Manamatu Herald. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1890. Tomorrow's Meeting.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 21 February 1890, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1890. Tomorrow's Meeting.

. #^with;^& asxiaty tliat^we aw*lt th« obtcoine or-the meeting of hemp n^llers-convened for tomorrow night. Tjis pjopoW qf a coifer* ence i* ao iew tiling, it haying been made at th© cQramencement oi last fajflet,; because; j;«rery miller imagined that he had struck » "Golconda," and hasted" to be rich. Now, though the experience gained has shown that flaxdrejglng, is • profitable industry, it has also taught the millers that there is not §p rnuoh in it as they first expected, and that the cost of a plant was' far b'»yond their expectation, and that iihfi cost of producing the finished artiole i» al*o more, by three or four pounds a ton, than that on which tlaey first based their calculations. Up to within a fortnight ago, ©very 'thing was being carried on in a most satisfactory manner, agents and others went flying over the district to buy the hemp, and often outbid one another to obtain it ; till, all of a sudden, a small ooterie declare that no more orders -were to be had, and that no advances at anything like old rates would bo made. The millers met the news in a proper business way, by either stopping work entirely or reducing the output, and thus confronted the speculator in his own fashion, by not supplying what he did not want. We hare said all along that we had little faith in this statement of inability to buy, but we are glad to notice that there has been no pandering to monopolists. As, however, there may be a certain amount of foundation for the statement that Wellington flax is hard of stale, on account of its quality, it is well if the millers meet together and so endeavour to reduce the cost of dressing the raw material that they may be enabled to bestow more care at the s*tne expense This would mean establishing the trade on a much sounder footing. There is so much that might be accomplished by unity amongst the trade in this district, that to enumerate only a portion takes up much space, and we cannot pretend to do more than outline them. First we hare the old story of the freights, which dur-, ing the " spot " sales have "been entirely lost sight of, and it will he news to many millers to learu that the shipping companies have again added the twenty shillings a ton, which was taken of? some time after the first of these meetings were held. It will be obvious to every miller that, though he has sold his produoe during the past few months at a good figure, he has, by his inattention to his own busiatii, lost just thil one pound a tonj on. every ton he has sold, and how much, that is each man oan reckon for himself, but to the district at large it means thousands. It will also be patent that the trade has introduced 11 hands " from all parts, and though, as is always the ease, there are a number of respectable men pursuing the trade, yefc it is most undeniable flaxmill hand are as a rule, a most undesirable introduction, being a most unthrifty lot, who spend their earnings in riot and debauchery. It becomes therefore desirable that some effort should now be made whereby a weeding of the worst might be made, but so long as one mill is ready to take the men discharged from a neighbouring mill, without enquiry, nothing can be done. We believe that the better olass of labourers would be only too pleased to aid any such movement aa this, as it would tend to remove the stigma that at; Jpresenp . attaches to their calling, and would enable them to live more pleasantly and decently. The miller by these tactios would also find immediate bene» fit, as he would get around him respectable and trustworthy men, and his work * would be properly and carefully executed. In no other work are " hands " employed with* out reference as to their past behaviour. Also, at times like the present, when parties choose to assert their right not to buy, does the miller, feel his , inability to help himself. He has' his mill to attend to, his flax to dress, and so has fallen . into the believe that it was Bomebocfy else's interest to find a market for it. Just so, and nowie pwakens to the knowledge that 'those who find a market wont well p»ying :i for , their trouble Aa association .is; th^%. very institution needed- in -this very case, where the miller is practically unable to do two things atonce, and, as in all bttiinemtJ, iht Iwfgw th« trade, &• let

the charges demanded, points to the sotting up of an agency by the millers, and having their own arrangements for sale of their produce. This has been found most profitable down South, where the farmers fctfmed an association for the sale of their gfain, and it certainly appears to be beyond question advisable for the hemp trade. A properly worked association would not only secure putside reliable information from London, but would also hunt up other markets, and would also pursue en* quiriea as to the uses it is now put to. The office would be a flax millers exchange, where business could be transacted, and all matters relating to the trade could be available. The cost of running such a convenience need not be considerable, and every pound spent up^ ; it would Be certain to be returited a 1 hundred fold. We knew of no important industry, except . ihia oivhioh we write, but has its own organisation for its own protec-. tion. Such must be altered, and if tlie '< start " that has been given the millers causes them to act promptly and derisively to-morrow night to., organise, then we can truly say, it" has been Very muoh for their gooct, and the temporary loss will prove ultimately to be their solid gain.