FLAXMILLING INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 81, 26 September 1911, Page 5

FLAXMILLING INDUSTRY

ANNUAL MILLERS.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Palmerston N., Last Night. The annual meeting of the New Zealand. Flax Millers' Association cordially approved of the Government bonus of .tl-2.000 for itax-working inventions. Thequestion of advertising the bonus throughout "Australasia, ...England and America was considered, it being stated that the flax millers of the Domjiion would contribute to the cost of this pub--lic'ity. The matter was finally Jleft to the executive, after a hearty fote of tbanks_ had bcea passed to the Minister for Agriculture. n, The ainual report regretted that shipping cdntpanies had not occcde/t'to On? request '* to;. reduce (freights. It j •»»• •stated'that opinion had boen unjverisally expressed receitfly t-hat' the grading department had applied greater stringency than heretofore to the grading of ! good aud fair hemp, with the result i that hemp definitely .prepared for good to fair quality just .missed the grade.' It wa* suggested that » deputation meet the phief grader on the subject.

Later, Mr. Ferris', chief addressed the meeting, and said there* had been no raising of standards, but Uiey had «U been made uniform with the' Wellington .practise. Hie condemned the carelessness in preparation, permitting* vegetable matter to fulhere to fibres arid yet expecting to obtain si good fair grade. That class of fibre mis useless for hinder twine, and was only used for low grade* cordage. He urged that'spasmodic supplies of hemp were suicidal. New Zealand hemp suffered more than ajiy other products by the failure of producer* to recogiii"" the neeessity.J»c regularity of supply. Regarding leaf, Mr. Fwis said that good s'trijping and hutching would nounteFba'hilwe it somewhat, and permi f trf its taking good to fair grade,' " /