Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, OCT. 6, 1896. More Reasons.

Manawatu Herald, 6 October 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, OCT. 6, 1896. More Reasons.

We are glad to record the triumph, though only a partial one, of those who have urged the appointment of a flax expert to visit the Old Country, which the admission of the Government that such an appointment is worthy of some State assietance proves. The position cannot remain as it is, for an expert is required, and more reasons why he should be appointed appear yet necessary. We are pleased to notice a contemporary has published a good many reasons that will probably bear fruit in due season, but we do not see that that should be any reason for our not making our contention stronger. We have only to call our readers attention to what has been done in the past to show where the opposition arises at the present time, and we regret to state that the inevitable middleman looms up largely, in this, as in every case where tha interests of producers and consumers arise. During the boom of the flax trade various indeed were the experiences of millers, for when flax was in demand any quality was greedily bought;, and advances were pushed upon the manufacturer. When prices fell the miller experienced very different treatment, and the merchants were unwilling to accept the balance of contracts of the same quality of fibre hitherto sent, and many a long battle has been fought to get a fair settlement. We happen to know as a fact that a local miller whose flax had been accepted for some time, as up to sample at the time the contract was made, had many bales rejected as of inferior quality, though not so, towards the close of the contract, as prices had fallen elsewhere. This might have been open to doubt had not one or two of the rejected bales been kept in store, and prices having risen, the buyer desired to enter into a further contract. He was shown a rejected bale, rejeoted by himself, but he overlooked the fact, and was asked if such a sample would do, when he replied, " Certainly, that is a very good aample 1" This is a fair instance of the troubles of the miller, but many others can be cited. Here is another instance : It ia known that the merchants employed various gentlemen to pass the flax for them, men who were not compelled to keep from dealing themselves, and it has been knoWn that these graders have rejected flax, for the merchants, and yet have wired up to the miller to buy it on their own account at a few shillings per ton less. These little oddities in business arrangements worried the millers not a little until they formed an Association and approached the Government to appoint a grader on behalf of the colony, so that his certificate could be accepted by the consumers without the interference of the middleman. This was an attempt to secure the possibility of selling in the Home market on a fixed grade, and thus allowing the miller to draw his cash for the fibre on the same being shipped. Did anyone oppose this plain dealing ? Of course some did, almo it the same men who now object to the appointment of an expert, as certain merchants waited upon the Government and urged their refusal. They were successful, and the Association had to appoint a grader of their own. This naturally did not carry the weight 'such as a Government appointment would have, and thus was only partial successful, yet the millers found that so many objections were not made or upheld as before. If you come to look at the matter in a purely business light, the objection of the middlemen was only what might be expected, but with a Government professing their horror of middlemen, it is somewhat singular to find so much attention paid to protests, and so little enquiry into their reasons for making such objections. The millers understand all this, and wish devoutly the Government could be made to. Men who objected to a grader were likely to object to an expert. The millers proved, though partially, the value of a grader, and the Government have thus a sure foundation to give their request for an expert a fair trial at tha colony's expense.