ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

Wellington Independent, Volume I, Issue 29, 9 July 1845, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

• •We wish it to be distinctly understood that, although it is our desire that this Journal should freely express the tpinlons of our correspondents, we are not to be considered as responsible for such opinions. All letters involving facts must be authenticated by the name and address of the writer.

To the Editor of the Wellington Independent,

Sir, —Will you be kind enough to insert the following explanation respecting the issue of small Debentures; it will tend to allay any prejudice that may exist, and show the public that they are quite as safe and good as the Government Debentures. They were issued solely in consequence of the great scarcity of silver, and for the accomodation not only of the Storekeepers, but of the public in general. Whenever any of the Storekeepers or other people in business are in want of change, they apply to the Treasurer for small Debentures, who upon receiving a pound Government Debenture issues to the respective parties either 40 sixpenny or 20 shilling Debentures as they may desire, the Treasurer having signed and numbered them, thereby acknowledges the receipt of the money (which is afterwards placed in the Union Bank, lo remain there as security for the redemption of the Debentures whenever the public may demand it), and the party to whom they are issued countersigns them, afier which they are ready for circulation. The Treasurer, as well as the party who countersigns, hold themselves ready, at any time, to change them for Government Debentures on demand • and to prevent forgery, Mr. Marriott was kind enough to execute four wood cut 3 especially for this purpose. It may be as well to add, that the merchants in Wellington are willing to take these Debentures in payment of goods not specially sold for cash ; and also, that Mr. Geo. Moore and Mr. John Johnstone have consented to act as auditors, and make a weekly inspection of the accounts. 1 am, Sir, Your obedient servant, James Tame. Treasurer. Wellington, July 7, 1845. Sir, —Having received per Tyne, letters from our correspondent Sir George Farmer, we beg to enclose you an extract which we trust will be read with interest by our fellow colonists. We remain,. Your obedient servants. W. B. Rhodes, & Co. The samples of Flax received can can be seen at our office.

Chester, January 8, 1845. Dear Sirs.—Supposing from the non-arrival of any tolerably prepared flax, that you are still without so good or so cheap a method to free the fibre of the Phormium Tenax from the bark epidermis and mucilage, as mine. I take leave to offer the following statement and proposal for the consideration of yourselves and fellow colonists. I also enclose two small specimens of my preparation. The white is part of the fibre of a leaf grown in Devonshire; the yellow the fibre of the half cleaned native, as now imported, freed from the epidermis by my new process; this latter state I can accomplish under thirty shillings per ton t as it arrives. In two hours after I was in possession of the plant you were so obliging as to send me, now dead, I was master of the art of separating the nbre from the bark epidermis and mucilage. 1 invented a new machine on a perfectly different plan to those sent to Auckland in 1842. these revolve, those had a horizontal motion. My error with the Te Puru machines was in adopting the principle of a model wherewith a Gentleman assured me he had prepared flax in New Zealand. In October, 1843, I procured some dozens of green leaves in Devonshire, and tested the operation of my new machines. These leaves w T ere between five and six feet long, and averaged <5J ounces of dry fibre, of which the white spe"men is a part. The fibre is far inferior to the product of New Zealand, but will suffice to evince the efficiency of my invention. Calculating the machine to revolve once in a second, and to prepare one leaf producing 2. °unces only per second, we have a return of jpwards of 561b per hour. After the feeder has "ad a little practice the velocity may be increased, and ten or twelve hundred weight may De Prepared daily. The cost of this machine at home will not exceed thirty pounds. , It consists of three parts; a breaker and beater; a drainer over which the fibre passes u nder a stream to wash off part of the bark, &c, and a washer which delivers it on to an inclined board, to convey it to a stream of water wherein a tew shakes cleanses, it thoroughly. It is then "Pread to dry by women and children. The motive power may be either water, steam, or "orse. Calculating on the colonial rate of *yages of 3s. 6d. per day for men and the mo«ve power to be water, I am satisfied that the nbre can be prepared for seven pounds per ton, «xci uslve 0 f tne cost 0 f transit from the flax "elds to the shipping ports. I believe it may c shipped for ten pounds including every ex-

maehffe ff J h „,? c princib,e of this living ten Set W fift a PP? ra } l »» formed of a board thUT a Slfbock OT 1 ' 68 i Wide '. Uvo inc,,es wood screw? inS t™ ? W °° d ' a few two inch mon carpen er d^ th ?h y i a WOrk f ° r any COln " Ws wite, and children S. a PP a ™us a man, to one hundred w e SuTSvT f ' om } M as well Le,™ comi T»iy t° work, native monopoly by TaTe";^ ?* y P revent wouldVefer p£Z Kr'?_. _V„ Spare tS'Ji.h A faCtory for Llf &ldZrnT X f ° r 8m ° f flax « See N«J. $i™\mn£r Wtot ' New -hVt condSs™ PendmS mn ' ° n the followi »g °, f . one hundred of dry ally fnr , mcd l UIB qUallty > bei "g delivered annually for twenty years to my agents at the different shipping ports of the settlements, free of all expense to me, I will furnish one mlsized en?IT! T t0 the Colonial Offic obe ?£? m Au £ kland as * model, and one ditto to whh?i| W nf Zeala (! d f° mpany ' for Wellington; 3 ' **« This agreement, or an equivalent, to be secured to me by Government, and the machines proved to perform what I profess, in weseJcJ of a P e ™>n appointed by Government Ihe division of the 100 tons of flax, would fall light on each, and become more tlements multiply. The quantity may appenr rather exorbitant, if compared with prices that 1 am told my pre pared fibre wi 1 sell for. Three years ago they Zn t C T atedatfrol ? £32 t0 £45 P"tS, now about 25 per cent less. Freight and other charges will not be under £7 per ton. The ireightonly, on some I recently purchased at Liverpool was £9 15s. 6d. As the quantity imported increases, the value will decrease; I do not calculate on it averaging more than £20 per ton For my chemically finished samples I can obtain from £70 to £91 per ton, but this is alio, superior quality: the proportion of the best is very rmail, in all that I have met with about 8 per cent. The cost of working and loss in weight in its present state is very considerable, but the .better the fibre, the less in uotli cases. I must beg to be clearly understood, that this proposal is solely confined to my mechanical process. I should have no objection to dispose of my chemical, which would be the making of Wew Zealand in defiance of every opposition, bumcient ingredients for one ton of fibre may be purchased for a few shillings, and enough of the chief article carried in a man's pocketconsequently it can be confined to the knowledge of one person. I have none chemically prepared by me at present, but if I do not see that the fibre can be prepared in the colony before the Madura sails, I will forward a packet of specimens in each state by that vessel. If you can prepare it as well and as cheap by any process in use in the Islands, of course my machinery will not be required. I address a copy of this communication to your Chief Justice, with whom I have the pleasure of being slightly acquainted. New Zealand possesses in the fibre of the PAormium tenax an immense mine of wealth . here you have a mode of working it to great advantage, and at an insignificant cost pointed out; if the Governor and Colonists think fit to avail themseJees of it. I beg to remain, dear Sir, Your obliged servant, G. R. Farmer. Messrs Rhodes and Co., Wellington.