FLAX-MILLING RESUMED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 232, 1 October 1928, Page 4

FLAX-MILLING RESUMED.

LOWER PRICES THIS YEAR

LESSENED OUTPUT

Flaxniillers have again resumed operations for a new season, but although there is now a fairly substantial acreage planted in llax in this province, the receipts into store are so far much below those of the previous season. Two important factors have contributed to this result. One is that the excessive amount of wet weather has interfered with operations, and the other is that the state of the market has not offered an inducement to millers to hurry on with their deliveries. To-day merchants are offering approximately £23 per ton for j low fair, and £26 10/ for high fair, as against £26 and £28 respectively at this time last year. I At the lower rates some of the mills i which are due to pay heavy royalties may not open, but it is expected that several additional mills will start operations once weather conditions have become more favourable. Returns of flax graded at the Auckland stores for*. September 1927 and 1928 have been as follow:— HEMP. J 927. 1928. Bales. Bales. Good fair 16 118 High fair 442 291 Pair 727 27C Common 92 73 Rejected 13 23 Total 1290 781 TOW. Xo. l « r>4 No. 2 274 98 No. 3 64 42 Condemned 4 18 Total. * 348 212 Quality Good. On the question of quality, which was referred to in an article published in these columns recently, a local dealer is emphatic in resenting the suggestion that the New Zealand hemp has retrograded. He states definitely that the fibre sent out to-day is superior to that, marketed from the Dominion in former years. The mill equipments are better, and the grading is more severe, so that the buyer of a particular grade to-day gets a better article than formerly.

MANAWATU CONDITIONS.

Manawatu flaxmills have reopened for the season and the new production of hemp should fee arriving at grading store* in Foxton and Wellington next week, according ,to the "Post." The growing leaf appears to be in very good order, and, in addition, it is understood to be the intention of millers to raise the quality of the fibre in order to remove all cause of complaint by buyers of irregularity in this respect. Quality this year should be above the level of last year. Sorting of the green leaf is expected to be more generally practised than hitherto, and this also should have the effect of eliminating bad "tails." A new washing machine is being tried out in a number of mills, and good results are .anticipated Export valuer, although about '£2 nor ton lower than last season's opening rates, will not prevent most millers sli >ving a small profit, a® the employees ha\\« agreed to a reduction of 10 per cent in wages, which should abput bridge the difference. Overseas demand is not active, according to ,atest reports, but the market is described as steady at present f.o.b. values, which are as follow:—Good fair, £28 per ton: hisrb fair. £28 10/; low fair. £23. low. No. 1, £14; x 0 2 , £12 10'. and these prices are expected to stand until the end of next month.