OUR LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Waikato Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6010, 23 December 1902, Page 2

OUR LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

T"E HAM!!,I' >.\ F~\ \'!!I.L. As th.e flax in lust ry has played such an Important part in th • history >f New Zeiland, and Uat pros ut o'X'ipyin ■;• pu'li: itten'.iun a : iuo of the m --t :! uirUhing of e.ir ie a. iii lustries, a represenl t'.ve of ihe Waika o Times yesterday waited un Mr I. C'oatos, the we'l-ku.'.vn liix-miil owner, who very courLejiisly conducted iin over the mil! 0:1 tne Waika!", a' il.uu'b in. The visit was made a'l the nioie enjoyable mviu,' to til-• grip!;:: manna' in winch the various processed .vere and a very agreeable and instr.i :tivo h tit' hour was spent. Wlien the green il ex c >uios in to the mill, it is --in lu the stripper, where pass. iug between cyclinders revolving at a speed of 2,200 revolutions per minute, the fibre is separated into long shreds. Passing thence down a shoot the hanks are caught by a young iad, and the dust and small particles shaken out. Then they are placed in a long wo >den trough where they are thoroughly washed and scraped, afterwards being placed on a frame to drain, while aw.uiaug the cuter to convey them to the drying grounds. These grounds cover about 2 i acres, and the flax is spread out to diy in the sun, at this tune of the year the fibre taking about five days to dry. Coming from the giounds, the unscutched fibre is stacked in conical shaped stacks, and from these brought as required into what is known as the " Muka " shed. Then the fibre passes through the final process, the scutching, where by the beating action of fans revolving at the speed of 220 revolutions a minute, the woody portions are separated from the true fibre of commerce. It is then ready for baling and is made up int" bales of about 1 cwt each. About eight tons of green fiix will produce one ton "t good fibre, and the green mill at Hamilton puts through from seven to eight tons per day, but in the scutching house where two scutchers and one bailer are employed, the output is slightly greater, so that when these men overtake the supply of Muka, they are sent into the field to assist in spreading the flax. The whole of the machinery is driven by a Robey engine, double ',' inch cyclinder 14 li.p. nominal, which pumps its own water from the river, the water for tho washing trough being pumped by a Califoraian pump. Mr (Mates has also mills at Matatu, on the East Coast, Alorrinsville, and Tahunatira, i.ear liotorua. At each of the mills except Morrinsville, which has two, there is one stripper, that at Hamilton being one of a latest pattern, capable of turning out work equal to two of the old pattern. The supplies of Max are of course drawn from all over the country, that for the local mill being obtained principally from Cambridge and Tauwhare, and supplies have been secured sufficient for the next six months. Mr Coates is the largest supplier to the Auckland market, and some kl 'a of the extent of his operations may be gained when it is mentioned that he employs over 200 hands, with 2!■ waggons working almost constantly, besides three or four bullock drays. A-reg,ro-; wages, in no case is a man paid less than f-3 per day, while the scutchers and some of the more competent :n.'ti earn up to !>s. 'The Hamilton mill is worked by daily wage-, but the others are under the -viit'ract system. it is a striking testimony to th? excellence of the product turned out at these mills th it the flax is always grade' G.F.A, —good fair average and as such coinmauds t ip prices. Eaehmill has its own distinctive brands, that < A ll.i nilton being Hu a: Morri; sville, Moa ; Makate, k"iw : and Tahunalira, Kaahu. The refuse of the fibre when it comes out of the scutchers is the well-known tow, which is packed in bales, and sent away, the bulk of it being taken by the Riverhead (Auckland; Taper Mills for manufacture int i paper, the rest being shipped Home. About three cwt of tow to the ton of tlbre is the usual proportion. Altogether the industry has made great strides during the fifteen years Mr Coatos h.s been engaged in it, and in that time its iniluence on the we!'are of Waikat i has been very marked, as it has, both directly and indirect iy,caused remunerative employment for a large prop irtion of our population. ypviking of the prospects of the trade generally, Mr Coat -s we.; hopeful that for some time to come it would be a flourishing one, and said that although fibre was now some seven pounds lower in price than it had been lately, still there was a margin of pr tit. The best way in which to secure himself was for the miller to enter into contracts for the supply of fibre; he, him-s-If was under one cntrart to supply 200 tons within a given time. The market fluctuates S'i much that on' never knew where lie was, but they must take the good with the had. On the whole. Air Coates was inclined to take a hopeful view of the future. After further conversation the interviewer withdrew, having been mosl interested in the visit, which was made all the more pleasant by the thoroughness with which the varieus processes were explained by Mr Coates.