THE MANAWATU

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 149, 19 March 1921, Page 10

THE MANAWATU

FARMING TOPICS FLAX INDUSTRY IN BAD WAY $ (From Our Own Correspondent!) Palmerston North, March 18. Although the weather has been dry and warm for the greater part of the week, some nice showers fell during Thursday night, and' the pastures are looking fairly well, so that at present there is not much shortage of feed except in cases where land has been overstocked. Milk is still coming in well at the factories, and a good deal of butter is being turned out, but cheese-making has almost stopped. Owing to the retail price of milk having been raised to Bd. per quart, the question of securing a regular supply for the town was brought up at the last meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council, with a view to that body securing the control of milk vending in the town. The matter was referred to a committee, which will make inquiries as to the system adopted in Wellington. It is understood that a good deal of winter milking will be undertaken in the Koputaroa district, where the practice was found to be profitable last winter. This district has now quite a number of small dairy farms, all of which aro looking well, and they should have an even better season than the}’ had last winter.

The question of afforestation of sand dunes was brought up at the meeting of the Manawatu A. and P. Association this week, and it was decided to ask the Prime Minister to place a sum of .£5OOO on tho Estimates for tree planting. The flax industry in the Manawatu is at present in rather an unfortunate position owing to the depression in the flax and tow markets and the higih rate of freights. Several of the Foxton mills have discharged their cutters, and are closing down for the season, and other mills in the Manawatu are likely to cease operations after the Easier holidays. It is stated that quite a thousand hands will be affected. It is evident, with the high prices now ruling for freights and the -low ,prices offered for the finished article, that fl axm.il ling is by no means a profitable undertaking, and there is some doubt as to whether the mills will open again at tho usual time. Flaxmillers state that if matters do not improve, the question of readjusting wages will have to be seriously considered before the mills start work again.

An intimation was received this week by the Manawatu A. and P. Association from the Department of Agriculture to the effect that a vessel sailing for Monte Video would, leave about the end of March provided sufficient inducement offered. Mr. M. A. Eliott expressed the opinion that the letter should not be allowed to pass without a protest against tho exorbitantly high freight rates. The figures quoted were absolutely prohibitive, and the same thing applied to every form of export produce. At the present time it cost £l5 to kill, freeze, and ship an ox to London, and although a wether carcass was worth 355.. in England it cost 17s. 6d. to get it there. He realised that the Government was making every effort to got freights reduced, but he was of opinion that it would be wise still further to -urge them in that direction. It was pointed out that before the war flax was conveyed at £2 10s. per ton, but now the freight had risen to about £l5 per ton, while the prices for flax had dropped almost below paying point. It was resolved to adopt Mr. Eliott's suggestion and communicate with the Minister on the matter. The matter of importing from outside the Dominion judges for agricultural shows was discussed at the last meeting of the A. and P. Association. It was pointed out that it was not advisable to have a judge who might also lie a breeder, and who might bo called iipon judge the progeny of stock which he himself had raised. In the United States and Canada judges were appointed, from outside those countries, and the same principle was now being acted upon at some of the Australian shows. A speaker said that no one association could stand the expense of bringing in a capable judge from outside, but the matter was worth consideration with a view to getting the scheme adopted by combination of some of the larger societies. No action was taken.