FLAXMILLING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 450, 8 March 1909, Page 2

FLAXMILLING.

TOKOMARU BUSY. Near Tokomaru recently (writes our travelling correspondent), I heard the harsh 'Buzzing of the strippers in the flaxmills. I was tlio more surprised as I had been under tlio impression that all the mills had closed down on account of the state of the hemp market. But all the mills—and I think there are six or seven in Tokomaru —are going for full time, and some are working both day and night. I was told that there has been such a splendid growth of leaf that the mills have to work every available hour in order to copo with the immense supply of the raw material. For tho flaxmiller, as well as for the farmer, the season has been most favourable. Really, it makes ono feel ill when one reads in the papers about tho bad tiilies we are having. Go whero you may in tho country, you will seo on all sides the opposite of bad times: Take tho sheep farmer. Hasn't _ho good cause to be satisfied? His wool is worth a good price again, and sheep aro at a paying price. Tho cropping farmer certainly has growled because chaff and oats will be cheaper than they were in the last year or two; still tlio increased yields will in some measure - bo 11 set-oft'. The dairy farmer is tho man who at present is at the top of the tree. Ho certainly is overjoyed with the times ho is experiencing. Tile man 011 land who is contributing over three-quarters of tho conntry's exports is doing all right. There aro some (iaxmillers also who, in spite of tho low prico of hemp, aro still running their mills at a profit—perhaps not so largo as previously, but at anviato the prico of tho finished article is good enough for them to keep 011 working. The Tokomaru millers mostly own the land from which tho leaf is taken*, 'l'liey were 111011 far-seeing enough in tho earlier days of the industry to purchase the lands at a reasonable prico, and tlio re-, suit is that, they have 110 royalty to pay.-' They are in a much more favourable case' than those millers who have to buy all the llax they require, and consequently cannot carry 011 at a profit.