THE FLAX CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 461, 20 March 1909, Page 10

THE FLAX CRISIS.

Sir,' —Wo regret that Mr. Greig appears, ■'according'to your issue of tho ,16th instant, to be unwilling to avail himself of the offer We made as to a .practical demonstration in up-to-date, millingA There did not appear to be anything specially.naive in' tho ono condition we attached. In Mr. Greig's original offer, he offered to forfeit £25 if wo could perforin certain impossible'.feats; ouij reply was to ;suggast a modification of these at a cost to Mr. Greig of labour only, .and an added bonus equal to the value oft"® greon leaf required to produce-' the difference between eight, tons of libro and Mr. Greig's average, output.- ■ _ •' . With regard to Mr. Greig's assertion that tho estimates so , "carefully compiled' are drawn from rioji-oxistent books owned by an imaginary miller, we can only ise this as sheer nonsense. ' We credit Mr: Greig'' with believing that our deputation went down with the sot intent and purpose of deceiving \ the Minister, but he might at least allow us to bo _ somewhat jess, clumsy conspirators than: his latest utterances would ' imply.'■ Mr.. Hogg , has tho miller's name, which is in itself a sufficient guarantee of his bona iides. In this connection, it may interest Mr. Greig to learn that Messrs; Broad and Reeves had occasion recently to keep separate, and carefully weigh,: a week's ; .foutput at ono .of,, their, mills. -The' fibre- obtained was. 7. tons .lo cwt., and this, without any special olfort of any, .' kind. Their other mill (fed by u 'man'who-has'only''just returned to the in-dustry-after 1 a year's absence) 7 tons lcwt. 'in the same itime. ' The. fact as, that the''difference between, a 6-tori and an 8-ton weekly output is the difference between efficiency, and inefficiency, on'the part of a manager and staff. , ; ; Mr. Greig attacks the-present policy of the union management, and : protests the association's earnest desiro- fori conciliation and compromiso. ■ The ■ greatest stumbling block that the inillors -have had in dealing with 'the , man lis no less than Mr. Greig himself; who has,'/by his misleading statements, completely estranged the sympathies of the reasonable , : and moderate thinking workers,; to ; whom he refers in his letter tinder, reply. : ' It is' Worthy of . note, at this stage of affairs, that; Mr. Alfred Seifert, of Miranui, has publicly declared _ himself in favour of, a.''Royal Commission into whole indus-try.-rl"am, ptc., : . ■ v -• V '' PERCY T. ROBINSON. Secretary; Manawatu Flasmill - Employees' Union. . ••• _ ■■ ' . ■' , Boston,- March; I".' N .. <