr OUitiej, and hav»ng examined the samples produced by him, this committee is of opinion that this matter is of so great importance to the whole colony that the General Government should without delay tako such stops as they may deem necessary to provo the value of Mr OUivier's process of cleaning flax, and, if satisfied of its being a sound and economical principle, should endeavor to secure the privilege of its use to the whole of the colony. Resolved that the Secretary be instructed to forward the above resolution to tho Colonial Secretary." Hr Wake, wbo is at present engaged in ««to^thotele^aphbetweLpatea aud New Plymouth, has tarnished «g with some particulars upon which wo dace tho utmost reliance. The flax 2L2iJ*rf sw^ iiu. *Bolution ' to* jpspt tf^tluch v t* de*, t ne *"* ***.JFf, *bw» Weaching the latter at tJw farttte time. I n tw<mtyfour hours tfco fibre i» ready for tho market, presenting the fineness, gloss and

strength of Maori dressed. A firm in Auckland, to whom an ordinary sample was submitted, offered £30 a ton, before the flax in the home market began to me in pnce, and since then the same firm expressed their opinion that flax according to the sample was worth £10 per ton hi the colony. The expense of pre- | paring it will be less than that of ordinary machine dressed, it being calculated that the whole cost will not be more than £12 per ton. The Maoris on the East Coast, convinced of its quality being equal to their own, have petitioned the Government to purchase the secret for them. There is little waste; no loss is occasioned by scutching, and the fibre is stripped down to the butt end of the leaf. The whole secret, as we have said, is in the solution!; and as soon as the discoverers obtain protection by patent, or tho Government should purchaso the right of applying tho process, tho chemical elements that work the desired change will bo made known. We submit that entire relianco should not be placed on any statement Col. Haultaiu might make respecting this discovery. He tried to obtain the secret by ignorantly asking Mr Ollivier to givo it up, on the ground that it was his duty to the colony. Because the refusal was sharp and decisive he may be a little prejudiced. Without questioning the constituent parts of the solution, the result of the process might be obtained in the presence of Dr Hector and one or two other gentlemen of experience. Then, if the experiment were favorable, the Government might enter into negotiations for the purchase of the secret;, and after acquiring it impart it freely to the colony. And no time ought to be lost before the matter ia satisfactorily resolved. The importance of such a discovery-is not inferior to that of any other question that has come before the colony since its foundation.