342 OBSTACLES TO THE UTILIZATION OF NEW ZEALAND FLAX. 
invention, first produce from the Flwrmium tenax, or other fibrous 
plant indigenous to New Zealand, one hundred tons of merchandise;" 
it being stipulated that there should be a bond flde sale of the said 
merchandise in Europe, at an advance of 20 per cent, on the actual 
cost of the article when landed. The Provincial Government of Can- 
terbury also subsequently offered a premium of £1000 with the same 
object in view; and still more recently, that of Otago promised a 
bonus of £500 to the firm or company that should first produce a ton 
of paper from Thormmm tenax or other indigenous fibre, equal in 
quality and price to imported paper. So far as I am aware, however, 
none of these premiums have yet been gained. Infinite indeed have 
been the experiments instituted, the patents taken out, the efforts 
made to produce a marketable fibre ; at least one special work (printed 
appropriately, moreover, on New Zealand flax-made paper) has been 
devoted to the subject ;* while ever since the establishment of the 
New Zealand provinces, the local press has teemed with notices of 
the value of the indigenous flax, whose praises, indeed, appear to be a 
perennial source and theme of self-congratulation to the colonists. 
Nevertheless, my belief is that, as yet, no progress has been made 
beyond the products of the crude art and hand-labour of the Maori, 
with his simple mussel or cockle-shell ; if, indeed, his results have 
been rivalled by the best specimens of colonial art ! The endeavour 
to give New Zealand flax a permanent and satisfactory place in Euro- 
pean commerce, has hitherto been a signal failure. 
It is the object of the present communication to indicate what ap- 
pear to me to be the chief causes of this failure; to point out what 
combination of circumstances has hitherto operated in preventing the 
practical application in the textile arts of a fibre acknowledged to 
possess a high value. Omitting details, which I propose giving else- 
where, I confine myself, at present, mainly to tabulating the principal 
obstacles to the utilization of the New Zealand flax-fibre. 
I. Amount and regularity of supply. 
There cannot be a sufficiently large or regular supply to meet the 
requirements, either of the local or European market, till 
1. The plant is systematically cultivated; 
2. Labour is more abundant and cheaper. 
The native plant is rapidly disappearing before colonial agriculture. 
* Murray on Phormium tenax. 
