WRONGED AND RIGHTED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 73, 19 December 1907, Page 4

WRONGED AND RIGHTED.

FLAX PEOPUE TAKE-ACTION., ; % •'• SENTRIES \ POSTED. '" •' '. For twbvdays'past two vigilant "sentries'-' from tho* Flaxmillcrs' Association: havo been, patrolling "J " shed,, where the flax' is' graded, on the Wellington wharves. Peo r plo would-no doubt like to know what was the- reason, of this-, unusual;step-—tlusjgpipi the partP:off [ prowling,-wfckednessnFerG' they -sot to; catchj.: 1 that'they .should" with'-: in the sacred. iJreciilctS; , of flax-graders! shed? /,-:• ,fp'.-;';^'v::jv;-Q;;; ,:'-,:.:V; r C . It appears paper reports werb^bl|sliie3 : ;thati; thtpflax; passings-through.' the' grading" sited" was , of inferior'quality. The statement! whether, true or' false, was calculated': to damage, the good' name of New Zealand's;,flax industry, and possibly, also} , ["M ideplete] ;tfirtv pockets of its workers' iirjtisi d'lfpct. M{( silos:/. .Therefore, whon, last Thursday, the President of tho' Flaxrnillers' Asociation at ,'tho meeting at Balmerstom;drew attention"to'-tKe' state;> ments that were .'bers' agreed with him; that action was necessary. It was 'rosqlvedi to appoint two members- of-their' oxccutiyo; committee' to visit; the-grading: shed'-a't Wellington-, 'and for tiro days- to cxamino,, with- tho graders, the; flax; that passfed' tlit.ougli.', _,It- was.'..rea).is.ed v that; the: test, ,to. be '.'at; all : convincing',; j must be put into:.offect' at once,'so that it'might not bo said tlihf millers- sent in- specially' treated, supplies-:for- the purpose _of-' defeating' the. test*. The- resolution conici .to on-'i'hurs'-:' dayj.. and. the ,begari.',on" .Tuesday, morning;:'/:Thus- the , particular bales of flax examiiiedi'niust have been, wholly treated' and' tialed, and' probably: despatched, to .tho. shed long'.bofbro-Thursday lastF.V' Tliomillers were,, therefore , /, caught '''on- , t-Ke^hop , ;"' and found' to'; bo genuine;"]. As- ; was: drawn-tfjjfc' by"the graders; (and' oxamiiiedj :tlie"sentries!,,, kept a strict/watch for., any prpofs of the inferior:fibre* which , written about". :'■',, /'•*' --" " * i' * '•; Tho; "sentries? , wero/ men. who. wore- well' qualified' for. tho duty.'-They were Mr; It. T. Bell -and' Mfc James: teniiaiit. Mr. Bell is' a- master flaxmilier, owning the Hcaton Park miirivnoaff'Bullsr-Ifewair'arsopfon tivo. yoSrs; alidi a> half,; a: Now Zealnnd Government fljtx-grader; His; colleague,, MV. Tennarit,, is : i-'tlio' ownor of tHo'-l-oJ|dua>"- Bridge Mill',, liotwben: aufl£Pjflit(er.s.ti(ii;: andi ofjtlie , ' oldest try.. :>fe:, . • i^^^X':-.-^^-^^ . ~-■■/•■■ ■■ -v-«?:-,- , ./ji-iv'V:-v^v.'--'.-

■'.•The Verdict. ' ■.',.- '.t <icJ^tf&^: 'S': -Tho.'verdict was pronounced at the conclusion, of' the- tests yesterday afternoon , to a'DoMiNiON ropresentativoi'by Mr. Hell; whoy- ,■;: for: hinisblf and colleague) stated the case V substantially as- follows:— '-.-■, : t ...<.' ~ ■■~ ;• ."We -are perfectly satisfied! with the /quality of .the 'hemp that is coming'-into' the grading.; shed. We'havo oxaminedL between 400 and-500 bales; .mostly from' the Mana- . watu districts;- andi liavo- : seen./the • quality ■ -of stufE-.sbnt out.'fr.orai.tw.ehty: : or- twenty-fivp; : mills,'.and; wij./.aro,;,very pjeased with..,,th,e -:. quality.^?Afiout ; 7s'per' cent.:.df'itwis; passed ■ into the.v' good' , fa'ir' grade,' and "some'of■it pointed almost: into 'Tina.' Compared ; with' .tlte ;graders' 1 Tpijint*.'of.';three; or four. . weeks ago, tho:-quality...Has. improved, but that was/ to be , expected.', as | a result of the ' more uniform Weather tKatlias lately preyailed. -\A little while back,the. chief failing , v.Ag' co}oTfr, bug; that ,has ' improved'.-j.-.Tljc dressingfvpf the'-.hemp ; a whole;* is ,-., very, gedd nmj&d. '■Witli'rea'sWable-'raVmatcmlV to worlt?bn,. and reasonable weather, we- are : convinced'that nono of -the •■ millcrs'fwould- . have any/, im producing hemp that could,, dni'the present .system, of points, .be graded:,'good , , fair.'"''.; .;■'■.>■ ;■■ Any p'a'cltin'g ?'*;- ;' V- •' i■< '■ '..: ,;• .'■'.■■ '' NotiXaV single ."instance,-".' It has been all :. straightforward;,stuff.:- ; T-be hempj.nqw passing' on "to tho.'market will do the industry credit. 1 ?!,: , ' . .'.,. '..-•. ■ No exceptions? _ '.'-...'.;. :'.. \ • ■ '■ "Two.. , small lots' , of.-domhloii"grade .liemp , wore fqtjmd, but that'was soiit in special parcels'quite openly. ..It.wasi-.fibre froin the west cdast of the South 'Island—Holcitika way. They have got .good; leaf there,, but we- not lip to : the Northerners in tho v.-qrk of stripping.; It would have a 'gbbrt effect if the instructois visited ■ these people, who aro, perhaps,';-' new chums,' and showed them • now the'machines should be set- up.•.-They ,bave splendid leaf, and arc-no-doubt doing ; their , with-.their .knowledge.. "With in- .' strnctiott;"'; they, woiild, do all right. It;Ms jtist these; people"' iir'Hhe back blocks .who ; need the.instructors' aid,-most.-" -■■-, ■ ,•;,.■■ :; "80-kind citjoncrhvtp;.state," said 3fr. Bell in conclusion, "that wo have received every, possible,.assistance in. our-task hero." from the Sedre'tary for Agriculture. 1 (Mr. Ritchie), and from; the graders, who.'.have done their best our ;Wo.rk,-pleasant, and let us isee oxactly what" kind of flax.'is passing through;"; • ,