Capital journal., July 28, 1925, SALEM SURVEY EDITION, Image 16

TUESDAY, JULY 28 '1925.
PAGE SIXTEEN
THE CAPITAL JOURNAL, SALEM, OREGON
Rise of Linen Industry Opens New Epoch in Willamette Valley
Projected Mill Here Paves
Way for Creation of New
American Industry
Salem's First Linen Mill, Ncaring Completion, and Facsimile of First Award Medals Won at the
Philadelphia International Exhibition in 1876 by Flax Grown by Parrish & Miller Near Jefferson
First Linen Mill to Start
Operations Here About ?
First of September
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For two generations thoughtful people of the Willamette Valley
fcare sought the things that would bring this great district of
western Oregon Into its own Industrially. Climatic conditions,
they knew were Ideal. Water resources, In quality and quantity,
were a recognized asset; the soli extremely fertile.
Wheat raising nourished for some years, but some way the soli
lor wheat production wore out. The fruit Industry arose and
flourished, and still flourishes, but the fruit growers here as else
where have certain discouraging obstacles to meet. The valley is
a world bop center, but prohibition has cut down that activity.
Manufacturing seemed to be the thing, and Juat now there la no
4oubt that It la the thing, with a linen Industry that already Is
Just about to be launched. Paper making has been here tor somt
years, lumber manufacturing for a much longer time, and each
la Its turn has thrilled the community progressives. They aro
bow thrilled again with the establishment of an Industry that
Will convert Willamette Valley flax Into fabrics that are assured
a world market, for linen factories In America are so few that
the market "privilege will be well-nigh exclusive.
Great credit Is due the late Mrs. W. P Lord and other pioneers
Who preached flax 40 years ago, and to several governors who en
couraged the industry through the state penitentiary. Only recent
ly, however, has It been possible to assemble the money and brains
necessary to give the Industry an adequate start, and this has been
brought nbout by a cooperation between Canadian capitalists and
linen making experts with business men of tho Willamette valley
and Portland.
Organization of the Oregon Linen Mills,. Inc., marks the be
ginning of the new epoch. This concern Is capitalized at $040,000
In preferred and common stock, the preferred being 7 per cent ac
cumulative stock with a par value of $100 a share. In round
figures about $500,000 has been subscribed.
The company proposes to estnhltsh a spinning and weaving
plant for the Immediate manufacture of linen products, such as
crashes, huck toweling, flax yarns and glass checks. These are
the "bread and butter" lines on which the factory will start oper
ations. Gradually It will work up to the higher counts In yarns
and the finer qualities of materials.
As now projected the plant will consist of 4 -ISO spindles. 200
looms and the necessary bleaching and finishing equipment.
Salem will be the seat of the first factory, and the buildings will
probably be erected on a seven acre tract which will provide for
the extension of the business that Is exported In the near future.
In the erection of tho plant, provision of plans, and the selection
and purchase of machinery the organization will have the advant
age of consultation and advice of Oominions, Ltd., of Ouelph. Can
ada. This Canadian firm has been successfully spinning flax
and weaving linen fabrics, even up to the highest qualities of
double damask linen, during the last 14 years, and proposes to
do In Oregon exactly what has been dnne successfully In Canada.
It Is proposed that the new concern will Inerense Its facilities from
time to time to tako caro of the flax and fibre now produced In
tho state.
The rost of the plant la estimated as follows:
Land and buildings, $02,000; four wet spinning systems for
warp. Including hackling machines, spread boards, roving and
pinning, $80,000; two wet systems for spinning weft. $ 15,000;
two dry systems for spinning weft. $50,000; heating, sprinkling
and power, $15,000; spoolers, winders, warpers, reelors, etc.. $15,
000; 100 plain looms. $21,000: 100 drop box looms. $20,000;
bleaching and finishing machinery, $27,000; duty and freight,
980,000; Installation of machinery, $20,000. This la a total of
1471.000 The remnindor of the $040,000 will be working capital.
Operations at the start will be based on one eight-hour shift
dally. On this basis the plant will produce each week of 48 hours
13,000 pounds of yarns and require 10,000 pounds of flax. This
hot) Id produce about 20,000 square yards of cloth ft week.
It Is calculated that the plant will employ at the start 240
persons, of whom (10 per cent will he women. The payroll is esti
mated nt $4(100 a week.
The Industry In Oregon starts with numerous advantages,
natural and otherwise. Experts pronounce the climate ideal with
the harvest season of July and August all that could be desired.
A low altitude, such as that of western Oregon, Is necessary.
Tariff protection on the manufactured product Is ample. But the
most Important advantage is that the Industry starts with an as
sured market, due to the constant world demand and the scarcity
of factory centers. On these points Col. W. H. Hartrnm. one of the
moving spirits in the local enterprise and a representative of the
Canadian company," recently said:
"In 1923 this state was growing only about 800 acres of flax.
Due to the Introduction of mechanical pulling machines the aver
age Jumped In 1924 to nbout 3000 acres. This year about 4.000
acres have been planted. With the successful development of the
pinning and weaving mills now under consideration the acreage
for 1926 should not ho less than 12.000 acres. It will take 40.000
acres of flax to furnish sufficient line fibre and spinning tow to
take care of present importation. This has no reference to linen
yarns or woven cloth. It Is reported that there are over 200.000
acres of land available and suitable for growing flax In the Will
amette valley This acreage would produce enough flax to keep
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at leant 25 spinning and weaving mills running continuously
throughout the year.
"A crop of flax, which lends Itself to almost any type of soli,
Is extremely profitable to far morn, being hardy, easily grown, re
quiring little attention and not subject to the ravages of insects.
"Up to the present only a small acreage of fibre flax has been
Crown in the United States and practically all of the linen or flax
used here has been imported from foreign countries, such Importa
tions of flax productions being said to exceed $.0,000,000 annually,
much of which could be easily manufactured In the United States
from the fibre flax produced In western Oregon.
"Not only, however, aro tho conditions existing In western
Oregon particularly favorable for tho growth of the fibre flax,
but also for the spinning of the fibre Into linen yarns and the
weaving of the finished linen commodities. One of the prime es
sentials for the production of high grado flbro flax and Its man
ufacture Into yarns and linens Is an ample supply of fresh water
froe from minerals. Tho rivers of Oregon that are fed from tho
Ice and snows of the mountains are suitable for the retting of
the flax straw and the spinning of yarns and bleaching and fin
ishing of the linen goods. In fact, the natural conditions of west
am Oregon, particularly In the Willamette valley, are considered
as favorable as those that have made Ilelfast the great spinning
and weaving center of the linen Industry, and western Oregon Is
the natural district to supply the linen requirements of the United
States.
"Tho tariff prevailing on flax straw, fibre and tow and par
ticularly linen yarns and finished linen commodities Is amply suf
ficient to protect any spinning and weaving Industry established
In the state. The duty on linen yarns Is from 26 per cent to 35
per cent on competitive linen products.
"With an ample supply of raw material of excellent quality
now assured and ut figures that compare favorably with prices
paid by foreign competitors, a modern spinning and weaving plant
stabl failed In western Oregon, with ample tariff protection and
a great wealthy purchasing niarkot should pay handsome dividends
to the Investors, provided It is managed and operated by experi
enced men who are known to the people of Oregon as having been
commercially successful In that line on this continent.
"North America la the greatest market for linen In the world,
this market consuming annually about half the output of Euro p.
and tho United Kingdom."
Colonel Dartram declares that the success of the Industry In
the United States Is dependent on mechanical pulling, but mechan
ical pulling Is a success In the Willamette valley. He has a plan
whereby pulling machines will be available to all growers. " In a
recent address at Klckreall Colonel Dartram said:
"At the present tlmo in tho Willamette Valley there are, ap
proximately 4.000 acres of flax planted by about 300 different
growers. Not five per cent of these growers are willing to pur
chase flax pulling machines. None of the smaller growers will
consider purchasing a flax pulling machine under any circum
stances In this situation 1 see serious trouble ahead for the
future that, if not remedied, will likely wreck your plan in the
development you are now working on.
"To guard your interests, and to further the Interests of this
state, the farmers and the future of the linen Industry, the time
is opportune to initiate a policy here that will satisfactorily and
permanently solve the problem of harvesting the flax and in doing
so perhaps place the industry agriculturally in the front ranks
of tho world.
"To start with, my plan is to establish a number of scutching
plants In say: Dallas, Independence, Monmouth, Rickerali, Al
bany, Stayton and Silverton. Each of these plants will be separate
and Independent companies who the first year will contract with
the farmers in their immediate district for about 500 acres of flax.
The Oregon Linen Mills, Inc., will control each one of these plants.
"To handle about 600 acres of flax requires four or five pull
ing machines. The scutching mills will purchase and own the
flax pulling machines. In their contract with the flax growers
the scutching mills will agree to pull the flax, BUbject to reasonable
conditions and terms that will be set out In the contract. The
advantages of this plan are too numerous to go Into detail, ex
cept to cite a few of them:
"1, It assures the raw product for the spinning mills now
under consideration.
"2. It will eliminate the hazard, as far as possible, of the
flax grower falling down in harvesting his flax and allow the flax
to bo harvested when the fibre content Is at Its best,
"3. It will control the acreage of flax planted, thereby elim
inating dissatisfaction among growers against over production be
ing Indulged in.
"4. The growers' costs will be very much reduced and a
heavy expense In machinery saved the individual farmer.
"5. It provides for the flax pulling machines to be serviced
and reconditioned at a low cost It will bring the whole problem
of flax culture and harvesting under competent and experienced
management which will standardize operations and production.
Colonel Bartram has prepared some Interesting cost and re
turn estimates from the production of good quality No. 1 straw, 30
Inches in length or over. The costs Include labor, power and
overhead expense, and are based on Ontario costs and Oregon
returns. For tank retting, on a per acre basis, with yield placed
at two tons an acre, the costs are estimated as follows:
Cost of straw at 3S a ton $ 76
Threshing and retting 30
Scutching 600 pounds of line fibre - . 66
Four hundred pounds tow, and pulling.:. 20
Total $192
With the arrival August 3 of 25,000 pounds of machinery for
the new linen mill being built in north Salem by U. C. Miles and .
bis associates, and the arrival of 20,000 pounds more on August 20,
all equipment for the mill will be on hand. One hundred aW
seventy thousand pounds has already arrived, and most of It haa
been erected in the plant. by a crew working under the direction
of three Irishmen imported for the purpose. Peto Clarke, who
directed the installation of Henry Ford's new linen machinery In
the middle west, came ou to Salem to direct work on the plant
here,, rather than returning to his home In Ireand.
Plans for opening . the . mill for active. manufacture of linen
products are still in a tentative state, but Mr. Miles estimates that
the date of opening will be on or near September 1 of this year.
There is even now a large quantity of flax fibre on hand In the
warehouse which adjoins the mill.
Promoters of the mill are adhering to their original plan,
which was to manufacture linentwino and not delve Into the
Intricacies of manufacturing linen cloth, at least at the start. The
twine manufactured by them "will be used chiefly in making fish
nets and sewing shoes. No other fibre is capable of withstanding
the necessary wear and tear to which these products are subjected,
and the output of the Miles Linen company, as the local organiza
tion Is officially designated, will be without competition from
anywhere nearer than .the Atlantic coast, the output from thera .
not being sufficiently great to be a serious thrent to tho locnl
Industry. The great majority of linen twine now used In the
United States Is produced in Ireland, and must be shipped a third
of the way around the world and pay a heavy duty to competo .
with the local product.
B. C. Miles, founder of the Miles Linen company, and Robert
H. Dann, his son in law, both -spent approximately a year in Eng- '
land and in Ireland previous to the beginning of the plant nt
Salem last spring. Mr. Dann attended Belfast Textile school, tho
only one of its kind in the world.
Mr. Miles took with him 100 pounds of flax fibre which had
been produced near Turner. Having it thoroughly examined by
the best flax experts in the British Isles, he w.ts told that tho
samples ranked among the highest quality flax in tho world,
although there were a few minor things connected with Its treat
ment needed correction.
Studying conditions in Ireland, considered the present linen
center of the world, Mr. Miles became convinced that every factor
In the Willamette valley pointed to the fact, that a new and
possibly greater linen center could be established here.
He returned to' the United States, organized his company, and
started to build. The building, which is a modern, concrete
structure, lighted by ninny windows In tho sides and roof, was
begun on March 1 of Hits year. The structure measures 100 by
1-12 feet It faces the Norlh Commercial street car line. :
Tho machinery belnr; Installed nt the plant is of the most Im
proved type, all absolutely new. It is shipped directly from .
England through the Pnnama Canal to Portland, being allowed
entrance into the VniUd Stales duty free through special arrange
ment with federal authorities.
"I consider that one of tho greatest tasks yet abend of us Is to
teach the American people how to operate this machinery' Bays
Mr. Miles. "It is going to take us a long time to do that."
When in operation the plant will employ some 30 men
throughout the year, the payroll being estimated at a total ot
nearly $40,000 annually. Officials of the company have already
contracted for a puffirient quantity of flax fibre at the stata
penitentiary to keep the mill running for two years.
Returns are estimated as follows:
Eight bushels seed at $2.75 a bushel $ 22
600 pounds line fibre at 33c 11)8
400 pounds tow and pulling at 1 He 60
Total $280
The difference between the $2S0 and the $11)8 above, or $88,
represents the profit per acre from No. 1 straw.
The following table of costs is submitted by Colonel Bartram
as an estimate for retting In running water, and storing and
handling the flax In connection with the operation. The basis
of the estimate is per ton of deseeded straw:
Bundling $ 1.00
Drawing to crates 40
Filling crates 60
Lifting from crates 85
Drawing to field 60
Setting up In field (wigwaming) 1.80
Turning 70
Drawing in and storing 90
Total $6.85
There may be some variation, says Colonel Bartram, due to
Veather aad other conditions, but, speaking generally, these costs
aro considered accurate for river retting in crates In Ontario, and
U is believed the expense In Oregon will work out at about the
amo figure.
JlllllilH'i ""HIIIIIIHI
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