The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-09-29
PLANS GREAT new
INDUSTRY IN U. 5.
Uncle Sam Seeks to Promote
Manufacture of Linen in
This Country.
HOME PRODUCT IN DtsfAvOR
One Of BIG Problems 10 to Convince
American Public That Goods Made
Abroad Are Not Necessarily
Of Better Grade.

Of Better Grade.
Uncle Sam Is planning to establish
great new industry in the United
Stntes, 1t Is proposed. If possible. to
create real linen industry here, mas
much as this country Is the greatest
consumer Of linen in the world. The
high price OF linen and the flax fiber
from which linen Is made has conferred
attention on the project recently.
There seem to be two big problems
which must be solved before success Is
assured. One is to find some artificial
method Of preparing the flax straw for
the spinner, thus relieving the flax
grower Of this task, and the other Is
to convince the American public that
just because an article Is made abroad
it is not necessarily any better than
one made at home. These and other
minor problems are discussed in re-
port by w. A. Graham Clark, just pub
lished by the bureau of domestic and
foreign commerce.
The only country in which the pro-
duction Of flax fiber has increased con-
sistently in recent years is Russia, the
report states. In the British Isles and
in France the production has decreased
In spite of all efforts to keep the indus
try growing, and in Austria Hungary,
Belgium and tie Netherlands the in
dustry has not been able to hold its
own. The American production has
never been Of Importance. Thanks to
liberal government aid and to cheap
labor, the Russians had gradually been
getting monopoly of the business up
to the time the war broke out.
Flax Raised Here for Seed.
In the United Stutes flax has been
raised almost entirely for the seed,
which Is used to make the we!l-known
linsecd oil SO necessary for the produc-
ton Of good paints and varnishes. OF
some 100000 acres OF flax raised in
this country in 1915, the department Of
agriculture estimates that only 1900
acres were devoted to flax for fiber
The bulk of the straw from the seed
bearing plants Is burned and used for
fertilizer. 1t should be borne in mind,
however, that flax growing for seed and
flax growing for fiber are separate and
distinct industries. Some flax is
grown for both seed and fiber, but a
decision must be made rs to which Is
to be the more important product.
In Europe the farmer not only raises
the flax, but prepares the fiber for the
spinner. This preparation requires
several processes, one Of which, known
as "retting," requires considerable
cheap labor and much time and is in
addition most disngreenble process
for the worklnen. The problem In this
country is to find some chemical proc
ess Of retting that can be carried out
ut factory and thus allow the farmer
to COntine his attention to the agricul-
tural end Of the industry. This Is the
only condition ON which the American
farmer will take to growing flax for the
fiber, Mr.. Clark thinks. Some prog
ress is already being made in chemical
retting, and at least two concerns are
now buying flax stalks from the grow
ers for further treatment. Chemical
processes have been tried before with
out much success, but one Of the new
concerns Is now selling chemically ret
ted fiber to Europe and the other Ia
making coarse linens for use in cloth
ing and FOR curtains.
Must Create Home Market.
Even If a good all-American linen is
produced In this country, however,
there still remains the great problem Of
finding a market for it. That means
that time and effort will be required to
persuade the consumer to buy the do
nestle product instead Of the import
ed. Many people invariably choose the
imported article when it is displayed
alongside of domestic products, almost
regardless of quality. The president
Of mill now making dyed and
bleached dress linens from American
flax has found that, small as is his
product, there is difficulty in getting
the jobbers and department stores to
handle it, The tendency is to assume
that, even though it Is apparently of
excellent quality, it cannot equal the
old established linens from abroud.
There will never be Il better time than
the present to populariZe the domestic
product, for the imported article Is
scarce and high-priced. In normal
times our imports of linen goods vary
from $25, O0O,OO to $40, OOO, 600, and the
demand had been steadily increasing