THE "Wellington Independent." Saturday, May 24, 1851.

Wellington Independent, Volume VII, Issue 586, 24 May 1851, Page 3

THE "Wellington Independent." Saturday, May 24, 1851.

We publish, in our present issue, a correspondence which has taken place between Baron Alzdorf and certain parties in' Scotland, relative to various samples of Flax, which he sent to them by the Cornelia, While we regret that the report of Mr. Holland is so unfavourable, we are glad to find that the Baron, far from being disheartened, anticipates a more encouraging report upon some other specimens, which would bo forwarded to Mr. Holland (about the time the Cornelia was leaving England) to make further experiments upon. "Rome was not built in a clay ; " and such the Baron evidently believes, will be the case with the Phormiura Tenax; it matters not that experiment after experiment fails—that the sundry Flax Companies of which we ever and anon hear, are either still born or die a natural death, almost the instant they are launched into existence, the Baron's ffaith in Flux remains firm and unshaken. Other people may shrug their shoulders, and look incredulous, whenever Flax is mentioned—they may sneer at all the attempts made to turn it to account, they may ridicule the efforts to " solve the Flax problem," as being little less absurd than the search for the Philosopher's Stone ; but they produce little or no effect upon the Baron. If his ardour be at any time damped, he takes another look at his samples—rubs them between his fingers—admires the silky look of the fibres, and ends by "believing in Flax " more firmly than ever.

Be the ultimate result what it may, the colonists of New Zealand are not the less indebted to him and some others, for the efforts they have under such discouraging circumstances so perseveringly made to render the Phormium tenax an article of export, And although to some it may appear that the labour and expense they have incurred, have been thrown away, yet in reality they have accomplished one great point. The attention of the Manufacturers both at home aud abroad has been engaged, and they have evinced every disposition to give the Flax a fair trial, and to institute upon it a series of experiments. Many years ago, Manufacturers would scarcely look at it; so strong were the prejudices they entertained against it. But now we find that men (like Mr. Holland, who is described a man of Science) take almost as much interest in the subject as a New Zealand colonist himself, and that after failing in one set of (experiments, they are anxious to procure additional samples for the purpose of instituting a second and more complete set; and we also find that the Belgian Manufacturers have for some time past been making inquiries about Fhix, and nre sanguine in their expectations of being enabled to raako it available in various kinds of manufactures. The chief fear they express, is that the supply of the article would not be steady and constant. We shall however probably hear something more decisive in tho course of a few months ; for parcols of Flax have been sent home by various vessels both from this colony aud from Sydney, to be distributed amongst parties most qualified to ascertain the purposes to which it may be applied. By the Robert Syers several tons of Native dressed Flax were shipped; and as this had been prepared fully a year, aud was consequently perfectly dry, it wi|l in all probability reach England in a much better state than previous samples. We understand also that Mr. P. M. Hervey wrote out by tho Cornelia that a party in England professes to have invented a machine, which fully obviates the difficulties hitherto experienced in dressing it, and that Messrs. Tenant & Co. were on the eve of having its powers tested, and intended, should it be found to perform what the inventor promised, to purchase and send it out. We mention these facts to prove that the past exertions of the believers in Flax have not been in vain; but that they havo at any rate inoculated influential parties in in England aud on tho Continent with their own belief. To overcomo the prejudices which always exist against a new article, was the first difficulty; to secure the zealous and hearty co-opera-tion of parties qualified to promote the object in view was the second ; and both these obstacles have been fairly vanquished. But while there is much in all this to encourage us, and while we entertain little doubt in our own mind that the sanguine anticipations of the greatest enthusiasts about Flax, will at no distant period be fully ..realised, we cannot avoid expressing a fear that we are on the point of losing the trade in Flax which hasboen established botwecn this and the other colonies within the last

year or two, and which at one timo promised sucli beneficial results. Whether wo regard it as a source of wealth both to the Europeans and the Natives, or look to tho civilizing influence it has exercised over tho laltor, the importance of this branch of commerce cannot bo too highly ostimated, or its extinction too deeply deplored.

For many years tho Natives had almost entirely given up dressing Flax, and there was little or none exported; but within the last eighteen months, owing to tho exertions and influence of tho settlors, and also of the Missionaries, tho Natives have beou induced to resume tfieir old occupation with greater vigour than ever. At every Native settlement up the coast, they have been mainly occupied in preparing Flax; for this they have been paid, not in goods, but in cash, at the rate (we believe( of one penny a pound; aud that this price has been highly remunerative to them is provod by their supply of the article having gone on stoadily increasing. They havo begun to regard tho Flax as the means of procuring all they desire ; and it is as surprising, as it is gratifying to sco the amount of trade which is carried on between them, and the settlers in the districts, from which the greater quantity of the Flax is obtained. This occupation acts upon them just in the same way, as employment on the roads did; it bribes them to keep quiet; it gives thorn the means of satisfying their wants ; as one set of wants is satisfied, a fresh set (as is always the case with savages in process of civilization) spring up to be gratified only by the same means; and thus habits of steady industry are, as it were, forced upon them. The greater part of the Flax thus produced has been exported in the form of wool lashing to! Sydney and Hobart Town. As we have no official returns before us, we cannot statp the exact amount of Flax and wool lashing that has been exported from this settlement during the past year, but we are satisfied we shall be under the mark in stating it at not less than 300 tons ; neither can we give even an approximation to the quantity of wool lashing annually required in the Australian colonies ; from the various estimates, however, which we have heard made, we may safely enter it at 1000 tons. (This probably is not half the amount.) Now as far as the production of Flax by the Maories is concerned, we apprehend there would not be the slightest difficulty in supplying this or even a greater quantity : but to command the market we must be prepared to supply it at a lower price than it can be procured from Manila; we must supply it at such a price as shall drivo all other wool lashing out of the market.

But this we very much fear, at the price hitherto paid for it in Wellington, we are unable to do. Wo must do the merchants here the justice to say, that they have been fully alive to the importance of this branch of trade, and have done their utmost to foster, encourage, and develope it. They have during the past year bought up all the wool lashing that has been produced, and have sent it to almost every ouo of the Australian colonies, so as to give it a fair trial iv every market. But they have almost without exception found that they not only realised no profit, but that" their ventures were attended"with very heavy losses. r lhe prices they obtained were we understand greater than could be generally calculated on, but still, owing to the high price they paid for it here, they were the losers to a very considerable extent. The consequence is, that purchasers cannot be found at the price of last year; the Maorics are already producing in excess of the demand; and not understanding the fluctuations of trade, have no idea however ready they always are to raise, of submitting to a reduction of price; and therefore we expect shortly to hear that they have become disgusted, and have given up flax dressing altogether; and thus this trade, like our fisheries, will be knocked on the head. Let the Natives once more abandon tho flax cleaning, and it will be no easy matter to induce them to take it up again. Had the Missionaries not zealously co-operated with tho settlers, and engaged heart and soul in the work, the Natives would never to any considerable extent have resumed the employment; most assuredly not to the same extent as they have now engaged in it.

But while it appears clear that the cost of wool-lashing laid down here, must be considerably reduced, if it is to continue to form one of our exports, we are not prepared to say, that this is to be effected only by diminishing the price paid to the natives. We are induced to believe that the most material reduction must be made Ist., by diminishing the profits of the manufacturers of the wool-lashing, and 2nd, by lowering the freight of it from the Goast to Wellington. From all we can learn tho manufacturer charges some six pounds a ton for forming the flax into wool-lashing, and the freight is never less than £3 a ton. It should also bo borne in mind that although the manufacturer pays the maories in cash, yet he supplies them with all the goods they require, and thus receives his monoy back again, almost immediately with good interest; he reaps two profits^—the one upon his wool-lash-

iujj and the other upon the goods he sells to the natives , .

There aro many oilier points to which we {would have referred, had our space permitted, but our chief object will bo accomplished, if we succeed in calling the attention to the question of parties'more intimately acquainted with it, than we pretend to ho. Those who belicvo with us, ihat no long time will elapse before flax will form one of our chief exports to Furopc, and who have witnessed the difficulty with which the natives have been induced to engage in preparing it, will see the importance of devising some moans of at least keeping up the amount of trade already established. Should a demand arise in England or on the Continent, we might at the present time sup. ply and guarantee any quantity that could be required. But even supposing that the price of wool lashing cannot be reduced to a figure which will pay the merchant to export it, we see no reason, why ropemaking should not be resumed. At Auckland (which has undoubtedly taken the lead in the flax trade, anil threatens to monopolize it altogether,) several tons are brought into town every week, and readily bought up for the purpose of being manufactured into rope. Mr. Robertson there has established such a high character for his that we understand, be finds a ready'sale for all he lie can make at a price highly remunerative. We must repeat that the- present question is one, in which the Government, Missionaries, Settlers, and Natives are deeply interested; and we shall bemost happy to open our columns to any party, who is prepared to offer suggestions on the subject.