THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 448, 5 March 1909, Page 8

THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

; FURTHER DROP IN HEMP PRICES. A NEW STATEMENT OF THE POSITION. Word was received in Palmerston yesterday morning (says The Dominion Palmei'ston correspondent) that a further fall in tho price of hemp of 15s. per ton has taken place, which brings the price of "good fair" down to about' £20 per ton. This will, of course, make tho position still worse. At tho beginning of tho season tho prices were about £23 10s. per ton, and, since then, there has beeii a gradual drop to tho present lowfigures, which (say a mill is turning out 6 tons of fibre per week) means a difference; to the miller ox about £21 per' week. Questioned as to how they considered that this would affect the men, the opinion has boon expressed by millers that tho men will not take lower wages so long as the mills are running. "Tho award fixes a certain rate," said 0110, "and tho men aro not going to tako less while we continue running our mills."

Subsequently, ip the course of a conversation with a " Standard reporter, Mr. G. Seifert said that some of the statements made by Mr. Robinson (secretary for tho Manawatu Elaxmill Employees' Union) to the Hon. A. W. Hogg, Minister for Labour, were misleading. He was prepared to prove that by reference to his books. In the first phrno, he stated, Mr. Robinson based his eanculations on eight tons of dressed fibre per week, whereas it was well known that the average mill only turned out about six tons, or ..even under six tons per week. Then ho also stated that the cost of labour amounted to £8 Bs. per ton, whereas W "was prepared to prove that it cost £12 per ton, including management. About nine years ago, Mr. Seifert continued, , the total cost of the labour, per ton amounted to about £7 12s. 6d, Sinco then, however, there has been a gradual increase until it is now £12. This, of course, applies in particular to bis own mill, which, ho states, is considerably cheaper l to work than the. majority of mills. Therefore the cost of labour olithi^riqs higher still.. Mr. Robinson's statements, referred' to 'by;' Mr. Seifert, wero made at Wellington, . on Saturday, last, when a deputation from the Manawatu Flax Mill Employees' Unioncomprising Messrs. G. S. Whibley (president), P. T. Robinson (secretary), and It. H. Dalhousie —waited on tho Hon.; Mr. Hogg, and handed him some typewritten sheets showing the cost of labour and. royalties on certain Manawatu flax lands.

Tho statements were as follow: —The wages paid when iibro was £11 per ton, as taken from,'the books of a Foxton miller, were: Engine-driver, £3 per week; stripper, keeper, and feeder, £2 Bs. per week; catcher, £1 10s. per week; bench loader, £2 2s. per week; two fly boys, £3 per week; washer, £2 2s. per week; paddocking, at 225. per ton, £.8 165.; scutching and tow at 20s. per ton, £8; tramming and cutting, 60 tons at 6s. per ton, £1S; total labour cost for 8 tons of fibre, £48 18s.; labour cost per ton, £6 2s. 3d., The wages, paid under the award by tho same miller were shown as follow:—Manager, £4 10s.' per ton; feeder, £3; catcher, £2 125.; bench loader, £2 125.; two fly boys, £4 165.; washer, £2 Bs.; rouseabout, £2 25.; driver, £2 10s.; driver, £2 65.; head paddocker, £2 145.; paddocker, £2 Bs.; scutchers (3), £11 Bs.; tramming and,cutting, 60 tons at Bs., £24; total labour cost for . 8 tons of fibre, £67 45.; labour cost per ton, £Bs. Bs. ■