FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3829, 9 August 1928, Page 2

FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the N.Z. Flaxmillcrs’ Association was held at Foxton this afternoon, piesided over by Mr. 11. A. Seifert, President. ' The annual report was read as follows: — “Early in the year we had to oppose a claim for a considerable increase in wages. The case finally went before the Arbitration Court which awarded a slight increase in some piece-work rates and raised the minimum hourly-rate from 1/9 to 1/101 —a shilling a day increase. This raised cost of production on a falling market. Later in 1927 there was set up in Parliament a Labour Bill committee and the Association urged that the industry be exempted from the Arbitration Act as were other farming industries. This was not done.

The personal relationship of employers and employees has been satisfactory throughout the year. At present negotiations are taking place getween the Manawatu Flaxworkers’ Union and the Association to reduce costs owing to serious depression in the market. GRADING. An innovation was made in March last by the Department of Agriculture approaching a liason officer to aid millers and graders to a better understanding. The move has proved a popular one with millers generally. Due to this and also because of the sample hanks scheme, there has been less friction between graders and millers than in the past, Undoubtedly the great trouble is the very mixed nature of the hemp submitted for grading. This causes the greater, part of the differences of opinion. Some people claim that a mixed hemp should be graded purely on the average of its hanks.' They say that in a rope quite (54 separate strands of fibre are present at any one point and that this affects'’complete blending. On the other hand our competitors all send out straight lines and this will undoubtedly educate the consumer to expect such. Our not doing so will certainly prejudice New Zealand hemp in the world’s market. At present one firm is completely classing its output which amounts to about 10 per cent, of the New Zealand total. Also a few other producers are partly classing their output. For the benefit of the industry some organisation needs to be evolved enabling all hemp, exported to be classed into straight lines containing hanks of one grade only. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

Early last year the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research appointed two young students of great promise to engage in flax research, Messrs Aitkeri and Yeates, taking the chemical and botanical studies respectively. The Department carried on for some months and then approached the Association to set up a proper organisation to control this research icommittee. This committee will consist of two appointees of the Department, both scientific gentlemen, one of the Department of Agriculture, four fiaxmillers, and a further two yet to be appointed by the committee itself. To provide finance a levy is to be made upon all hemp and tow exported from the Dominion at 2d per bale on hemp and Id on tow. This should provide about £7OO to £BOO per annum. The Government subsidy of £ for £ doubles the sum. With this fund and all the organisations of the Research Department to aid us. the industry should most certainly develop its methods during the future. THE PAST SEASON. Contrary to expectations, the output was higher than for the previous year. For 12 months ending 31st March, 1928, there were graded 89,130 bales of hemp. This equals 17,650 tons. My personal estimate had been 10,500 as stated in your last annual report. This season’s output amounts to 83 per cent, of the pre-war average. The value of millers’ receipts f.o.b. basis would be about £512,000, almost £2 per ton lower than . for previous year. Prices fell steadily throughout the year and after beginning at about £2B 10s for “11. Fair,” liad dropped at the close of the season by about £2 per ton. The quality did not average well owing to great percentage of. “Low Fair" from Auckland and the Bluff. These two ports kept up the output last season by increasing their gradings over 192(5-27 by 5,000 and 4,000 bales respectively. Wellington province was down by 7,000 bales. METHODS. There is little to report upon as to improvements in methods. Even more important than bettering quality is the need to reduce costs. The industry needs mechaniealising. During the past fifteen years little improvement has been made except in detail. The most noteworthy machine of the season is Maddrens washing machine. This has been developed by Maddren Bros, at their (laxmill in Canterbury. One is now being installed in the Manawatu and will doubtless be of great interest to North Island millers. The machine seems most promising. A number of improved automatic scutchers have been installed this season; being those with the hook grip. LOOKING AHEAD. For the coming season we must by all portents receive rather low prices—probably about the same as ruled during 1913-15. This will mean a lean year for the industry. The hemp market is famous for its ups and downs, so possibly within

a year real improvement will take place; maybe we will then receive a year or two of really good prices. But it is unreasonable to expect to get prices to average 70 per cent, above pre-war. Yet this is less than the average increase in our costs of production. We must make every endeavour to lower our costs. By great care in management, and above all, inventiveness. More and more we must mechaniealise our operations. Cultivated flax will probably enable mechanical cutting which would reduce costs greatly. Also a higher percentage of fibre in flax would lower costs per ton of hemp. The coming years will see a gradual transition from natural to cultivated flax producing the bulk of our hemp. Yellow leaf disease, stocking with cattle, fires, and clearing for grass, gradually reduce the flax from natural areas and will continue so to do. But many years are to pass before cultivated flax displaces the present fields. So we must realise the present and carry on. Improved methods will be of advantage upon either flax, so too will fresh consumers be desirable. Our programme must include some considerable effort directed to discoveries of new uses for the produstc of the industry.”