Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1900. Flaxmillers' Association.

Manawatu Herald, 9 June 1900, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1900. Flaxmillers' Association.

The report published in our last inue of the formation of a Flax* millers' AMoetation ii most wtif*

factory reading, p? the assembled millers, who were representative of the whole trade, arrived unanimously at the determination " that the time has arrived when it would be advantageous to form an association, and that an association be now formed, to be named the « Foxton Maxmillers' Association.' " In only one point do we differ with millers not that the time has arrived for the formation of an association, for it is still as necessary now as hitherto, but the old association should never have been allowed to fall through from the apathy of the members. It will have to be the aim of the new association to take such steps and make auch rules that the personal interest of the millers shall be retained in the asspciation, for to be effective such an association must be a permanent body We have more faith in the promoters of the new association than we had in the last and as times are different now, we believe a strong and valuable association can be secured. We cannot call to mind any industry being carried on in this colony that has such a large turn-over but what is directed and protected by an association of those carrying on of a mutual business. The importance of the ,hemp industry to the colony is not properly understood from the very fragmentary way in which it is carried on, and the millers, as large employers of surplus unskilled labour have not the power in the land they are entitled to for their enterprise and t industry. . An association properly managed will enable millers to put their views collectively and powerfully before the powers that be, whether it be the government, the shipping trade, or the coalmine owners. In more developed countries large trusts, to enhance the value of the country's output, have been formed, and by a judicious management of an association higher prices will be obtainable by every miller The immense value of the hemp trade is alone known to each miller, but to our mind the greater profits the millers can make the greater are the benefits the district and colony will derive, and as there is no fear of the demand for the fibre falling off at a remunerative price on i the London market, provided the dressing is good, there need fee no heart-burnings at the idea that one miller can possibly get the advantage of another by agreeing to work together. The hemp trade has risen and fallen during the past years, but we know that certain mills have been in continuous working during the last twelve years. All practical millers will thus at once see that to an established firm the industry can be looked upon as a settled one, and it is thus well worth • their while to do all they oan to foster the trade, to ' secure better prices, and to stop certain leakages which at present exist. The only practical way to secure these ends is by combination of the millers and to put the whole business into the hands of practical men of their own selection. Government statistics are dry, most statistics are, but as regards the hemp industry the statistics published by the government are brief. All the information they vouchsafe is that in 1898 there were 4,850 tons exported, where to, appears to have been considered a matter of no importance, the value of which is stated at £74,556, or a little over £15 per ton. In another portion of th> Official Year Book it is stated that in 1896 there were 647 mill hands. Any one can see, at a glance, that officials do not deem this industry worthy of much statistical building up In the district which the new Flaxmillers' Association expect support from, which is a radius of twenty-five miles round Foxton, it is computed there are 84 strippers at work. As the strippers are the machines that determine the amount produced, for comparative purposes the number of strippers becomes more easily adopted to determine results, than the actual number of mills. These strippers being worked every week day the output , for this area equals 10,200 tons a year, and taking the value at £18 per ton makes the output of the value of £183,600 ! To obtain this result the millers have embarked a capital of £20,000 in mills and machinery, and besides paddocking rent, tithes for green flax, carting the green flax, and wear and tear, they also pay a sum of £81,600 in wages yearly, and £8,500 for coal, and something close on £800(Mor freight to Wellington. From the want of information we are unable to state the output for the colony. We have at' other times called attention to the great importance this industry is to the colony owing to nearly fifty per cent of the gross value of the production having to be spent on unskilled labour, and with these facts our statement that there is no other industry in the colony doing so much for labour, can be put to the proof. The duty of the new association at its next meeting will be that of preparing rules, &c, and having had some knowledge of the weak points in the first association we would like to warn, the new one from off the rocks. ToTrar mind an association is often-only formed at a time when a ship seeks a harbour, i.e., a stress of 'weather, but a society formed under suoh conditions is- like untothe harbour when weather is all

clear, and the ship in the one case, like the members in the other case will be found to have 3ailed away. The possibility of such desertions, which would be ruinous to the association must be guarded against, and members must be held by pecuniary Merest to the institution. It would seem that the best form of subscription . or to put it better, investment, should be in the shape of a small tax per ton of dressed fibre, payable at the end of each month. That these sums be olaced to the credit of each millowner in the books ot the association, and over which the directors would have full control out of which to pay all expenses agreed to by resolution of a public meeting of the members. The total funds ot the association should be divisible at, its dissolution in the proportion the sums of each member appear in the books. The sum per ton need only be small, but the advantage the association would gain would be the growing interest each nfember would have in it. The association should in time be able to so arrange their business that all orders for fibre should come through them and be distributed amongst the members, and any mill unable to procure a contract at the pripe fixed by the association should be kept going and the output divided amongst the mills at work. A securitvyof this sort is needed to secure the association receiving the universal support of the millers, and amongst practical men such an arrangement could easily be devised. The association will have to make up its mind to very strong opposition on the part of some purchasing firms, but unless they place their weaker neighbours on a firm footing the value of their combination will be lost. We are glad to see that a resolution was moved for the appointment of a grader, though it would have been wiser perhaps to have delayed the motion until the association was stronger, as the government have been favourable to appointing a, grader if the flaxmillers would be nearly agreed upon the subject, which up to now they have not been. The despatch of an emissary to tbe Phillipines is not the work of the association though they have approved of his going, but we think the subscription might have been larger per mill, and the government should have been asked for a pound for pound subsidy. • It is not too late to take this matter up, and we trust action will be taken. There can be no doubt that an amalgamation of the interests of an important industry like the hemp trade, can work for nothing but good for the trade and the colony, as every pound per ton extra obtained is so much money introduced into the colony, thus providing the lucky recipients with so much more money to distribute by improving their properties. The association, as far as we learn of its objects, is no wage reducing monopoly but a fair business institution to secure j(9C t he millers the fullest sums the manufacturers in England are prepared to pay for their fibre without so much of it leaking into the hands of 'th* middle men in this 'colony, and in acting so they are strictly within their rights and wise in their action.