The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-19
The Flax Industry.

Governor Rogers has recently been
making inquiries in this state and In
Oregon regarding the manufacture Of
max. In dispatch from Olympia pub
iished yesterday there is statement
made to him nv Warden Catron, Of the
state penitentiary. as to the practical
bility OF using fax fibre for the manu-
facture of grain sacks in the state 5ute
MILL. The warden's conclusions are
that fax can be cultivated here, and
that with few changes In machinery
stricts the penitentiary to the manufac-
ture of 1ute bags. a superior fax pro-
duct can be turned out which may be
sold at about the same price as the i'm
ported jute article ana win create a de-
mand for q homegrown raw material.
All OF the jute now used in the peni-
Tertiary is imported. The money paid for
1t goes out Of the country The substi-
tuition OF fax for jute would resultin the
manufacture OF bagging equal in quail
ity to that now made. and. according to
Warden Catron's figures, would mean
the distribution OF some $4,000 among
local fax raisers instead of among for
eign jute merchants. This in itself is
a matter well worth attention, for 1t
might mean raising fax not only for
penitentiary manufacture but for other
uses as we'll
There are those In this state who have
given much thought to the subject Of
flax culture. and they have always
maintained that the soil ana climate
here are peculiarly well adapted to the
raising OF flax both for seed and hbre.
Extensive experiments have been made
in Western Washington, and especially
in whatcom county, and the results SO
far as the cultivation Of the fax are
concerned have been highly satisfac-
tory. A fibre Of fine quality has been
obtained. pronounced by experts in Bel
GUM and ireland to be OF a character
that warrants every encouragement
from those who would have q flourish
ing industry built up in all those Sec
lions where fax can be raised.
1t is only necessary that beginning
be made. For the manufacture Of
grain sacks a large quantity Of fibre
would be required, the estimate being
hnt e. no
the penitentiary alone could use some
thing like 1,752,000 pounds a year. This
in itself would demand quite extensive
cultivation. But 1t is not always for
the manufacture of the coarser fab
RIGS such as burlaps that the fax
would be used. Witt experience in
cultivation and Improvement in fibre.
attention would no doubt be given to
making finer cloths. and 1t might be
only a question of time when superior
quality Of linen could be manufactured.
Tests made during number of years
by those who have striven against
many obstacles to encourage fax cul-
lIVdtlOn SnOW tudI d ueSirdDie IlDTc CdH
be raised here, and 1t only remains to
utilize 1t. There are but few who have
given the subject sufficient thought to
realize how much successful start in
the industry would mean, or can appre-
ciate what a growth 1t might attain IL 1t
were once encouraged and allowed to
expand. 1t is necessary only to look to
ireland and Belgium to understand
what can be built upon the fax indus
try, and with favorable soil and cli-
mate here at home there is good reason
to believe that such an industry. II once
established. would succeed and In the
end become of commanding Importance.
Joe Wheeler, 1t is reported, has re-
signed from the army and will take his
seat in the house, where 1t Is probable
he will be even more of an authority on
the Philippines than Beveridge is in the
senate.
Sibley's Defiance.
All over the country old-line DEM
ocrats have been nursing their wrath
and INDUCING in sporadic outbreaks
against the asinine policy of the
party. These patient beasts OF burden
have horne much for the sake of name