DAMAGE TO HIDES.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 March 1925, Page 4

DAMAGE TO HIDES.

BRANDING AND FLAYING. 'I AXXEIIS URGE IMPROVEMENTS. WELLINGTON, March Il>. Proposals to prevent the loss involved through damage to hides have recently been the subject of correspondence between Mr Heibert llos.s. of Wellington, and the .Minister of Agriculture. A.s a result investigations are to he pursued along certain lines proposed. A meeting attended by a. large number of tanners from all parts of the Dominion was hold in Wellington last month to disepss what could he done to improve the quality of hides. The

following resolution was carried: “Whereas great annual loss is caused to the primary producer of the country, and also great detriment suffered by the tanning industry owing to the practice of tar and fire-branding hides, bad flaying and damage caused by horns of

cattle, it s hereby resolved that action be taken during the year to bring these matters before farmers’ unions, freezing works, abattoirs, butchers, the Meat Board, Department of Industries and Commerce, and the Department of Agriculture, with the object of effecting improvements.” In communicating this resolution to the Ministry, Air Boss wrote that hides from Ireland and Great Britaoin are free of cuts, as also is the ease with French and Spanish hides. The tanners believe that there is in use in France and other countries an electric-ally-driven machine which removes the hide without any blemish, and takes from five to eight minutes in the process, and costs, they understand, below £SO. Given well-flayed hides and an improved branding system, no imported leather would equal New Zea- 1

land tanned leather, because of the texture of the New Zealand hide.' The export of hides from New Zealand last year totalled £-105,000. Reckoning less owing to had flaying and branding at a minimum of l.jd per lb, the less on this exportable surplus runs well into £100,00!) per annum. Add to this the attendant losses of local tanned hides etc., and the amount- of loss annually is readily estimated at £250,000.

A reply v. as received from Sir Heaton Rhoden, on behalf of the Afinister of Agriculture. “The damage done to hides hv the practices you mention does undoubtedly constitute a question which is well worthy of .being gone into Fully, and I am quite in sympathy with the proposal to bring this before the various bodies which are mentioned in the resolution,” lie wrote. “If it would meet the views of the tanners, T would he glad to arrange for the Department itself to discuss the question of tar and fire-branding hides with the leading farmers’ organisations, and also to co-operate with the tanning industry in getting the other points mentioned thoroughly discussed by the interests immediately concerned.” The Minister also suggested that the Department would obtain information from Europe, regarding the electrical Haying machine, and invited Air Ross to confer with the Director-General ol Agriculture, on other points raised by the tanners. In a further letter to the AFinister. Air Ross wrote:—“With regard to elec-trically-driven machines for flaying, the Woolston tanneries have arranged witl tlie New Zealand Refrigerating Com-

Pany to give your department any information they have in this connexion. They are just about to install n machine at Inila. I am informed that the Imperial Cold Storage Company of South Africa uses these machines and reckon they save 2d per lb loss on their hides. It seems to me that if this machine is a success in South Africa it. will he a success here, and if satisfactory in one freezing company it might be made compulsory in the smaller companies.”