5

H.—36

Hawke's Bay. 39. Much better machinery is required to dress the fibre; at present, too much waste. If all the fibre could be saved not more than ii to 5 tons of green leaf would be required to make a ton of dressed fibre. Believes, if chemistry were brought to bear, the problem would be solved. Wellington. 30. Machine wanted that will turn out a ton of dressed fibre from 5 tons of green flax. 31. The best machinery in the colony is very crude for producing uniform quality. 32. £14 per ton dressed fibre would keep mill in full work. 33. Flax grown on swamp-land does not produce so much fibre per ton as flax grown on dry soil. 34. Room for great deal of improvement in present kind of machinery. 35. Very dense flax grows 30 tons to the acre. Flax growing on swamp-land is fit to cut again in half the time that flax grown on sand-hills is. Any improvement in machinery should be in the direction of saving labour and fibre. Quality at present produced evidently good enough for the use it is put to —namely, binder-twine and rope. 36. The present method of preparing fibre entails too much employment of labour; flax being low it does not pay. The expense of sending it Home is much more than in the case of wool. 37. Would be greatly helped if railway charged lower freight, or in proportion to other produce. 38. Mill-owners are at present working for the shipping companies and brokers: the charges are excessively high. Suggests that all flax be passed by an expert before shipment. 39. Would be in a position to double output with suitable machinery. Considers the industry sadly neglected by the Government, inasmuch as the state of the London market is concerned. Millers are left entirely in the dark, and at the mercy of the merchants. ■10. The industry is likely to be smothered by the heavy charges—railway, brokerage, wharfage, storage, dumping, freight, &c. Suggests the Government should use their influence with the Kailway Commissioners to make uniform rate per ton—say, 5s.—no matter how far from shipping port. A trifling loss to railway revenue but would be great advantage to the industry. 41. Sadly in want of a better machine for stripping. Those in use badly constructed, and difficult to keep in order. 12. Several suggestions as to improvements in machinery. A great impetus would be given to the flax industry if the prohibitive import charges on machinery were abolished. Flax can be greatly improved by cultivation. The best flax grows on very poor land. Government should offer substantial bonus for the cultivation of flax, rather than for better machinery. Offers to send specimen of cultivated flax grown in district. (See Mr. Howell's letter (post). 43. Government should make great reduction in freight. 44. A system of classification by an experienced and officially-authorised man would materially help progress of the industry. The waste of tow in consequence of the want of a market is a great drawback. Improved machinery badly wanted. Marlborough. lo. Better machinery is required to make better hemp; clean more thoroughly and make less tow. 46. Present process of dressing is too expensive, cost of producing a ton of fibre being £15, delivered in Blenheim. 47. The heaviest expense is incurred in the first dressing of the fibre. Machinery that would produce less tow would not make much difference, as proportion of tow is not more than oneeighteenth to one-twentieth of the fibre produced. Nelson. 48. More careful bleaching would save more fibre ; and if, when taken from the bleach-field, put through a set of heavy rollers to soften the fibre before applying the scutcher there would not be half the waste, and the fibre would be softer. Pays £1 per ton for raw material at the mill. 49. Machinery to dress the shorter flax is required. The shorter flax is the best for fibre. Canterbury. oO. Railway-freight is a most serious hardship. Unless railway-rates reduced, flax must die. 61. The excited state of the fibre-market has done much to injure the legitimate trade of fibredressing. Inexperienced and impecunious persons have glutted the English market with badlydressed and -pressed fibre. Attribute this to the reckless statements of editors of newspapers as to sudden fortunes made by flax-dressing, the result being that the price of the green leaf has so run up as to barely leave a margin of profit for the dressers. 52. Offers to place information, the result of twenty-five years' experience, at Government disposal. Considers Phormium the finest fibre in the world, which by improved machinery might be dressed so fine that it might be utilised for textile purposes, such as mixing with silk or linen, the value being quadrupled. (C. Chinnery, Hinds.) 53. Process: Sort green leaves into four classes ; strip; wash ; steep two or three hours; bleach fourteen days; dry thoroughly on wires ; scutch; sort hanks from scutchers, and bale; brand. Ship uudumped. 54. Has applied for a patent for a new macliine, using no chemicals, which will dress flax from J8in. upwards at a cheaper rate than strippers, which he is prepared to sell to the Government for £3,000. Present machinery only dresses 4ft. and upwards. 55. Has had thirty years' experience with all kinds of fibre. Has no hesitation in saying that New Zealand hemp cannot be used for fine purposes. Will give further information if desired. Refers to Hon. tho Premier.