Hempmiller's Association.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 8 July 1890, Page 2

Hempmiller's Association.

— — ♦ MONDAY 7th JULY. Pbesent:— Messrs R. Gardner (chairman) W. G. Robinson, J Russell, I H. Davidson, \V. U Uoe, T. Lind, Greig. J. R. McMillan, R. Austin, T. P. Williams, and Yanko. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence read, from Mr Potter. Auckland, re his new machine. From J. G. Wilson M. H. R. re bouuo, asking for suggestion as to how the offer or conditions should be pub islied or two whom given. Mr GarJner said, it is 2 months siuce we last met. I think that we should imet regularly oucea month. Since we met iast there have b«en very few improvements in flaxdres sing machinery. Me.-srs Johston & i o. informed me that they wanted £32 tor Bull's machine with a royalty ami rent. We have had nothing before us to prove it is as stated. A Mr McLeod hid prepared an improved mouth-piece 1 think the Association shou'-d writw to all these parties asking them to send a sample machine to try. There seemed to be a probability of the duty being taken off the import of our fibre in America. There was a letter published from Morrison & Co in whioh they stated that until they had more assured data they would not be inclined to buy. The fibre complained of was undoubtedly f.a.q. when shipped, but the price had f .lien when the fibre arrived at Home. (The. reports on flax in London for the past month were gone into). The Agent-General driws attention lo the Manila market, showing h >w curious the price should drop, when the ex port had dropped nearly 80,000

Does it not seem very stran g e with quotation of £16 in LondSn we hare an American buyer at £16 m Wellington. (A miller stated here that he was getting £l 6 l Os in Wellington). The price in London is so low owing to the Americans abgunning from buying; in that market. If you take the price at Home as £17 and buyers pay all charge, at £3 io« equals £20 10. in America "hi? Wing here at £16 and D viMg U for freight, they are get:. , „ ;,, ded at^andtherefor^u^'beS Ihe ouyers are so united that they can do as they like by buying through one firm. Should not this be a leV son to us. We are the creatures of the buyers. The scheme I «kall propose to day, will help, if accepted, to do something for us in keeping up prices. r s *• You will have notice dt hat the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce said that the figures of the export show that in the whole of last year we only sold 18,000 tons, whereas the last lix months 15,000 tons have already gone. The output m«st be going up, aa in this district in May we had only 2i (trippers at work, whilst now there are 45 At Raglan in Auckland a meeting was held the other day, and the chairman reported that complaints came from all parts, that the flax was not uniform, and that buyers did not take kindly to flax. Mr Wood a large buyer of flax, had told the chairman, that owing to the uncertainty of quality they discounted their purchase by £5 to £6 a ton their proposals for a company very much resembled those we had shadowed out. The question comes can we form a Grading Company ? I prO p OB9 tbe following scheme:—. The Co-operative Hemp Grading »nd Pinanc. Company of ffew zJ If™ mifced - Incorporated uud<r ' The Compmyi Act, 1882 » Capi-tal-£50,000, in 10,000 share, of £5 each, payable a.Jfollows 2/6 per share on application, 2/6 per share on allotment, and the balance in calls not exceeding 6/- per share at intervals of not less than one month each. It J8 not preposed to call up any large proportion of the capital, as the intention is to work the business on purely economic, co-operative lines. And it is expected that £1 per share will meet all pos.ible requirement!, ihe company it formed became of the imperative necessity now existing among3t hempmillers to protect their common interests During the past six months they hare Been ihe mduatry made the shuttlecock of speculator, and merchants whose only object has been to make large profits out of N.Z. hemp, utterly regardless alike of the interest of the manufacturers or the permanence of the industry. The effect has been the closing of many mills, and the comparaive ruin of a number of millers. The objects of the company will be :— a. To combine the whole of the hempmillers in the Wellington and other Provincial Districts into one large co- operation, having a common interest in the protection of the industry against unfair prices, and the improvement of the quality of the fibre and its method of manufacture : b To receive from miller, and others hemp of all qualities to grade such hemp into certain stan dard qualities and after such grading to submit same for sale or export to other countries as may be deemed advisable : c To purchase or mak« advances upon any bemp that m<y be sent into the company for gradiug or otherwise ; d To extend the working of the company in »ny direction which in the opiaion of the directors may prove valuable to its shareholders ; c To confine the advantage of the company exclusively to its shareholders. The advantages of a combination of hempmillers in such a company as this are manifold. The grading of the hemp will give a standard value to every bale bearing the company's brand. It will prevent all uncertainty as to quality. It will enable the company to make larger and more improved advances on hemp than are now obtainable from merchants. The saving, in commissions a one will be gr^at, and through havini; the quantity that will pass through their hands they will be iible to make favourable terms tor freights that no iso ated miller can obtain ; a:id by having the grades registered in Europe and America sales will I.c effected from there by cable aud executed without any fear of reclamation, and with the element of uncertainty gone, the prices offered will be much greater. Attache hereto is a memorandum giving full details as to the working of a number of points of interest. When 2000 ( shares have been subscribed the company will be incorporated. Ap' piiiatiou of shares will be confined to mill owners and those directly conuccted with the industry. It being intended to make the undertaking purely cooperative. Applications mny bt made to either of the provi.ional directors or the acting secretary. He also give some other paiticn* lars which are not advisable to publish. After discussion it was resolved, That Messrs Russell, Grei<?, McMillan, Williams, Austin, and the chair, man be a subcommittee to look over the proposed rules to fo m a gruding company and to have power to take neeesuary vtspi to toxm j»n«rapany,

Mr Wilson's letter was left iv the hands of the subcommittee.