BRANDING HIDES

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1720, 10 April 1913, Page 10

BRANDING HIDES

"GEEAT FINANCIAL LOSS." Some reports relative to tho hot-iron brandiug- of hides and skins have recently been received by the Commonwealth Uovernment l'rom vno United Tanners' ~i'e ( ierat:qii' of ~ th.6 ' United Kingdom and the- -eUitor--of; the "Australian Leatlier ;'Xhules Journal"."'. Tho United Tanners' Pederatiou.. deprecates thu use of hot irons by farmers aud breeders, and iioiuts out that the "-damage caused and economic waste,brought about by such a crude and.^unnecessary;procedure are enormous. Tliey" state that- tho difference, in price obtainable for tho. tanned leather, wero itpJßfcbranded, is probably 3d. to id. per ib.M'Then, again, raw nides, if not branded) would fetch Id. per lb. more, and as these hides weigh lrom UOlb. to 801b., the difference in -value is very appreciable. Tho cither an alteration 'of thVmethed of branding, or that the,animals be branded with smaller brands, voa-'the- cheeks, cars, or flanks— not on the rump, or the back, as is at •present nearly done. They consider that this .''.would bo equally distinguishable,.,md would do from fe; lo 7s. ■per hide less damage to a beast; as the brands- would - then be oil leather which ii n!..t(ie :, 'open'market is only worth from iJd.r to *9di -pe'r-Üb.- In other words, tho .braii'd'would'b'o 6ii the thinner and therefore dess valuable' part of the liide. Tho "Australian Leather Trades Journal" also urge? that some "steps bo taken for tho amelioration of-the greater financial loss, .occasioned.owing to tho improper brand'jlig of' hides and skins. This journal lias "drawn- attention-to the following extracts 'f'fijm' a leading r.articlo headed ''Hido' and Skin' Buyers' Unrest," which appeared in ithe British-;" Leather Trades licview" of NoveinberraOinst'.—, > ' "In Australia -some of the finest hides in the '.world" are badly damaged while ;on . the' unimaFs' back by the barbarous 'system of. branding with hot irons, which ;.'ari .generally 'Stamped on tho primest parts. ■". Here, 'again, tanners have been 'agitating.".for many years to get the evil 'removed >or -mitigated, but until quite 'recently little attention has been paid to their requests. • Now that tho United 'Tanners' Federation of Great Britain and .'lreland have, called the attention of; tho jAustralian Government to tho serious ■loss ; caused, by., tho present -system of it'is.pxpccted that-an improve"ment '.will soon be effected. It seems so stupid-.to'pursue such a shockingly waste-ful-method of-marking hides when there aro any number of chemists who couldpreparo an indelible solution which would not only do no 'injury to the hide, but • would nlso stand out oven moro prominently .on ' the. a.tiimal's back than ,tlve markstpi'bduced by the present system of branding.", 7. . .