THE FALL IN FLAX.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 28, 28 October 1907, Page 2

THE FALL IN FLAX.

The sudden fall ini.the price; of-flax is, causing much' unrest amongst the millers..- In the, last fortnight, the price: on tli6 : j ; ,Wellington) market, has., dropped .from ,'£27' 10s. per ton ,to, £24,105., and,.a ; still further decline is. ex-, pOCted. :':' ~I -:.■••....).: ■.•• ~"', ..■;,.■ -,-■ '.••'' ' A leading miliar-, stated on. Saturday>tb our special .'representative-. at Palmerston that: he. would not be, surprised .to/near in .t-he'.ne.'xji.' day or two that London quotations 'wer<£ 10s. or £1 lower. The cause of the sudden decline was not known amongst the millers,. but it is supposed that financial troubles in.' America are to some extoiib '- The' result will .'be-': rather , disastrous . to' small' millers/ 1 who" even 'iiow : cannot-' carry, on at"a' profit;- and 'probably somb" jivill close iip ■ until the market takes a-turu.'for'the better , "/;'"':';' 'A Brlghter-Vlew. '■': " ''"■' ;; ;''''V;^'' , , l ,'.'.",: ■■•; Othersnvno';are;in.touoh;fl'ith tiie'flaxmar :; . ket : take,, {however,* a~ less.- gloomy, -.viewi i of tho.prospects. .■ One gentleman',, who:has 'been , intimately.-.- associated nwithjv;tho 'iinterests:! of flax,.and.other.">products "oi the-isoilj regards! ■the; sudden'falls as possibly the ■ work ■of buyers'-iat Home; > who'• are* < interested , ''' in' sfbrcmgiprices down.";v."Lo\V;prices ) ?.'-he'says'/ ■'' often α-ulei'at 'the opening' of 'the 'season.'' This iwas 'exactly, butter.' All fibres"aroHbeing'quoted: lower.:'!.-Price'S/in'ay :: possibly invgrove. shortly,.' though' i : i on'e, l f of. courso/-' 'can'- , never'• be/fo'ertsiri."-! i: l' ' l; ,: '' ■■' y- '' The .Changed Grading; ;: '-j"'' •"'"■'j-: , "'i'' , '.' 1 , : other 1 ' authorities "suppose that buyers.,at .Hqifle ,ss, \ohMui'g.'.till^ej; i .liaye n enco. : .in,' they'qualities, of :jtHe. various, grades ; has 'r.esultfiiV.jfi^ ; grading' ppints.'i at" this,',end'... .Th'is . tion, .'hpw.eyer,. i.s /( disproyed : ' by,.'the fac.t r that : . maiiila has .suffered, air;bigger,'-decline : than flax. As!, a ..'matter of, fact,.,the, results of the different grading is that the quality of '."good fair,',',isi'.betweenYQnciiand two.:,ppints below last''year's, quality/ ; but'.' the" other, grades '.are 'scarcely in', quality ..at' 1 all. : v ;m.. ■■-. : ,:^,:i-:.; ]; ~• The' ! general''quality:'ofjpur^flax' also gives' no clue't6 ! 'the fa'll:''-Po'ssibly;;- , as' : .one '6f ; 'the 'authorities, quoted/states, the,'price may rise latef'on; ;.'.' '■■■■."■'' '" ; ;:,'.. f, ',;.,',\i' \",;_[ ..,■'■■ "'' '■'~■'.