THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 939, 10 January 1911, Page 4

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

In conversation with a Southland Times representative, Mr Stanley Rice, of Messrs I. W. Raymond and Co., said he was in accord with the Auckland report regarding the hemp industry, and was inclined to take a pessimistic view of the outlook. Royalties had certainly been reduced by about ioo per cent, ; but the cost of labour militated against this country holding its own in competition with Manila. Engine drivers received ns per day ; flaxcutters, 6s 6d per ton ; and other employees averaged is per hour. In former years, continued Mr Rice, the market after the Christmas holidays were over generally improved, but this season, instead of an improvement looming ahead am ther lapse was likely to ensue, and it would seem, judging by the present outlook, that the only thing left for the millers to do was to confine themselves to “ washingup.” The season in Southland has been an ideal one for flaxmilling, and in anticipation of the usual, one might say, automatic advance in prices at this time of the year, millers had been rapidly accumulating their slocks. One man in Southland, lor instance, has at present on hand about mu tons of fibre, worth, roughly, Millers cannot hold much longer, and even if there happens to be a slight rise, the chances are that the abnormal quantity of fibre which will be shortly thrown on the market will again bring prices down with a run.