The Flax Industry.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 8052, 1 April 1905, Page 7

The Flax Industry.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON. March 81.

A. conference of persons iut&i-ested ia flsximlling was held to-day. I>e'egateß aufndtd from various psrta of tbe colony. Amongst those present weie iho Minister fox- Lands and the Ohiei Governmeuß Bcmp Grader.

Mr Gar3n?r* (Manawatu) moved " That as a standard firgradcra. millers and merohants, two bales cf bcmp of tbe lowest points in each grade be chosen by a committee appointed by thia conforene"! (ai<d paid for by the Government), showing tho poi tj awarded, be graded aad dtposited ot each of the pons of axperu in the colony, :<nd ihat two simitar biles be forwarded to London "

An amendment was moved by Mr Tooma:h (Shannon). "Taut no alteration be made in the present system of. grading hemp."

Hon T. Y. Duncan addressing the conference, said that if the millers looked to the mauufacture more than they had been doing, there would be fewer disputes in the future. The chief cause i.f di*pu*es was bad stripping. Samples had been leturned "from Ameiiea which sbo^td that ieare.-i hai been put in with undressed ena». The fault, he thought, principally lay in ihe machinery not being kept in proper order, aEd perhaps in some eas«»s through incompetent men being in charge of the machinery. Millers, in their own interests, should prevent inferior material being sent out of the colony.

The motion was carried

'Jhe Chairman moved, " That an arbitrator be appointed by the Chamber of Commerce, Grading Department, and Fiuxmillers' Association, and any miller feeling aggrieved, and upon deposit of £5, shall have the right lo appeal to such arbitrator." The mover considered there should be some Board lo which they should appeal if they had a grievance. He d.d not blame the graders, but they required a uniform system of grading, B>o that they might know what they turned out, If he came to Wellington and found his shipment unjustly condemned he wanted tome remedy, and i.h»t remedy, he thought, lay in the appointment of Boards of Appeal against the decision of the grader The motion was carried. ■