NEW ZEALAND FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 802, 22 January 1910, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

QUARTERLY MEETING. THE INCREASE OB FREIGHTS. BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. The quarterly meeting of the N.Z. Flaxmillers’ Association was f held in the office of the secretary, | Mr R. Spencer, on Thursday - afternoon. Present; —Messrs R. T. Bell (President), H. Greig, Jas. £ Tennant, A. A. Brown, E. L. - Broad, M. Cohen, J. Liggins, and C L. Seifert. An apology for , absence was received from Mr C. , C. Higginson. The most important business transacted was with regard to the , proposed increase of freights on hemp between New Zealand and Australia, which formed the subject of the following sub-leader in a Wellington contemporary some time back ;—“ New Zealand hemp finds an excellent market in Australia, and several thousand tons are sold in the Commonwealth annually. The product is used mainly for the manufacture of binder twine, for Australia is an important wheat producer. This trade is likely to be very much hampered, if not altogether killed, by the freight charges between New Zealand and Australia. Hitherto the freight was 303 per ton, more recently 25 per cent, was added localise of the Newcastle coal strike, presumably a temporary imposition. The Union Company and the Huddart Parker Proprietory, however, have notified shippers as from January ist an additional 15s per ton freight will be charged on flax and tow uncovered. This will make the freight on hemp £2 5s per ton. It is said the shippers can, by haying the bales covered with hessian, save 15s per ton, but this is not altogether correct. It costs nearly as'much as 15s per ton to have the bales covered. The reason for the extra charge is to minimise the risk oi fire, and from that point of view it seems reasonable enough, but the risk appears to be over-estimated, for, in all the years that hemp has been shipped to Australia, one can only call to mind the lire on the Warrimoo as having originated from it- The freight on hemp to Sydney is as high as it is to London, with this differeqee: That the shipowners trading to London pay the dumping charges, storage, and wharfage, amounting to about 12s fid per ton, whereas the companies trading to Australia make no such concession,” The Merchants have taken the plotter so much to heart that they threatened to charter their own boats. The Association passed the following resolution : —'* That the merchants be circularised to the effect that the Association will give its whole hearted suppoit to any action taken by the Welling ton and other merchants to charier boats and to prevent the shipping

companies from raising freights from New Zealand to Australia.

A deputation will visit Wellington shortly to wait upon the Minister of Agriculture with regard to the appointment of a head grader, and to discuss and deal with hemp matters in general.

The millers are also advocating a further division of grades, dividing the present grades into two, A and B, giving each with a margin of five points, the present margin being ten points. The deputation will also wail upon the Minister for Railways with regard to the danger of swamps being fired by sparks coming from railway engines. This in the past has been a very common occurrence in the Manavvalu district.