Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-02-06
FLAX BOOSTERS WILL
MEET AT STATE HOUSE
Open Meeting In Senate
Chamber Tonight to Con-
slider Factory at Pen

Ono Of the most important meetings
that has been scheduled to take place
during the present session of the legis.
lature, vastly important from an indus.
trial standpoint Of particular interest
to this section Of the Willamette va,.
ley, is the open meeting Of the Joint
committee Of the house and senate
which will be held in the senate cham.
Der at 8 o clock tonight for the pur.
pose of considering the proposition Of
installing n flax wording plant in con.
nection with the state poniteutiary.
A large meeting was held at the
Marion hotel at noon yesterday, in at.
tendance upon which were Governor
Withycombe, Mrs. W. p. Lord, Eliza.
beth Lord, Senators Bishop and Won
der Helen, Representatives lCartm6ll,
chairman Of the houNe committee,
President w. NJ. Hamilton and Setre.
tory Ralph Moores Of commercial club,
and Emil Hansett, an experienced flax
grower who has been In the business
for years, Mr.. Hansett is son.in.Iaw
Of Eugene Bossc, the noted Belgian
flax expert who was the father Of the
industry in the Willamette Valley aud
spent many years Of useless effort in
trying to arouse interest in the estab-
lishnent Of linen mill. He knows the
flax business from the ground up.
The purpose of the meeting al the
state house tonight is to consider the
proposition of J. G. Crawford director
OF the York State Flax Spinning Co.,
Ltd Of Belfast, ireland, who proposes
starting flax mill at the pcnitentiary
aud employ convict labor Mr.. Craw.
ford was in Salem recently mud was so
fayorably impressed with the possibli.
ties OF the industry here that he made
an outright proposition through the
medium Of State Treasurer Kay by
which he guarantees 10 handle all OF
the flay fibre produced IN the valley
a. a stipulated price laid down in Port.
land aud the full market value Of the
product when IL reaches It's destination
D Belfast, ireland
F" aprec TO take for two years the
whole fibre output 0f the factory Go
be established AZ The msonl nj y
price Of not less than 10 cents per
''NH'l l'l llAN NNl % NtNiN I'l IuNNN
for tow in pressed packed bales (. %. b.
Portland saws Mr.. Crawford in his
communication to Mr. Kay, "and to
paw such higher price as may hc fair
market value for the fibre when II
reaches our warehouse IN Bclfns.t"
When in Salem recently MrCraw'
ford anvc an estimate Of the cost OF
installing flax factory in connection
with the pcuitcntiarv, fully equipped
ana capable Of handling 5000 tons Of
straw annually. which would require
nn acrcapr Of between 1900 and 1900
acres Of flax, at q maximum Of 100000
Of which $4,000 would represent
working capital aud tho balance 70,
cuuipmcni and other preliminary ex
penscs Governor Withycombc. anj
others who are interested in the dc
yclopmcnt Of the industry here, how
ever, are Of the opinion that II coulj
be- started upon a smaller scale ant
with an investment Of not to cXcec,
| $4,000 TO 100000,
As the matter is to he zone Owe
| thoroughly and In detail before III,
committee tonipht all those who ar,
interested in the subject aud in th,
future establishment Of the industry
in the valley ara urucd to be prcscn
and participate in the discussion