The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1889. The Flax Trade

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 17, 25 July 1889, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1889. The Flax Trade

The quality of the flax exported from Wellington up to the date of last advices from Home, still shows a marked falling off. The Post informs us that the most serious complaints continue to reach the colony regarding the bad condition in which so much pkormium tenax is shipped. Wellington millers are the chief offenders. Our contemporary was shown some -letters,. = received, by the last 'Frisco mail, in which most serious complaint was made regardingjahipraents by the Algoa Bay andMerp]peV . Most of that flax waa sold to arrive at market rates, as " Wellington fair," but on delivery.

was found so inferior to that description that in one lot the sellers felt compelled to allow a rebate of £1 a ton, and in another case, where the flax was referred to experienced valu ers as arbitrators, rebates of from £l to £5 per ton were allowed. Advices from America are to. the same effect as those from London. A shipment, per Zealandia, is declared to be " distinctly inferior" to Auckland brands, and it is stated that unless greater care is taken in its preparation Wellington .flax will soon cease to find purchasers at a remunerative figure. We feel confident this sweeping condemnation cannot apply to flax prepared in Feilding, which we believe to be carefully dressed, but to avoid any possibility of loss through " evil communications" we would recommend our local flaxmrllers- to send their produce Home via Auckland, clearly and distinctly marked to avoid confusion.