New Zealand in evolution, industrial, economic and political; . able to develop any important channels ofsupply independent of the natives. And by and by thenatives themselves declined absolutely to prepare flax forexport. Experiments continued to demonstrate the high valueof the fibre. In 1830 the export of the commodityfrom New Zealand was estimated at 1,062 tons, of whichprobably more than half was produced by one or otherof the imperfect methods of the pakeha London merchant, writing to his Sydney house in1830, impressed upon them the necessity of urgingtheir friends to clean
New Zealand in evolution, industrial, economic and political; . able to develop any important channels ofsupply independent of the natives. And by and by thenatives themselves declined absolutely to prepare flax forexport. Experiments continued to demonstrate the high valueof the fibre. In 1830 the export of the commodityfrom New Zealand was estimated at 1,062 tons, of whichprobably more than half was produced by one or otherof the imperfect methods of the pakeha London merchant, writing to his Sydney house in1830, impressed upon them the necessity of urgingtheir friends to clean the fibre well. Much of thehemp that reached England from New Zealand wasthen so foul that the ropeworkers would not work itup even at increased wages. Still the fibre had establishedits reputation. In 1820 it had been scarcely possible tosecure £10 or ^^15 for it. Now it took precedence overRussian and Hungarian at prices ranging from ?;^30to £^0. The profits of the business speedily worked its destruc-tion. Tons of badly dressed and inferior fibre were. WHERE THE MAORI LED 63 hurried on to the market. The price fell 50 per cent, inone year. It was an absolute debacle. Once and for allthe Maori gave up flax-dressing for export. The pakehadid not know how to dress it. And that was the end ofit. It was a good forty years before the export regainedthe volume of 1830. The Government made liberal offers for the inventionof machinery to separate the fibre on a profitable scale,but nothing was accomplished for many years. Even-tually plant was brought into existence which has servedthe purpose more or less perfectly up to the present time,and which, in spite of its imperfections, must be con-sidered satisfactory as compared with the rude methodsby which the Manila fibre is separated. By the help ofthis machinery the industry revived, and it reached ahigh-water mark in the early seventies, when upwards of160 mills participated in an output valued at ;^i40,ooo ayear. By the very con
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