THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1098, 19 September 1912, Page 3

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

to a douthland Times Reporter, Mr Middlemiss, Government Hemp Grader, said that the flax industry gave promise of being exceptionally brisk this year. Already about fifty millers in Otago and Southland had signified their intention of taking advantage ot the payable prices ruling, and others would probably follow suit. Of this number fully forty are situated in Southland, and at the very least they will each employ twelve men. This means that, even it the present number is not added to, which is unlikely, there will be distributed monthly in wages alone in Southland fully .£5,000 per month. A prominent miller, in conversation with a reporter, said that he did not think that there would be any difficulty in obtaining a supply of suitable labour, and already he had received numerous applications irom men whom he could not place. Now that steady work for a season at least was positively assured, and as good wages were being offered, there waa uu inducement to undertake the work. A feature in connection with the industry this season has been the keenness displayed by North Island buyers of hemp, who have been of late busily engaged in snapping up as many outputs as tney can.