Hempmillers Association.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 13 May 1890, Page 2

Hempmillers Association.

, : The" members of the above Association held a meeting at Mr McMillan's old store yesterday .morning, at 10.80 a.m. Pre ent : — Messrs R. Gardner (Cluarman), W. G. Robinson .(Sec retafy), J.'R McMillan, J. Carter, J. Ruwssll, T. P. Williama, B Spelmaa, F. Jouks, H. F. Davidson, J. Stuart, R. Austin, and E. Osborne. Th.c minutes of the previous mettinu; were read and confirmed. Sji»p inward correspondence was read. Vn the conclusion of the correspondence Mr Gardner said h« wou'd like to draw attention to an article in the 3.Z. .Tunes, of fast -week, on Flaxmillers Associations. This paper had previously aid very hard things on the millers of this district, and again it had given them a slap in the fare when it .rnentione! "we i ho.e.thia action of the uckl nders j wi 1 resuscitate' the Association that was formed, but j merely came to birth in the Manawatu, boxton, and Rungitikei Districts " H»- thought it was a very unfair s atement. Since last meeting he had n ■> rise in the price of flicx to report. The English i Brokers had advanced various reasons for tb* low price ruling at Home, but it appeared to be mostly owing to the luck of Am ricm demands. What we have done as a Society since we last met has been noted in the Press. Unfortunately the Com mittee appointed to visit 'Wellington to interview the Premier, the Ship* pmg Companies, and the Ciambor o Commerce, was not so l>nge as it was hoped it would hava been some of the m-mbers were unavoidably de tamed by sickness imfl business. The Premier very court ous y met hem and a'gr ed to put £10,000 ou the es' titnatos for improved "flax-machinery. At the hamber of Commerce Mr Duncan took upon hmseif to tell us that we might anticipate a speedy reduction in freights (this has taken place). It wa- not genera ly understood that fVfvy pound a tou reduc 1 fion obtained in putting the fibre iuto the English Market tneaut £150 per stripper per year to th«. miller. The aniount sa*ed in freight thus meant £7- r > a year, and this wa to be attributed to the 'action of your Co limit tee. He was excefdhgly pained to hear that contracts hsi'l b.-eu taken to aup.p y flax at as low a price as £'14 5s (M a ton in Fbxtui. His reason for specially mentioning this was to ask the mil ers whether, in accepting this pricf, they had considered that in agreeing to execute orders at such a price, liow it wouid affect thems Ives, and how it would affect the whole in iustry, and how it wil> affect the chaice of getting higher prices in the futur-. He. would like to kn w h w the nbr • can be produced at less than £14 IBs Od per ton ? He held that any One who takes a price, at ess than £17 is doing a hurt to the trade. Me knew that prices w uld be higher if mi lers were uot to s*-U too tow. H« desired to get •an arrangement as to the minimum price. The cause of the late advance i i the ptice of flax was owing to the action of th-» American ri.ig which bought up all . fibres when low, and afiersvards retailed them out at higher priesc s later on. He felt c^rta nth -t the present buyers \ Ye Aoieriraus, and that the ring is endeavouring- to us- the same tactics ngain this year, but that our fibre having- gained a name >hey are ipc'udiujj it in their purcha <?«. He bf'ieved it pe:.ter to havo the ruills «hut up than to ac cept a uon-paya le price. The next subject it would be noticed wa-> t ■» offer of freights. We hid been guaranteed tuuuage, pro yided the mhlfrs would find a certain ! quantity with despatch, and they j could manage to raise a cash credit of £12000. •nother scheme ho h \A to pro pose was, that they sh -u'd form a com any. and in AWlliugt -n undertake the whole business of tliis district and the Wah^rapa. The onr p ny would rec«ive a 1 flax in Wei* lington, «'la sify it, open out the bale* ; n,i.d the Government should appoint on offict.r as a cl issifier. They would th^n rebale and ship tho flax and have each class distinctly marked. Convspon 'ing gra les wou d bo he d at Home, nml wo j eonl'd' dopond on iho < m ra os beinjf ' always 'auch as stated Tho company w uld ship aud make a corre.s- . "ponding ad.auce. and also havo! iheir owa broker nt Howr. Th«» ,

ktitit would be met by the company doing theSr tfvm difmping, weighi g Ac., and the charge 1 ? saved would cover all costs of rebaling. Baling here would not need to be done so 3tfrefuJly. ' There would also be the saving 1 it prices obtained 'iy buy< rs knowing for a cortftinty the class of flax, which is n<»w loßt by a discount always being usade for risk of what the bales may turn out. If this could be done the industry would be more «ecu e'y established. It mis;h{; be thought thar. this was a big s-heme and cdiild not be worked, but he had t/iought a deal Hittut it and thought it could be. Capital TTO»ld be wanted, but the millers would se 1 • cure an advance on the fibre, and not 9n the man, as was now done. Mr Russe 1 aaid that he had noticed from the- reports of the Brokers, that the tail ends being loft on the fibre was not of much con* sequenev, as it wa< stated the people at Hoire could trim them belter and cheaper. Mr Williams said it was very odd that a year ago when all the millers were " new chums ' at tho businesa and th« flax was not turned out so well as was now, it was taken without objection, but diraotly on the fall in the p ice of Mannla was the i outcry raised. | Mv Caiter said he understood :that the very white fibre was not whit was wanted. Mr Gardner stated that he had rceived a letter from a ropemaker who w> ote that he was prepare 1 to gh*9 alinosl any price for we I pre. pared fibre Mr Russe'l said he thought there was a good deal in the scheme pro* po--ed by Mr Gardner. The ouly thing that appeared against it, wa«* the uncertainty of the permanency jof the trade. It would appear .d.Diablo to embody Mr Garduer'3 proposal in a printed circular, and obtain the opinion of the millers in Kangitikei and e'sewhero on it Mr Carter thought it would be a good thiug to form a company. Mr McMillan fear a difficulty in obtaining an squal gra'le throuhout the Co ouy. Mr Gardner remarked that he was executing an order for which he was receiving £17 10s a ton for. He moved and Mr Russell seconded. . The Flax Millers Association re* solve that as the minimum price a f which if. will pay to produce flax at the present time is £16 per ton f.o.b. at Fox ton, members of the As so iation do not aell at less than that prioe. This resolution not to apply to iniflei'B who have ent-rod into contrasts, till then contracts are completed. — Carried. Mr Russell moved, " That the Chairman bo requested t» prepare a Bch«-m« for tha formation of a company to grade fla\ and dispose of, or advance on, the consignments from Wellington This to b« sub* initted to a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs Robinson, Williams, Me Milian, Austin, and the mover. That the subcommittee have power to call a special tueet ng of the Association a soon after a 4 possible. , This be ng seconded by Mr McMil* lan it w s put to the meeting and carried. The meeting then adjourned.