"Out of His Own Mouth."

Manawatu Herald, 17 October 1896, Page 2

"Out of His Own Mouth."

It has been shown beyond dispute that the flax industry to the labourer ia of more valife than any other industry, as it requires in its process more labour than capital to prepare it for market. The immense value of it is also recorded in the Government returns. We have j ust received a full text of the speech made by the Premier at the opening of the Timber Conference in July, and therefrom extract certain remarks which have now a strange sound after his Go* vernment have arrived at a decision that £250 is all that is sufficient for them to find to assist the flax industry. The Conference was composed of 75 representatives, and what with their expenses, the cost of advertising and printing must even in this have run away with more money than the paltry sum offered to the flaxmillers. Bat we also know that the Government gave concessions of half-freights in sending timber Home, and also purchased timber and sent it Home on their own account. They also engaged a timber expert. All this expense has been entered into to assist a colonial industry to compete with the forests of America and the Baltic, and thus is on all fours with the desire our flaxmillers have expressed to be placed in a position to compete with the manilla and sisal fibres To the sawmillers the Premier holds out every encouragement and assistance, in spice of foreign competition ; but to the flaxmillers he urges the hopelessness of the struggle, and suggests they should find the coit of an expert for themselves We do not mean to say the reason is to be found in the fact that capital is more allied to sawmillers than it is to flaxmillers, but it has a certain appearance that way. We intend to make a long story short by quoting from the Premier's speech, so that those who run may read the startling difference made between sawmiller and flaxmiller by a people's Govern ment : —

•• Why, they have gone on year after year, large sums of money have passed through their hands it is true, they have out millions and millions of feet of timber ; but so far act they are concerned, there was no margin of profit left, and I have found them very little better off to-day than when I knew them years ago." (Instead of millions of feet read tons of fibre and the case of the flaxmiller is accurately described.) . "It is wrong to the millers, it is wrong to the State, and the State has not been getting that value that it should."

" Gentlemen, the remedy is, as you are engaged in trade, as your capital is sunk in it, you must have foreign markets : that is the answer. . . Well, my experience through life has been this : That what is everybody's concern, is no one's concern, and if you trust to everybody, you will find yourselves that no one is doing anything— that is my experience!" In speaking about the failure of the Government shipments of timber Home, Mr Seddon said—" Well, mind you, I do not objner, to that, because it poidts odfc to nic this : That if the Government and all engaged co-operate together, th^n ah will have a corresponding advantage. Now is the opportunity ; you are all here, and the Government desire* to have your hearty cooperation. Indicate to the Government how you can be assisted, and I assure you there will be nothing wanting on the part of the Government to help yourselves." (Brave Words these, but the pity is they should only have been addressed to sawmillers.)