NEW ZEALAND FLAXMILLERS' ASSOCIATION

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10433, 26 September 1911, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND FLAXMILLERS' ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING.

• By Telegraph—Press Association.*

PALMERSTON N., Last Night, j The annual meeting of the' New: { Zealand Elaxmillers' Association has cordiality aproved of tfae Government bonus of £12,000 for flax working inventions. The question of advertising the bonus throughout Australasia, England, and America was considered, it being stated that flaxmLliers of tie Dominion would contribute to the cost of this publicity. The matter was finally left to the Executive, after a hearty vote of thankis hiad been passed to the Mnister for Agriculture and the Government, j The officers were elected as folI lows:— President, Mr Joseph Biggins; Vice-President, Mir C. H. Broad; Treasurer, Mr Ma-urioe Cohen; Executive CoiraaiHrtee', -Messrs-" Robert McNiab, Louis Seifert, J. Tennaht, H. Jarvis, H. Seifert and C Higginson. The annual report regretted that the Snapping Companies had not ac- , ceedfed, to . -febe- 'request -to- v reduce - freights. It was stated that opinions had been universally expressed recently that the grading department had applied greater stringency than heretofore to grading good fair hc-mp, with the result that hemp definitely prepared for good fair quality just misses the grade. It was suggested that a deputation ..meet the chief grader on the subject. The latter (Mr Ferris) addressed the meeting, and said there, had been no raising of standards. At the best they had all been made uniform with Wellington. There was,, he said, carelessness in preparation >in permitting vegetable matter to adhere to fibres, and yet they were expecting to obtain a good fair grade. That class of fibre was Lesis for binder twine, and was only used for low grade cordage. He urged that spasmodic supplies of hemp were suicidal. New / Zealand hemp suffered more than any other products by the failure of the producers to recognise the necessity for regularity of supply. Regarding diseased leaf, Mr Ferris said that good stripping and scutching would coun-ter-balance it somewhat and permit of its taking the good fair grade.