39

1.—6

They do the work better but they reduce the quantity done in the time. If it were not for that drawback Pownall's machine and Bull's machine would be valuable in the market 81b. Major Steward.] Is Bull's machine a scraping machine ?—I think it is • I have not seen * *Z mach ' ne that would do the work better ' or Produce a more valuable article. The bonus thehrventor 6 QmmmeDt WOuld be a lnere dro P in the buck et when compared with the profit to wn , ,5 17 ' T i e C l Mirman -) Assuming that a certain amount of money was set apart for a bonus would you devote a portion for improved machines and a portion for development by a chemical process such as you have indicated ?-Well, it is not so much the process that you want in eTther case; it is the application of the process you want. • 81 ?" Production of a certain number of bales up to a certain standard ?—I think the principles of the processes are very well understood; it would be impossible to patent them further S S T, 6 - 1 th 6 Chen \ lCa u 1 P" 6B ' B i8 ' therefore ' the successful commercial application of the thing the Government should aim at. In the case of the utilisation of the waste fibre I question if it would be possible to make it commercially successful, dealing with the wild flax The present wild flax supply _is an ephemeral thing; it will soon be done, except in a very few localities. As to giving a bonus for an improved machine, there could be no harm in that if the conditions were well defined. It may occur to some one to turn out a machine that would be really a great mechanical improvement. Such things are always occurring 819 Mr. Walker] There is one point which Mr. Seymour was very strong upon-that a new machine, an idea machine, should reduce the cost by at least one-half the cost of production Apparently you complain that the present machines do not get fair-play, by the process behig hurried on too carelessly ?-I think that is the cause of most of the bad flax Lent out oFthe countiw and the use of too little or of bad water; in fact, want of knowledge in the preparation The prmcip eof each machine that was known to me at the time is described in page 94. That does not include anything beyond 1872. From 1872 up to Mr. Bull's machine Ido not think any new machine has been put in the market at all. y f\Thc Chairman.] I think you state in this book that phormium is not likely to fire on board ship by the presence ot any moisture ?-When the fire broke out in the " Mariposa" a number ot communications were addressed to the Government, and they were referred to me I then gave my opinion, which I shall read :— Memorandum re Spontaneous Combustion of Phormium Fibre. Theee is no record of any conflagration that was clearly proved to have GriginatSromroontaneous Zt h 2 T 1 E hon T? fibr ° f ba I 6 8" laxmmB have in some instances taken fire owing to Z light dust and boon that is produced m the manufacture having ignited in contact with oily and hot machinery; also the green refuse lying in heaps has been known to ignite, in the same way as any other damp vegetable matter does when undergoing putrefactive fermentation. It is possible"that if the fibre is baled up m a rotting condition, or so damp as to supply the oxygen required to pro n ontrolSl,T entatl ° n ' that w^ 8 W ° Uldgo ° n ' but the "Be In the temperatoe would be contio led by the compression that had been applied to the bales, as in the case of the manufacture 0 ensilage from green fodder, m which the temperature is kept to 135° Fahr. simply by pressure 1 the fibre were m an oily state, and either accidentally or intentionally mixed with fatty substances there would be danger of spontaneous combustion from another and purely chenS process, it being well known that the temperature of vegetable matter, if soaked or m xed with oil grease, varnish or such hydrocarbons, will rise sufficiently to ignite the bulk. The aSi this cause is so great that railway companies and shippers have refused to take the risk of cfrtanT mixed silken goods m the manufacture of which vegetable fibre and oils are used; and it is thesame chemicalactionwhich causes the spontaneous conflagration of cotton when he bales are imp^ ectly isolated from other goods of an oily nature on board ship. In the case of the fire on Ed the Mariposa there does not appear to be the slightest evidence that it originated from heat generated in the centre of the bale If the outsides of the bales had been smeared withWe and moisture it is jus possible that heat might have been generated between bales tiglitiy packed together m the hold, but the heat required to ignite the flax could not, in my opinio! ThJe been fhTZ T? shOr VT tba \ had l a P sed bet ™ the taking in of the flax and the outbreak Tot I unfortunate that the question should have been raised, as there is nothine to show that Phormium tenax fibre ismore prone to take fire than such articles as coal, greasy wool at^ &n ll% \l nte ' ka T" gUm ,' & 3 d many ° ther articles of commerce that are carried without question If the matter is to be made the sub ect of an experimental investigation I think that ha airness to New Zealand other flax substances should also be tested, and the results made Sara" tive. The experiments will be costly, and will extend over at least three months. It will oe necessary to build strong brick or timber sheds, in which the conditions in the hold of a ship can be imitated, and several bales of each sample to be tested would be required. Special tLimometers must be contrived, and a special machine for applying graduated pressure ; and, as there is no record of similar experiments having been previously made, so far as I can find, there might be many trials before a satisfactory method ,s arrived at and reliable results obtained. Under these c 3 tions I think a special authority for the necessary expenditure should be given, and perhaps t would evenbe desnableto appoint a commission of experts to superintendent the experiments ' ' ' James Hectoe. —That answers all I know about spontaneous combustion V S5; Y ° U in /° Ur b ° ok * hat * he flax is ver y much damaged by the mode of packing ?- Yes that was the evidence we got. The object at that time was to get bales of flax in such a state that they could be sold to the same persons who purchased the bales of manila. The baliit that