The Hemp Market.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 25 April 1890, Page 2

The Hemp Market.

Along and interesting latter says Thi EvMtttg.PtM has been forwarded by Mr J; Q< Ghayipr who hai been identified with the flax trade in the Marlborough district for many year* past, to the Colonial Secretary, giT« ing many points of interest concern* iug the trade gleaned during £ recent tour of Eug and. Be Bays ha went to Manchester fur the purpose of seeing the. Landtshesr machine. This is a, soiaping m&ehia* lor dressing ' ramie etd , but hL doubts whether it would answer for '&*«' Zealand flax.. He kof opinion that the present machinery is fairly satis- 1 factory if worked with care. Good work i« done with it though perhaps th« details might be improved. The most promising improvement he had seen ib that of Messrs Oldham of Waikato. In London ho saw the flax in warehouses and showrooms and for sale. In the warehouses it wan ele*D looking and did not appear to hare been altered by dumping and shipping. Some bales from each shipment are taken to the show looms and the ties out. The valuers then take out the hanks as they please i; open them to see hdwthe flax is dressed, so that there is almost a cert rinty that any dishonest packing will be discovered. He saw several brands of flax that he knew that had the strawy tips cut off after scutching. . One manufacturer he spoke to on the subject sail he did not think it was worth while duing it as it could be done just as cheaply ia England. \H# saw some Mauritius eis4 packed in wrappers, but he did not think it was necessary to do the same with our hemp ; in fact, he says that a shipment he sent to Sao Francisco in wrappers did not tarn out profitably. Mr Chaytor goes on to say that he took particular notice i about the question of damaging the fib™ by dumping, and ok mating enquiries he found that the hemp that was Well dressed, and packed , cleanly, and well dried, oame out of the dumped, bales in perfect order Some with which this care was net taken came but gummy and damp. A considerable delay is caused in distribution by the marks and brands, being; hidden, and dif. ferent brands being marked Uf ether. The mil ers should be very careful to avoid this. The buyiag and silling is entirely in the hands of the •><>• I k ers. the manufacturers hardly erer attending the sales. The discount of 4 j per cent, which is giving the producers co much dissatisfaction, is absorbed by the midd emen and would not be got rid of without much trouble and dose combination on the part of the pr ducers, who weuld insist upon Inett cash returns as in wool.' This was done in the case of sheep «kiai, w.hioh used to .labour i under 3} per cent discount. Tying the bales with flax or rope seemed preferable to wire, and the marks on the calico sown to the ties seemed very sa'isfaetory. He visited rope and twiao m»nuf*ctur«rs m London , Newcastle, Dar'ington and fiipon, and found the manufacturers very ready to give any information he asked. He believed that our hemp is used entirely for rope. ,an4^ twine I making, and none of it for textile fabrics of any kind. Mr Chaytor says that one manufacturer in answer to a question, assured him that the might noi f^ar a sudden collapse so long as they sent a' really good article, arid he : laid great streps on the hemp being of a uniform colour whbh could be got by soaking the flax (after washing) in clean water. This was done with all the Auckland flax. One manufacturer fold him our hemp was next to manilla as a rope making material, and in re!a tive money value worth about £10 a ton or less. The increased demand for fibre was much counterbalanced and the extensive use made of wire rope for shipping, etc. "In the present state of affairs," concludes Mr Chaytor. " flaxmill«rß should be cry CHreful on two points : Ist To produce only a first claw article. 2nd to stady economy .at every point, both in the manufacture and transit to ma k«t so as to be able to meet a lower range of nrictf/'