Manamatu Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 1890. Difference of Opinion.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 14 March 1890, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 1890. Difference of Opinion.

» " Fifteen months ago, tlio landowue 's were troubled how the weed Phormium Tcnax was to be cleared off their property. When labaur'

was cheap it was employed in cutting 101 l g wide B«t through the i s ank g*owt!l> in- the hop 3 that when thie had dried, the fire might spread through the standing flax. Do we see owners at this now '? If this is not being carried out, it I* evident that the owners suppose the possession of this p'anfc is of move value to" them than its destruction. The past few months liowever is tiit 6uly period they Uav£ hiy.\ ior their observation AVld It is to be doubted whether the experience obtained has be sufficiently trustworthy. Swamp land, oo 1 verted with flax WaS obUiilable at 20s an 'a'cre> Md it was a question whether t\us was not an exorbitant price to pay for such laud, considering the expenses necessary to be incurred before the swamp was drained, cleared, fenced, aud laid down in grass. At the utmost, the rent fioni such land for grazing would not re turn more than 20s an acrej and the coat with the first outlay for the land Would be nearer 60s. thAn any lesser sum. Pairing this view of the matter fins owners readily embraced any offer, made fifteen months ago, that secured them one shilling a ton on the material, as that represented some 25 tons to the acre, which leproduced its crop every diree years, and thus should give the landlord a rental of 8s an acre on laud wor'h 20s. If we are near correct;, it will be seen that the sale of the crop, nature had provided, paid better than a crop prepared by man, aud entailed less locking np of capital. Wo may woudor why such avaricionsness has been since displayed in the demand for tithes ranging from 3s to 7s a ton for this same material ? The answer is however very simple, the land owners are not to be bl'med, as at the start they accepted the fair value for the crop, bu it was the action of the millers which raisud the prices These persons smarting their mills at a time when priesc -s rued exceedingly high in the 1 ond mi market, they imagined that as long as they conld get flax, at any price, their fortunes would be nude. As a, consequence th'-y outbid one another, and all the flax owners had t * do. was to accept the price offered them. It is then evidout that there has been no real test of the value, by the ordinary trade principle of supply and demand, the demand hiving been the largest. This however is no real test, and it has ended as all inflated values must end, by the millers finding thej'-have made foolish bargains. As, however, the flax dressing industry is far reaching in its value, and by the employment of a large number of persons, causes a greater consumption of all that a farmer produces, and apart irom the returns fruni a waste growth, is of much consequence to the farmer and district. The fact having become apparent, that too much, in nearly every shape, has bnen paid by the miller, it becomes necessary on the part of those engaged in the pursuit to decrease their outlay in every possible way. As, in this case, the objection cannot be made that the millers are trying to obtaia everythirg for themsolves, it seems only fair that thefta^ owners should meet the depression in a liberal spirit, and make such reductions as will allow the mills to be kept running. As our flax owners have the reputation of being far sighted and good business men, we feel convinced that when the millers lay the facts before thorn, the industy will not be crippled through any aot of theirs.