SPOILING THE MARKET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2286, 21 November 1889, Page 2

SPOILING THE MARKET.

We are afraid that a good many of the' exporters of New Zealand are going the right way to work to spoil the market for their produce by shipping inferior stuff. This is particularly the case m regard to flax fibre. The boom m flax, which has been the result of a diminished output of some of the other fibres of commerce, has caused the establishment of large numbers of flax mills, especially m the North Island, and we speak of our own knowledge when we say that m only too many cases little or no care is taken to prepare the fibre faithfully and well, the object being to rush it through the strippers as fast as possible and to get it to the market with all specd — quantity not quality being the motto of the day. Anyone strolling on the , Wellington wharf will find proof of this m the large proportion of bales awaiting shipment which show abundance of "straw," as it is termed, and some of this so green that there must be risk of i heating m the ship's hold, with, perhaps fire as the result. There is, it is true, ob the other hand a large quantity of well-prepared flax sent Home, but the scamping work of the careless manufacturer will, we fear, result m discrediting the New Zealand article altogether, and causing a fall m prices which .nay prove disastrous to many who have invested their capital m the industry. The San Francisco correspondent of an exchange recently sounded a warning note on this head. He complained that some of the flax received from New Zealand had been badly prepared, and also that it hod been cut too near the ground, and went on to say :— " It is probably useless to appeal even to the cupidity of your flax-dressers, by telling them that it will pay best m the long-run to turn out only, < a first class article. They will not think ■ of the future, but take chances. The remedy lies with yourselves, however. Let the various Chambers of Commerce establish standard grades and » uniform size and style of baling for flax, and compel shippers to adhere to them, and New Zealand flax . will secure for itself a recognised standing m the world's market. In time flax would be ordered by standard number, just as wheat is ordered by cable at San Francisco from London, Sydney, or elsewhere. If this is not done, New Zealand flax will not have a recognised place as a merchantable fibre, but will be used, as heretofore, to supplement supplies of hemp and sisal." Again, Sir Dillon Beli m a despatch to the Government oja the subject, quotes from a letter received by him from Messrs Robinson and Fleming, of Billiter Square, London, who, amongst other things, say:— " The leading American manufacturers, who have been your chief buyers, write us that if there is much straw m the hemp they cannot use it for the required purpose. This seems to ub important and significant." Undoubtedly it is, and if the exporters of flax are wise they will take the hint. But this spoiling of the markets is not confined to shippers of flax. There are exporters of grain who are equally foolish m regard to the quality of the article which they send to Sydney and elsewhere, lots of wheat being sent which on arrival is classed as cbickwheat, and sold at chickwheat prices, which largely accounts for the preference shown for Californian wheat. Nay, we may go further, and, say that even m the froaen meat trade the same sort of thing is going on, for we have heard, for example, of small hoggets of indifferent quality being exported as prime lamb. It is this sort of thing which is doing our export trade an infinite mischief, and it would be well if our' Chambers of Commerce would take the matter into consideration, with a view to devising somo system whereby produce for export could be submitted to some public officer, and classified and branded according to its class, so that a really first-class article might always be known by the official hall-mark and, command the price of a first-class article. Surely something of this sort must be. practicable, ,