CO129-263 - Acting Governor Barker Governor Sir Robinson - 1894 [5-8] — Page 602

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The plant is capable of yielding a larger percentage of fibre than is at present obtained, viz., 4 per cent. It is fully expected it will yield 5 per cent. The invention of a machine that will obviate the great waste that is now incurred is becoming a matter of such urgency that there can be little doubt that the want will ere long be supplied. This is the opinion of Mr. J. Rae, and it is fully confirmed by Mr. Vonroe. It is certain that immense strides have been made in this direction already. The test work done in the Babaassu by Death's machine was superior to that done here. It was 150 pounds per nine hours with one man as an operator.

But there is a machine now on view in New York of the simplest construction, which can be worked by a boy of 13 who can learn to manage it in one day, and which has produced in the presence of unimpeachable witnesses good dry fibre at the rate of 337 pounds per day of nine hours. The waste in this case was almost nil. One young man, who was a novice at the business, worked the machine, and it was going at little more than half speed. The maker of this machine claims that he can turn out little short of the above amount per day with a machine driven at full speed and an expert hand feeding it.

There is yet another machine at Baltimore which nearly resembles and perhaps may be the one I have mentioned in the earlier part of this article for which far greater results are claimed. The maker of this machine asserts that he can turn out about 2,400 pounds per nine hours. This machine requires two men and a boy as operators, and it appears to be easily managed.