Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 29, 1896. The Flax Trade.

Manawatu Herald, 29 September 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 29, 1896. The Flax Trade.

We much regret the appearance of the subleader under the above title in Friday night's Post, as it i 3 not in keeping with the general excellence of the articles appearing in that paper. The article has been penned from most incorrect data, and ag it reflects upon the good faith of our townsmen, and also on the two gentlemen who visited Foxton, it is but right that we should notice it. The admission that other industries have benefitted by tha appointment of experts makes the Poet's objection to the appointment of one for the flax trade very peculiar, as the extract from a Trade Review, and even the totally mistaken idea of the character of the agitation for the appointment of one, is not sufficient to justify its opposition to this concession being granted to a large and important industry. The suggestion for the appointment of an expert in connection with the flax trado is the natural outcome of tha various experts already appointed by the Government, all opposed prior to appointment by various persons interested in each particular trad?, for their own private reasons. To successfully establish an agitation, someone oc other must necessarily commence, and it might perhaps be hard to mark the actual originator, but there is no doubt that after the start Mr John Holmes has done yeoman service in keeping the public well posted up in this question. Whether he is to be blamed or praised is a matter to be determined by those who approve or condemn the movement; for ourselves, we have admitted that he has satisfactorily shown the possibilities of an expert being able to do much, and to our mind is entitled to credit. We might remind our contemporary that some three years ago the Premier publicly stated his faith in an expert, as he told his Foxton audience that Mr Lee- Smith was specially in Btructed to give flax his best attention when in Canada, America, and England, which he hoped would result in much profit. We have often mentioned that up to now Mr Lee-Smith has never reported. After this can any reasonable man object to those interested in the flax industry displaying more than partial attention as to who the next expert shall be, if there is one? This i? only what the meeting at Foxton did. Whenever any opposition is raised, it is unfortunate that personalities should ba introduced, and the suggestions that Messrs Holmes and Haggen attended at Foxton simply to take an active part in which one was to benefit is moat unfair. I* is public property that a large requisition waa seat to Wellington long before the meeting took place, and it waa not until the Minister's unsatisfactory reply was received that a meeting was determined upon. A meeting to be of value required some one who could place facts and figures interestingly before it, and so it was determined to invite Messrs Holmes and Haggen to attend. The suggestion that this meeting was- a sort of hole-and-corner one is refuted by the fact that at least half a-dozen members of Parliament were invited to attend, and amongst the audience was Mr Eellow, a candidate for the representation of this electorate in Parliament. Messrs Holmes and Haggen, knowing this, must be credited with a very large amount of assurance if, under these circum*

stanoes, they thought they would be able to do as they pleased. Anyone is at liberty to write What he pleases about the meeting, and if the Post's correspondent should happen to be right about the actual number of flaxinillers present at it, it Would be proof that he Was present, and it sounds odd that with the strong feeling he held against the prpeeed* ingß) prompting him to write in such a strain", he should have failed to make his dissent shown in any manner at tbe meeting. That not a single objection Was made to any of the resolutions proposed we can affirm, on the contrary, they all met with a most enthusiastic approval, and were proposed and seconded by well known business men. It is admitted that the meeting was held on the 11th October, yet no objection has been publicly made to any of the proceedings until last Friday, the 25th. The petition to the Minister has been signed by a large number of influential Wellington business men, and it looks peculiar that the attempt to depreciate the value of the Foxton meeting should only have been made on the night prior to the day it was known the Cabinet were going to take the question of the appointment of an expert into consideration. The bare statement that there wci'e only so many flaxmillers in the hall at the meeting We cannot accept, nor is it necessary to discuss, as no meeting of purely flaxmillers, that is, owners of mills, could ever be large. The meeting wa3 a large one, and was of tho3e who were invited, namely, all who were interested in the flax trade, and it must be evident that a very large number beyond millers are included in this heading. We again repeat what we said at the conclusion of the meeting, that Messrs Holmes and Haggen deserved the best thanli3 of the audience for their presence, and that Mr Holmes succeeded in showing that an exp?rt would be likely to be of value to the trade, at anyrate he could do no harm and might be likely to do muoh good, and that the interests involved were entitled to the experiment being tried.