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Show LINEN INDUSTRY ! SEVERELY HIT Loses Principal Source of j Raw Material "M1CA.0, June -"The llnn in- dutry In confront., with a remark- a Is problem It ha lout ltd principal; sources if raw mat ''rial Thin w ;n the imi4rtUf of TV. II. j TVi ith. president of tha chamber vt ' o.mincrco of Itelfast, Ireland, and i k -Ttt nt of th Irish Linen society. h fore- n meeting of linen buyers en- tertnlned at a dinner at tha Concrete i t. t as the guests of Marshall Kleld ro., famous as nun of the larccnf BB'iniifnfturrr Importer and dlstrlh- j tors of dry goods In the 1'nlted ' Hlafes. j "Itrfore the war." Mr. Webb rontln-, ih d. "Hum i.i contributed from j t o per cent of all the flux used In linen manufacture. Itiit Innt year only Sr.00 tons of flax cume out of Hunsla. No flux In any yuantl'y will bo grown In KiiKAia fur years Kvrn If It were. own there now. the railway could ' n t transport It to th neuport. More- o er. no 1 unities could ha dime with I u country that has no financial syn-j tnn j "I'.irmer who have rsled flny In : ot li.-r i-RrtS of t h w ot I I have not h fn able to in ikr any profit at piacis, th. spinners w mi d pay. In I iO ire-land ire-land raied 1 L'T.ooi) cre. Lat "u ' It i 3 ft 000 at rex ami an estimate; of -In e,ir' crop N 3? 000 iicrcn 'I' 1 a.-ri'.ij;.' In France and )t!iclum shown; !' im-rao of x r rnt , l.iitfti 1 one of the world's oldest ftthnc. but until the Irhh Lilian so-' fi-' rconlv estahlNhrd a research! th pirtmcnt. practically no research ' work In connection with thn Industry. I Mr. VWhb aM. ever had been done. H" poke of th work the society 1m Mht in Ireland to aid buyers from hl country to obtain houio'hohl linens.' which, ho jnid, nr running out and1 difficult ti locate. He predicted k that the flax IndtiKtry would nt re-, turn to normal within six oure. I "The research wo are dolnv." said i Mr Vbh. will, we hope, he.p to, oivo tlx- pnblrm of ruismtj flax pmt It ably. Th-ro are many Mncnrific i niindu woikitiff on the devtdopin'it bv ' sebcttnn vt a nw variety of plant hjrhwil yl Id better. rxpnlve . f ib r. It may be st xeral yetni et h me the work of Improving the flax plant i!l have a large effect on the liimn liuitiMtrv. but e entually it will uiHure u fabric of fine quality." |