Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1898. An Object Lesson.

Manawatu Herald, 26 May 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1898. An Object Lesson.

To those who are always urging the government to undertake the duties ' of wholesale merchants and providers into their hands, the few facts which we can give of their inability to secure an approximate value of one of the important industries of this colony, may prove an object lesson of some value. In the year 1890, when the flax trade " boomed " and it was then patent to the veriest outsider how unfitted half the millers were for their work, and how at sea all were as to the value of the material they were producing and the probable continuance of the demand, it was urged that it was a duty owing by the government to lend these millers all the assistance possible, the least being for them to instruct their Agent General to cable at regular intervals reliable quotations. The Premier admitted this and assured the millers that such instructions had been given and would be followed out. For a little time, but for only a little time, faith was placed on the information cabled, bat it soon became apparent that prior to the Agent-General advising a rise in the London hemp market, someone had dona so a few days previously to an agent in the colony, and contracts had been entered into at a disadvantage to the miller. There cannot be a doubt bat that everyone who purchased flax in the years 1890 to 1895, made a great deal more profit out of the business than the hemp»mil!er, and thus we had an example of the middle-man growing fat in the face of the guardianship of the poor man's government. We were one of those who urged the desirability of the Agent-General being directed to send theße flax quotations, and we did so in the hope that some little trouble would have been taken to have got them early and accurate. We, during these years drew atten tion to the ridiculous information despatched, but though the Government was great at professing to be the poor man's friend, they abstained from expending any money on his cause, which could have been done by the employment of an official in London who would have understood trade and its intricacies better than the Agent-General did. Again to-day we have another striking instance of the very little use the Agent-General's office is to the work ing man. We have bad the price of flax going up " by leaps and bounda " but we only get two cables on the subject, the first one of which remarked hemp was firm but there was no demand, the second that a small lot was sold at one price and holders expected to. get another price. Probably, unlesa some one has been kind enough to cable the fact from the colony, the Agent-General has very little idea of the excitement this industry is creating out here. Three weeks ago millers were working on contracts at ten guineas a ton, within a week a buyer came up offering £12 a ton, telegrams followed later from Wellington promising £14, last week a buyer came up who secured con« tracts at £15, and since that £16 has been given. That flax should rise in price from £10 to £16 in three weeks is good for the oolony, but it is undoubtedly very unsatisfactory to the miller who took a contract a fortnight ago at £14 to find had he waited a little longer be would have got £2 a ton more, equalling on the average output of a mill, £12 a week extra profit. Thus from want of organisation amongst themselves, and from an ill-placed trust in the supervision of the government every miller who has not secured the latest price paid for flax is losing a profit of £600 a year, which is too much even to those who have such faith in the Ministers who are now in power. Why we blame the government for their want of action it is but fair to give. They directly promised the hemp-millera that the latest and most reliable quotations as to flax in London should be cabled regularly by the Agent-General. This has not been done, and the government gave no notice that th«v would ignore this industry. Tb^v further promised to secure and publish regularly all statistics as to the fibre market, the stocks held in London and elsewhere. This was done for a few short months and wa9 then snuffed out. Have the millers ever taken the trouble to inquire why ? We doubt if they did, but it is clear this information interfered with the middle-man's profits and their in* fluenoe was possibly used to discourage the government. If they have so wall succeeded in this case, is not a pretty clear index as to how they will succeed in every other attempt the government makes to take the poor man under their protection? A trade competition we hold to be quite right from the traders' point of view, they have the right to make their profits, but it also appears ridiculous to suppose that were the government in earnest to assist the working men that they could not secure the same information aa the merchant! do,

and as early ? We cannot come to any conclusion than that the government say soft words to the workers and action does not follow. This is raiher a grave charge to make against our " professing " government but it appears impossible for them to get away from the charge. Take the evonts of the last three weeks as an instance, and then ask if it is reasonable to suppose that every rise in the price of flax has been the direct action of a cablegram from Home, or whether it is not more reasonable to accept that the buyers out here were duly informed of the necessity of securing so many hundred tons df lax by a certain time, and that open prices, up to a limit, were given, so that so that A when he started forth to buy endeavoured to do so at £12, failing this be rose a pound a ton until the force of circumstances squeezed £16 a tod out of him. Buch things could have easily been learnt in London and published by the Agent-General, but were not, hence the loss a certain number of millers have made, which will probably be bornin mind on polling-day. We have only treated of the present prices, but it is more than possible still farther rises many occur and this possibility a little energy on the part of the government might make known before other unnecessary lower prices are accepted by the work* ing men of the colony.