NEW ZEALAND FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3830, 11 August 1928, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND FLAXMILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Flaxmillers’ Association was held in the Racing Club office Foxton, on Thursday afternoon, presided over by the President (Mr. H. A. Sei£prt). Also present were: Messrs J. S. Moil’, €’. Speirs, W l . H. Wilson, G. Rough, W. Ross, .A. Fraser, E. Sutton, H. Berry, and the secretary (Mr. R. H. Spencer). Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Greig and W. Nye. MOTION OF SYMPATHY. A motion of sympathy was accorded Mr. W. Nye in his illness. REPORT AND BALANCE-SHEET. The report and balance-sheet (as previously published in these columns) were read and adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Prior to the election of officers the President (Mr. H. A. Seifert) on vacating the chair on his retirement from office thanked members for the courtesy and assistance they had accorded him .on all occasions in connection with his work on various committees. The election of officers resulted as follows: — President: Mr. C. H. Speirs; vicepresident: Mr. J. S. Moir (re-elec-ted); treasurer: Mr. A. Fraser (reelected); committee: Messrs A. A. Brown H. Berry, W. Nye, H., A. and H. A.-Seifert, E. Sutton, D. R. Ogilvy and AY. F. \Vilson;. auditor: Mr. R. A. Fuller. Mr. C. H. Speirs, on occupying the chair, thanked the members for the honour they had done him in electing him as their President. He hoped that he would have the hearty co-operation of all members during the coming year. Personally, he would do his best to further the interests of the millers and the flaxmilling industry as a whole.

A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the retiring President (Mr. 11. A. Seifert) on the motion of Mr. C. Speirs. Mr! Speirs referred to the ability in which Mr. Seifert had carried out his duties during the past two years. He had been of the greatest assistance to the Association during his term of office. Mr. A. Fraser endorsed Mr. Speirs’ remarks. Mr. Seifert, he said, had carried out the duties as President with courtesy and ability. Mr. Seifert returned thanks and promised his assistance on all matters in the future. GRADING OF HEMP.

The Department of Agriculture forwarded copies of letters of complaint in regard to the grading of New Zealand hemp received from England and also from Donachy and ‘Sons, Geelong, Australia. Samples of the fibre complained of were forwarded, and proved to be particularly bad samples of high fair in colour, cleaning, etc. The complaints stated that up to three bad hanks had been discovered in a bale of fibre. In one instance the complainant stated that it appeared as if the hank had been deliberately placed in the bale. This however, was not in best interests of the hemp industry in New Zealand. Mr. H. A. Seifert said that the Department of Agriculture had been requested by the Association to forward on any complaints received about New Zealand hemp. These were the first the Association had received.

It was decided to thank the Department for the letter of complaint and to advise that the matter had been placed before the millers at the annual meeting of the Association. It was regretted that inferior hanks had got into superior grades, but this fact should not affect the grade of the whole line. The Department also wrote in reference to mixed hemp, stating that 134 bales of hemp had been received in the grading shed at Wellington last month which had proved .very difficult for the graders to grade owing to them containing very mixed hemp. The range of quality after the hemp had been sorted out by the graders was as follows: —High fair, 37 bales; low fair, 88 bales; common, 8 bales; rejected one, a total of 137 bales. The matter of mixed hemp was one which was a serious proposition, and the Association was asked to take the matter up and treat it as of the greatest importance. Mr. H. A. Seifert reported on having inspected the hemp in question at Wellington. It was certainly a very mixed lot. The letter was received. DUTY ON FOREIGN IMPORTS. A suggestion was made that a duty should be placed on Sisal and Sisal tow and Manila imported into New Zealand. Mr. Goldfinch, of'Wellington, who happened to be in Foxton, and who was asked to attend the meeting at this stage to discuss matters relative to grading, said that practically all the binder twine used in N.Z. hardware stores to-day was made of Sisal tow. Sisal was used in preference to the N.Z. article. Mr. Wilson said that it was New Zealand’s own fault that Sisal was being used to such an extent. As long as the grade .suited the miller he was satisfied, but he did not consider the fact that the grade might not be suitable to the consumer. Mr. Goldfinch: Whether the grade is hard or not it is necessary to get rid of the tails in the N.Z. article. For self preservation the millers would have to get the tails out of their hanks. One of the biggest U.S.‘A. consumers of N.Z. hemp complained of the mixed lengths and short tails in the material. If it meant losing money for a year or two it would pay the N.Z. miller to sort his lengths. Sorting of lengths was a saving in the quan-

lily of green leaf consumed. It did not have to be scutched to such an extent as the other. Mr. Wilson said he was informed b> one miller that sorting saved 8 cwt. of green leaf to the ton. ijt paid for the sorting. Mr. Goldfinch referred to the fact that the plaster board manufacturers, an industry of considerable proportion in Australia to-day, were using Sisal almost entirely. The reason for this was that the N,Z. tow entailed one extra process in manufacture of the board as it contained a stain. The day would come, he considered, when this would be overcome. On one occasion when Sisal tow was costing £SO per ton and N.Z. £25, the manufacturers still used the Sisal because it avoided the extra process. It was decided to approach the Government with a request that a duty be placed on the importation of Sisal, Sisal tow and Manila. The question of placing a prohibition on the exportation of flax seed and roots was discussed but no action was taken. GENERAL. The matter of errors in the names of the personnel of the Research Committee was left in the hands of Mr. H. A. Seifert. A request from the Union to have an independent audit of the Flaxmillers’ books was left in the hands of Mr. C. 11. Speirs, who undertook to interview the Union officers and report at a future meeting of the executive.