Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-03-01
Chamber of Commerce
Assemble to Hear Some Talk On
Flax Industry.
Mr. Hawkins Makes an Interesting Ad-
dress-COmmittee Given Tine.

Z Mr. Mccormack from special com.
nittee On establishing the proposed
lax industry asked for further time.
lie said he had written the Secretary
I OF the WOman's Flax Fibre ASsocia-
I tiOn for specific information as to
/ what was the present status Of the
Z business. The committee would try
I 70 get at the bottom facts and would
. then repOrt complete and definite
facts. When they had such infur-
nation and could 20 before the peO-
I pie with fair prospect Of profit. they
would 20 ahead. A business that did
not pay the stockholders was a
damage TO the town. Flax could be
grown here 90 doubt. But had we
the people to grow it? He doubted
that. We might have 70 import the
people tO raise il as well as 70 manu-
factUre IL. The people OF La Grande
were learning that wheat farmers
don't like 70 hoe beets. The linen
INDUSTRY was more promising than
the sugar beet factory.
Mr. Hawkins, recently from Mime
sofa, and at the head OF a colOniZIng
movement was introduced By Presi-
dent Gray as a practical man who had
personal knOwlege Of the industry.
He stated that 200 cOlonists from
Sweden bad sent a committee Of three
10 investigate this matter and IL Ore
gOn was as well adapted, as Chas. A.
Dodge had reported TO the Depart
ment Of Agriculture, for fax culture.
He read from this report. Two
bushels TO the acre was sown, but
that was not enough, as the coarse
hax straw shows. Oregon ana Cali
fOrnia were ahead OF all states tested.
Thinly soWn fax had too many
branches. Oregon fax was next 10
Belgium fax. Dodge says OF Oregon
fiaX that IL Is remarkably fine for
fibre. There was less woody matter,
and Oregon is called the most desir-
able state for fax culture. On the
basis Of such reports Mr.. Hawkins
had come 10 Oregon. Only a few
women had taken hold Of this indus
try and enough was shown to the
world that Oregon could grow fax
equal 10 Belgium. These ladies had
accomplished wonders and were en-
Titled 70 great praise. He said the
ladies had made mistakes but this
should be overlooked.
There was a million dollar fax mill
plant standing idle in Germany ready
10 come over here to Oregon IL Oregon
lhi lhClo NOuiu buOW UlltJ COulQ grow
II. Flax could not be cut, ,,but must he
pulled,
Some Of the Oregon fax had brought
$500 ton 10 Scotland. 1t is a com
mon thing to get $500 ton for fine
flax. In Sweden when wheat was
81 90 bushel, fax was a better crop
than wheat. At only $40 ton for
straw means $50 an acre. One good
hand can pull one-third OF an acre
In a day. If we have this climate
and this soil we can with little en-
teTprise make this Industry a success
and not fail. A Belgian, Mr., Cum
mingham, arrives tonight, to take
charge OF the Salem scutching mill.
He Is an experienced man and will
make IL success.
Mr.. Gilbert made some statements
about the sugarbeet industry in Iowa.
j. M. Wallace gave the members
some facts about flax fibre industry
In Canada.
/. l.. Patterson inquired after the
matter OF Southern Pacific freight.
President George Gray stated that
Mr. Markham had telephoned that he
would be present, but mad been de-
tained.
Adjourned.