FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1279, 1 August 1914, Page 3

FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the N.Z. Flasnnllers’ Association was held in Palmerston North yesterday afternoon, Mr E. L. Broad, president, in the chair. ANNUAL REPORT. Tha President in his annual report stated that ten executive meetings and seven general meetings had been held since the lost annual meeting. The weekly market reports have been regularly received from the Secretary for Agriculture, but it was found that the information was very little availed of by the members. Seeing that the Association had been put to an expem diture of £6 10s for telegrams in this connect ion, the executive was of the opinion that llie incoming executive should consider the advisability of cancelling the present arrangement. Through the executive's endeavours, the low quotations were now included in the High (.'ominisskmor'g weekly report. This should he of benefit to all engaged in the industry. A special committee was set up to investigate the cause of grub and other blights in swamps, and the Agricultural Department very kindly arranged for Dr. Cockayne to attend a meeting. This gentleman was now making tests and research as to the causes, and the best mean* to eradicate the pests. A large, influential and representative deputation waited on the shipping companies and urged the necessity of making a reduction in the rates of freights on flax. Very strong and convincing reasons were urged by the various speakers. As a result the companies saw the necessity of a revision being made, and a temporary reduction has lieen granted, which was much appreciated by all. The executive had been trying to arrange for a more equitable form of contract for the sale of hemp and tow with the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. So far no agreement had been •ome to, and the matter was one which the incoming executive was advised not to lose sight of, as the question was still in abeyance. Two conferences wore held with representative# of the Employees Union on the question of the framing of a new award, and no agreement, was come to. The Union was now moving in (he prescribed form for a fresh award. Members had boon circularised in connection with this question, and the executive regretted that, considering the great importance involved they only received one reply in response. Seeing that the question was one of such moment, it was somewhat surprising that employers were so little alive to their own interest*. The Government was offering apodal inducements for the Dominion niiHinfactnrer.s to send exhibits to' the Panama Exhibition. It was Imped that there would be a Worthy display of* New Zealand fibres, and millers were urged to mac every endeavour lo uphold New Zealand manufactures against the many competitors tor the world’s trade. The time was limitml for entering exhibits, but the Association’s secretary would do all thru, was necessary, if advised and asked to do so by intending exhibitors. The time having expired for receiving application* for tlm Government. £12.000 l»onus in connection with Vow Zealand hemp, a special committee of six members of. the Association had been set up to consider the applications and carry out the conditions. The committee was now engaged on its duties, and it was to be. hoped that some material benefit might, result from the investigation*. The adoption of the report, and balanco•heet was moved by the chairman. Referring to the temporary reduction in freight on flax, he urged the incoming executive to tae up the matter again and move for a further reduction. Mr A. Seifert aooonded the motion, and referred to the strenuous year the executive had just gone through. The report and balance-sheet were quite satisfuctorv to the* Association. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers icsulted as follows President, Mr Herman Seifert-vice-president. Mr (.’. C. Higginson; treasurer, Mr R. T. Boll; executive. Messrs E. L. Broad, If. Grcig, .1. Liggins. A. Seifert A. Brown. L. Seifert. H. Akers, A Ross and W. Bock. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the retiring president, Mr E. L. Broad. HEMP GRADING. Mi Wm. Ross brought up the matter of hemp grading winch had, fie said, been a source of complaint, for some time. He said lie had sent a letter to the Agricultural Department in which he drew attention to the mutter. His hemp had only been grading “high fair.” Sometimes he find a line of “good fair” and he could honestly say two years ago that not a hale of it would have gone less than 72 points. He had had hemp graded “high fair” and he would defy anyone to say that it was other than “good fair.” The matter was most serious, and he knew only too well where the trouble came from. ' Lines of hemp were shipped to Australia as “high fair ’ Vllicli should have been "good fair!” y'hen when a line of true “high fair” went forward, a. complaint Was received. This had the effect, he said, of terrorising the graders, and of forcing up the grade for tear of Departmental complaints. What was now only “good fair,” three years ago would have been “high fair,”-' and “high good fair” now would have been “fine” then. The grades were being forced pp, so penalising the industry to the extent of thousands of pounds every year for the sake of manufacturers who naturally wished the finest grades at, low grade prices. Mr Ross said he had sufficient evidence to support his statements. He thought the Association should take a stand and state what was “good fair,” and what was “fair” hemp. He thought the Association might interview the Agricultural Department anil the Minister on the matter; Graders at present put too much value on colour instead of judging what was H good spinning fibre. The chairman said a scheme had boon brought up before in connection with the matter of grading, but tbo question was a very difficult one to deal with. Mr Ross said he did not want to condemn the graders, but in truth they were no better graders than tiie millers themselves.

Mr Bril suggested that a committor might, wait upon thr Department and endeavour to learn about thr complaint* that were being received about thr grading from Australia. Hr said ho agreed with other speakers that the flax to-day was of better quality than that milled several years ago. He thought the colour of the hemp was at the bottom of the whole trouble. The colour to-day was vary much better than previously, and magnified the defects.

Mr Greig said that millers had no doubt suffered from the vagaries of the grading, but the system of grading in New Zealand was much appreciated, and he thought that if it was interfered with locally, then they would be receiving complaints by the score from all over the world. The system would lose iiil its value if anybody interfered with it except the Government. In trying to get a remedy they should not get something that was worse than the evil. Mr A. Seifert said he would not like it understood abroad that the millers were interfering with the graders. At the same time there should tae something to prevent the'continual rise in grade. Where it hit the miller was that he was afraid to sell. If the graders would strike a line and keep to it, he guaranteed to grade any swamp to standard. The only way the graders could keep the industry was to keep to a uniform standard. At present they were not doing the miller justice. The improvements that the miller had carried out were hot sufficient to keep, up with the rise in grade. Mr Seifert,said the only way out of tho difficulty was to do as he suggested, and ask the graders to keep to a uniform standard., Mr Rutherford supported Mr Seifert s Suggestion. Mr E. L. Broad suggested that tho Government should appoint an Appeal Board to examine tho complaints that* were bojng received from Australia. That would be the fairest way of dealing with the Mr Greig said it scorned that all wore satisfied that tho standard had gone up and that the grading was somewhat erratic. Ho thought something should be done to find out the reason of such fluctuations. Mr Bell moved that Messrs A. Seifert, Ross Greig and the mover be a committee to approach the Department on the matter The motion was carried, and the committee was also instructed to deal with the matters of contract notes and distinctive labels for hemp, while m Vi ellmg-

*°Mr Broad made * suggestion that the graders might use different coloured inks when marking each grade.