THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 452, 11 March 1909, Page 3

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

THE COST-OF-PRODUCTION QUESTION. AN APPEAD TO ARBITRATION. The following application has been filed with Mr A. Stubbs, Clerk of Awards, for amendment of the Wellington flaxmilling award. The undersigned, being parties of the above Award, hereby apply to the Court of Arbitration to amend its provisions in such directions as the said Court may deem necessary or advisable by reason of alteration in the profits of the flax industry.—Wm. Toogood and Sons, W. W. Wakely, Wall Bros., Temukanui Dtd, H. Greig, Whitaunui Dtd, H. Greig. T. Bevan, MacDonald and Bevan, Joseph Diggius, A. A. Brown, McDeod and Seifert, James Tennant, Keiller Bros., R. Gardener and Sons, Douis Seifert, G. Craw, Craw Bros., Broad and Reeve, E. Broard and Co., Broad and Griffiths, Geo. Seifert, A. Seifert and Co., A. and D. Seifert and Co., Green Flaxdressing Co., W. G. C. Smith, Henuessy, Gibbs and Devett, R. T. Bell, C. C. Higginson, Koputarua Fibre, G. Porter, Te Opakete Dtd., Page and Co.

This is the first endeavour that has been made to take advantage of the special provision relating to the flax industry coutained in Section 56 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act of last session. Under this section the Arbitration Court is given—“ Power to amend the provisions of any award made before the commencement of this Act in the flax industry, where such amendment is deemed necessary or advisable by reason of any alteration in the profits of that industry : Provided that no such amendment shall be made unless the Court is first satisfied that a substantial number of the workers and employers engaged in that industry are desirous that the award should be reviewed by the Court.” The application does not state in what direction it is desired to have the award amended. It is signed by a large number of flaxmill owners in the Wellington industrial district, but there • are no signatures of employees attached to it. It is to be inferred from the wording cf Section 56, as quoted above, that the Court can do nothing in the matter if the application is supported only by employers. It may be mentioned that the present award expires on August 12, 1909.