FLAXMILLERS ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 265, 1 August 1908, Page 3

FLAXMILLERS ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. (Br TELEGEATn.—SPECIAL COEItESrONDENT.) Palmsrston North, July 31. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Faxrnillers' Association was held to-day, Mr. A. Seifert presiding. The President, in moving tho adoption of the report and balance-sheet, alluded to tho question of tho taxation of flas land. It had been intended to include the flax crop in tho unimproved valuo of the flax lands. 'This would mean that millers would be unjustly taxed. Thoy had made representations to tho Government, and some alterations had been made. At present the flax and mills were looked upon as factories, and tho land, subjcct to the same taxation as ordinary farm lands, was further subject to income tax, which land used for other farming pursuits was not. The Government olaimed that their policy was to encourage industries for the good of all concerned. He believed that a mistake bad been made by tho Government in connection flax lands, but if not then there was 'only ono conclusion to como to: that was that the Government policy was absolutely to kill the cultivation of flax in New Zealand by subjecting flax milling to a tax such as was imposed on no other industry in the colony. Last year they had gone to no end of trouble in trying to place tho true position before tho Government. They had not succeeded in doing so. The income tax was shortly payable, and he hoped that this would bring them to a realisation of their actual position and that something further would be dono. Mr. M. Cohen, said that probably millers were aware of the disgraceful condition of some of the tow reaching Wellington, and tho primary effect of this was to reduce the value ori the whole of the export of tow in the Dominion. The fact that the condition of somo of tho tow arriving in Wellington was so disgraceful was not creditable to the flaxmillers as a whole. Tho Association had considered this question for somo years past, and some of the mombers (notably Mr. Toogood) had recognised its importaneo and realised that the industry had been suffering as a whole for tho sins of the dishonest few. Mr. Cohen said he had made inquiries from the Department, and had found that there were temporary measures for the inspection of tow at tho port of shipment. Tho speaker said millers should welcome drastic measures for the inspection of tow as the man who sold a bad article would have to bear the result of his own actions. Mr. Gardner said lie thought tho explanation lay in tho fact that the Government classed flax with timber and minerals as a natural product, and were under the impression that it was millable without cultivation. . ( The report was adopted as read. The election of officers resulted as follows President, Mr. Harry Greig; vicepresident, Mr. R. T. Bell; treasurer, Mr. A. Seifert; ■ executive,' Messrs. M. Cohen, ■J. Liggins, Ross, Brown, Higginson, and Tennant.

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