FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 418, 1 August 1908, Page 3

FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting ot the Flaxmillers’ Association was held at Palmerston yesterday. Present: Messrs A. Seifert (president), M. Cohen. Rcss (Foxton), Higginson (Koputaroa), Bell (Turakina), O. Gardner (Paiaka), Brown (Waikanae), Greig (Shannon), Hcnnessy and Gibbs (Foxton). An apology for absence was received from Mr Liggins. The President, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, alluded to the question of taxation ot flax land. It had been intended to include the flax crop in the unimproved value of the flax hinds. This would mean that millers would be iinju-tly taxed. They had made representations to the Government and some alterations had been made. At present the flax and mills were looked upon as factories, and the land subject to the same taxation as ordinary farm lands, was further subject to income tax, while other farming pursuits were not. The Government claimed that their policy was <0 encourage industries for the good of all concerned. He believed that a mistake had been made by the Government in connection with the flax lands, but if not, then there was only one conclusion to come to, and that was that Ihe Government’s policy was to absolutely kill the cultivation of flax in New Zealand by subjecting flaxmillers to a tax such as was imposed on no other industry in the colony. Last year they had gone to no end of trouble in trying to place the true position before the Government. They had not succeeded iu doing so. The income fax was shortly payable, and he hoped that Ibis would bring them to a 1 eaiis ition of their actual position, and that something further would be clone.

Mr Higginson asked if they had any particulars with regard to the regulations re tow grading. The. chairman stated that no particulars had as yet come to hand and asked Mr Cohen if, as a member of the Wellington Harbour Board, he could give any information on the subject. Mr M. Cohen, speaking to the question, said tow grading was at last realised to be a very important matter. Probably millers were aware of the disgraceful condition of some of the tow reaching Wellington, and the primary effect of this was to reduce the value on the whole of the export of tow in the Dominion. The fact that some of the tow arriving in Wellington was so disgraceful was not creditable to the flaxmillers as a whole. The Association had considered this question for some years past, and some of their members (notably, Mr Toogood) had recognised its importance, and realised that the industry had been suffering as a whole for the sins of the dishonest few. Mr Cohen said he had inquired from the Department and had found there were temporary measures for the inspection of tow at the port of shipment. The speakers said millers should welcome drastic measures for the inspection of tow, as the man who sells a bad article would have to bear the result of his own actions. Mr Gardner said he thought the explanation lay in the fact that the Government classed flax with timber and minerals as a natural product, and were under the impression that it was millable without cultivation. The report was adopted as read. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr Harry Greig ; vice-president, Mr R, T. Bell; treasurer, Mr A. Seifert; executive, Messrs M. Cohen, J. Liggins, Ross, Higginson, Brown, Tennant. Mr Seifert, in vacating the chair, thanked the members for the manner in which they had always worked with him in the interests of the flaxmilling industry. He also expressed his appreciation of the good work that had been done by the secretary (Mr Bagnall).